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!

  • penquin@lemm.ee
    873·
    3 days ago

    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!!!

    • ouch@lemmy.world
      22·
      3 days ago

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

      • bitwolf@lemmy.one
        1·
        1 day ago

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

      • penquin@lemm.ee
        91·
        2 days ago

        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.

        • deltapi@lemmy.world
          6·
          2 days 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)