The Case for Using Android As a VM Host Device

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Jon_Hasen
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Joined: 4. Mar 2016, 06:39

The Case for Using Android As a VM Host Device

Post by Jon_Hasen »

Hey guys,

Newbie here, I was looking into the possibility of installing VM on my Android and emulating the Android system itself. Many may ask why? For me, privacy is at the heart of the quest. I understand there may be hardware issues with most tablets not having X86 processors but with more people using handheld devices with operating systems such as Android the case for VM being available on such devices is could never be greater.

We all know the problems we face with apps such as LinkedIn, Facebook...etc poaching data from our devices which causes us to choose to either preserve our right to privacy or be in a position to sacrifice everything that we do on the digital realm for the simplicity of using an app that you rely on. Of course the hardcore amongst us may insist on boycotting apps, getting their phones rooted or tearing the APKs to pieces to remove permissions they don't want to grant such apps.

It is logical to me that if Virtual Machine was available on Android devices we would be able to host other Android or even Apple operating systems to use the apps we require whilst protecting our real data and masking our real locations/device hardware.

I understand that every project needs money but come on, in the entire hacker/privacy advocate community isn't there one group of developers who can create a VM host app for Androids? Think of it as something like a software Tor client for Android users not wanting to see their data mined vigorously for the interests of God knows who?!
mpack
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Re: The Case for Using Android As a VM Host Device

Post by mpack »

And how much of this work have you done already?
Jon_Hasen
Posts: 2
Joined: 4. Mar 2016, 06:39

Re: The Case for Using Android As a VM Host Device

Post by Jon_Hasen »

mpack wrote:And how much of this work have you done already?

Thanks for asking but I'm a tech experience designer not a tech developer. I'm on here because I wanted to ask you more experienced developers if it is underway or if not why not being it has a really strong case from a privacy perspective.

Surely some of you developers on here are privacy advocates and want to make something happen.

As someone who is relatively amateur in tech, I've tried countless tools to rip the guts out of APKs to prevent privacy invasions and the honest truth is when investigated many of the apps that perform such actions have corrupt intentions and agendas and are always closed source. In addition to that, many permissions are hardwired into functionality and therefore don't work if you don't share your data with them. Virtual environments can be as fictitious as any of us choose to make them and theoretically can solve a major problem that exists now with mobile tech which is fast overtaking many other forms of tech devices.

Any constructive thoughts?
mpack
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Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
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Re: The Case for Using Android As a VM Host Device

Post by mpack »

These are user forums, I'm not a developer (at least not on VirtualBox).

Constructive thoughts - that's a matter of definitions. VirtualBox earns income for the devs by support contract sales to business customers. As far as I'm aware the market for x86 Android is practically non-existent, so I can't see why this suggestion would interest the devs. If you were to contribute the code that would be one thing, but if it's just one users views on how to spend someone else's resources then I doubt the suggestion will get very far.

So my constructive suggestion: band together with many others of a like mind, raise a ton of cash, and offer to pay the devs to add these features.
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