| Android-x86 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||
| Developer | Chih-Wei Huang, Yi Sun | ||||||
| OS family | Android (Linux) | ||||||
| Source model | Open source (includesproprietary components such asGoogle Play) | ||||||
| Latest release |
| ||||||
| Kernel type | Monolithic (modified Linux kernel) | ||||||
| License | Apache License 2.0 | ||||||
| Official website | www | ||||||
Android-x86 is anopen source project that makes an unofficial porting of theAndroidmobile operating system developed by theOpen Handset Alliance to run on devices powered byx86 processors, rather than RISC-basedARM chips.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
DevelopersChih-Wei Huang and Yi Sun originated the project in 2009. The project began as a series ofpatches to the Androidsource code to enable Android to run on variousnetbooks,tablets andultra-mobile PCs. Huang is the current project maintainer. Currently active developers include Mauro Rossi and Michael Goffioul.[10]
The OS is based on theAndroid Open Source Project (AOSP) with some modifications and improvements. Some components are developed by the project which allow it to run on PC architecture. For instance, some low-level components are replaced to better suit the platform, such as thekernel andHALs. The OS enablesOpenGL ES hardware acceleration viaMesa if supportedGPUs are detected, includingIntel GMA, AMD'sRadeon,Nvidia's chipsets (Nouveau),VMware (vmwgfx) andQEMU (virgl). Without a supported GPU, the OS can run in non-accelerated mode viasoftware rendering. Since release 7.1, the software renderer has been implemented via theSwiftShader project.[11]
Like a normalLinux distribution, the project releases pre-builtISO images which can run underlive mode or installed to a hard disk on the target system. Since release 4.4-r2, the project also releases efi_img[12] which can be used to create alive USB to bebooted from onUEFI systems. Since release 4.4-r4, the UEFI support was united into the ISO images and efi_img was marked as deprecated.
Except AOSP, the following incomplete list of components are developed from scratch or derived from otheropen source projects to form the entire Android-x86codebase:
More and more components may be added to the updated version.
| Version | Android version | Release date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsupported: 0.9 | 1.5 (Cupcake) | 2009-07-29 | Discontinued |
| Unsupported: 1.6 | 1.6 (Donut) | 2009-11-20 | Discontinued |
| Unsupported: 2.2 | 2.1 (Eclair) | 2010-06-30 | Discontinued |
| Unsupported: 2.3 | 2.3 (Gingerbread) | 2011-08-28 | Discontinued |
| Unsupported: 3.2 | 3.0 (Honeycomb) | 2011-08-28 | Discontinued |
| Unsupported: 4.0 | 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) | 2012-01-01 | Discontinued |
| Unsupported: 4.2 | 4.2 (Jellybean) | 2012-12-25 | Discontinued |
| Unsupported: 4.3 | 4.3 (Jellybean) | 2013-07-25 | Discontinued |
| Unsupported: 4.4 | 4.4.2 (KitKat) | 2014-08-08 | Discontinued |
| Unsupported: 5.1 | 5.1.1 (Lollipop) | 2015-10-07 | Discontinued |
| Unsupported: 6.0 | 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) | 2016-09-13 | Discontinued |
| Supported: 7.1 | 7.1.2 (Nougat) | 2017-06-08 | Maintained |
| Supported: 8.1 | 8.1.0 (Oreo) | 2019-01-15 | Maintained |
| Latest version: 9.0 | 9.0.0 (Pie) | 2020-02-27 | Maintained |
| Future version: 10.0 | 10.0 (Q) | ? | Source Code[13] (Work In Progress) |
| Future version: 11.0 | 11.0 (R) | ? | Source Code[14] (Work In Progress) |
An open source OS based on Android-x86. Supported on Chromebooks, PCs, and tablets.[15]
A related project, Celadon (formerly Android-IA)[16] has been produced byIntel that will run on newer UEFI devices. The project states that its intention is to drive Android support and innovation on Intel Architecture in addition to providing a venue for collaboration.[16] It re-used the drm_gralloc graphics HAL module from Android-x86 in order to supportIntel HD Graphics hardware. Back as Android-IA, it provided a FAQ[17] with more detailed information.
Jide Technologies partnered with Chih-Wei Huang, the main developer of Android-x86, onRemix OS, a closed-source derivative of Android-x86 designed for use on conventional PCs. The first beta of Remix OS was made available on March 1, 2016.[18] The project was discontinued on July 17, 2017.[19]
In late 2020, a senior member ofXDA Developers created Android TV x86 to provideAndroid TV forPCs, which "should work out of the box because theROM has its roots in the Android-x86 project".[20]
