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ExTV/Podroid

A rootless Android app that boots a real Alpine Linux VM so you can run Podman, Docker and LXC containers and GUI Linux apps on your phone.

Open-source alternative to:TermuxUserLAndLinux Deploy

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3,561
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228
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30
Last commit
27 days ago

What is it?

Podroid runs a full Alpine Linux virtual machine with its own kernel on an arm64 Android phone, without root access. Because it is a real VM rather than a chroot or proot setup, Podman, Docker and LXC work the way they do on a server, with the container tools pre-installed and ready once the VM boots.

The app provides an in-app terminal with xterm-256color support, color themes and fonts, plus an X11 viewer for running GUI Linux applications with touch, keyboard, mouse and audio input. The VM can be backed by QEMU, or by hardware-accelerated AVF on supported pKVM devices.

Networking features include SSH access, port forwarding through the included podroid-forward helper, USB passthrough, a guest-to-Android bridge, and sharing of the Android Downloads folder with the guest. The project is available in English and Chinese and requires Android 8 or later.

Key features

  • 01Runs Podman, Docker and LXC pre-installed in an Alpine Linux VM
  • 02Uses a real VM with its own kernel, backed by QEMU or AVF on supported devices
  • 03Includes an X11 viewer for GUI Linux apps with touch, keyboard, mouse and audio
  • 04Provides an in-app terminal with color themes and fonts
  • 05Supports SSH, port forwarding, USB passthrough and Downloads folder sharing

Use cases

  • Running rootless containers on an Android phone for experiments or development
  • Testing Docker or Podman workflows without a separate Linux server
  • Running Linux desktop applications on a phone or tablet
  • Exposing a container service on the phone to other devices on the LAN

Topics

#android#containers#podman#docker#linux#virtual-machine#alpine-linux#x11#android-app#android-virtualization-framework

FAQ

What is Podroid?
A rootless Android app that boots a real Alpine Linux VM so you can run Podman, Docker and LXC containers and GUI Linux apps on your phone. Podroid runs a full Alpine Linux virtual machine with its own kernel on an arm64 Android phone, without root access. Because it is a real VM rather than a chroot or proot setup, Podman, Docker and LXC work the way they do on a server, with the container tools pre-installed and ready once the VM boots.
Is Podroid free to use? What license does it have?
Podroid is open source under the GPL-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is Podroid still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to Podroid was on Sep 21, 2026.
What can I use Podroid for?
Running rootless containers on an Android phone for experiments or development Testing Docker or Podman workflows without a separate Linux server Running Linux desktop applications on a phone or tablet Exposing a container service on the phone to other devices on the LAN
Where can I get Podroid?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/ExTV/Podroid

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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