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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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WhatsApp running through android-translation-layer (no container!) on Linux desktop (lemmy.kde.social)

submitted 3 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

70 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Since https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1gdhy7u/experimental_flathub_release_of_newpipe_on_linux/ got a bit of traction yesterday, this is WhatsApp straight from Meta running on Linux desktop using android-translation-layer.

android-translation-layer (ATL) is a Wine-like approach to run Android applications on Linux. Rather than running an Android container like for example Waydroid does this instead implements the Android API. Note that right now it's very much work in progress and almost no app will work yet, but the fact that they have apps like Newpipe and WhatsApp running already is very promising!

Join the Matrix chat at #android-translation-layer:matrix.org and follow along!

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[–] [email protected] 88 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I can feel it in the air. This is going to take off just like how wine and proton took off. We are going to go through another "Linux gaming" rush all over again and this shit is going to be fun. Let's go!!!

[–] [email protected] 24 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

Wine was first released in 1993. I hope our children are there to see the take off.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 hours ago

Didn't it take off in the late 90's within Linux communities?

So I'd give this a few years, then.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I don't think you should compare the two progresses. Technology is much better now. So, things will definitely move much faster than they did back in the 90s.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago

There is slightly more openness to androids layers than the win32 layers as well.

I still remember symlinking to binaries in my windows system folder back in the late 90s to be able to run office 95 under Linux. (The MSFT system files permitted some things to work properly that just didn't with the wine provided libraries back then)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

Just ignore the existence of proton, despite it being mentioned by name.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah but I imagine porting a JVM and an API using open source code is much easier than reversing the Windows API.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago

I definitely hope so, so far it's looking promising!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

So the native gnu userspace will become the third most used desktop linux runtime :P