A Wine-like Android compatibility platform. Drion preserves the contracts Android apps expect and replaces the system behind them, in Rust. The apps run as ordinary Linux programs and use the host's windows, audio and notifications.
Now open for Linux desktops and Ubuntu Touch. Email alpha@actinis.io to join.
Drion is a Wine-like compatibility platform for Android. Apps get the Android they expect (activities, services, content providers, intents, notifications), and Drion replaces the system behind it, in Rust.
Each unmodified app runs as its own sandboxed Linux process, with no VM, guest kernel or Android system image. Audio, webcams, sensors, location, clipboard and notifications come from the host, so Android apps integrate with it instead of running beside it.
Your Android apps, on Linux.
Drion runs regular Android apps and games on Linux without a virtual machine or a separate Android operating system. Apps run as Linux processes and integrate with your system.
Desktop computers, Steam Deck, and Ubuntu Touch phones are different ways to use the same platform.
Linux with Wayland.
Drion is currently tested on Linux desktops with NVIDIA and AMD GPUs, on SteamOS and Ubuntu Touch, and in headless server deployments.
On desktop, apps open in their own windows alongside your other programs. On SteamOS, the interface is designed for Gaming Mode and controller navigation. On Ubuntu Touch, it is adapted for touchscreens and the mobile environment.
All versions share the same core technology, with interfaces and system integrations tailored to each platform.
No. Drion works with regular Android APKs. Developers do not need to create a separate version of their app for Drion.
Split-APK packages in APKS, XAPK, and APKM formats are also supported. You can install apps through the graphical interface or the command line.
For local use, Drion runs under your regular user account. It does not require a virtual machine, Docker, or Android-specific kernel modules such as Binder.
Drion uses standard Linux isolation features. Any platform-specific dependencies are covered in the installation instructions.
Drion is currently closed source. We plan to fund its continued development through commercial editions and licensing, supporting long-term work on app compatibility, performance, and new platforms.
We are considering open-sourcing individual components, but we have not announced plans to open-source the entire project.
Apps keep Android’s own runtime and framework code. Drion replaces the system services behind them: apps see Android, the OS stays Linux.
On x86_64 hosts, Drion pairs with a Native Bridge translator to run arm64-only apps.
Each app is its own sandboxed Linux process. No guest kernel, no Android system image, no VM.
Audio, webcams, sensors, location, clipboard and notifications come from the host, through pluggable adapters.
Activities, windows, services, packages and permissions are reimplemented from scratch behind Android’s own contracts.
Desktop, headless and Docker Compose profiles share one compatibility core. Host integrations plug in as adapters, so every profile runs the same core code.
Drion Capsule packages your application with Drion as a standalone Linux product, including SteamOS releases, with its own name, icon, and direct launch.
Explore Drion CapsulePlay Android games and use Android apps on Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and other SteamOS devices with less overhead than Waydroid. Apps install in one click and stay installed.
Mobile Linux distributions that want Android app compatibility without shipping a second OS. Drion keeps the host kernel and the host UI, and each Android app runs as a regular process.
Bring the Android app catalogue to GNOME, KDE, and Sway. Apps get Wayland-native windows and use the host’s audio, clipboard and notifications.
Embedded Linux devices that need the Android app catalogue without running Android as their OS: smart TVs and set-top boxes, industrial HMIs, kiosks and smart displays. Each deployment profile picks the device adapters it needs.
Run Android instrumented test suites in CI without booting a full emulator. Apps share the host kernel, so ordinary build agents can run them, and more agents means more parallel tests.
Instrument, trace, and sandbox Android apps with ordinary Linux tooling: strace, perf, seccomp, eBPF. The app is a Linux process, so these tools see it directly, with no emulator in the way.
The same compatibility core on every target, built per platform: each gets its own install path and requirements. Closed alpha is open for Linux desktops and Ubuntu Touch; email alpha@actinis.io to join.
We'll email you about major updates and when you can try it. Nothing else.