this post was submitted on 11 Mar 2025
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With the latest release of android it now supports some Linux functionality. I got docker installed simply by following Docker's docs.

Any thoughts or uses for a mobile homelab? What would be useful to have mobile?

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[–] [email protected] 60 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

my friends complaining that my plex server because I left my phone on the bus and it ran out of charge

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The lines between mobile device and server get blurred even more.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Tbh a laptop is a "mobile" device

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

It's a server with integrated UPS and KVM console.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Except for that time I took out the battery because it was swollen and took the screen off to help with cooling. At least I still have my K and M

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[–] [email protected] 57 points 3 weeks ago

Lmao this is amazing. The future is now...

[–] coffeetastesbadlikecoffee 26 points 3 weeks ago

This is simultaneously cool and cursed af.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That's cool! I've always had the idea of a small k3s cluster on old phones with postmarketOS. I guess it doesn't work with older phones which don't have the latest Android Version but given the homelab trend generally goes towards small, low power devices, this could continue the trend with super small and low power phones. Probably in 2 years when current gen phones rotate out of company leasing contracts?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Oh man that'd be super cool. An ARM cluster of androids would be awesome. Battery backups built in!

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

With the latest release of android it now supports some Linux functionality.

Wait, it does? Gonna have to check that out.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

Early alpha, but yea it's full on Linux in Android. Quite slick

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Dope, seems to not have landed yet in LineageOS but the Terminal app is already installed. Just missing the toggle in the developer options.

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Debian is supposedly coming to android. That would be cool.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That's Debian in the screenshot

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

Oh nice! I can't see very well on phone.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The day Docker works on Android, I'm settled.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 3 weeks ago

Docker does work on Android. That's what OP is showing off.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

latest release of android

Does that mean 15?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Yea kinda. Android is switching to quarterly releases, so my phone now says "Android 15" but this was QPR2 specifically

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

these are the times when I get jealous, as an iOS user

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago

You're free to join us

[–] turnip 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I dont know how you can stand using iOS. Its just so unintuitive, theres no back button and I can't even figure out copy/paste.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Copy paste is easy. You just tap on the, no wait you tap on the, fuck hold on. You tap, there we are, on the word and hold until it highlights. No wait hold on. Fuck. There we are. Ok now you tap on the highlighted word to copy, fuck wait Ah fuck it just type it again yourself

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

The change maker feature would be to arrive home and plug your phone in a dock station and have a desktop to use as a pc

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

This has been supported on Samsung devices for years - it was first added to the Galaxy S8 (2017). It's called Samsung DeX. You can plug a phone or tablet into a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and it gives you a full screen experience.

They have docking stations, but you can also just use a USB C hub.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

I've been talking about this for years! I got the idea from razer but I'm imagining the laptop chassis adds a nice screen, enormous battery, better IO, and then it just uses the touch screen as the track pad.

It could be so cool

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Maybe your own adblocker, I thought about doing that myself, I use the public one from adguard on my phone (dns.aguard-dns.com) but having it on your own device would be pretty slick perhaps. But thinking about it more, Google wouldn't just let you use an internal IP for the private DNS. I have tried it with my locally hosted adblocker and it rejects it.

Or you could set up a dashboard like Homepage or Dashy, or Flame or ? Ultimately, your imagination would do! :)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

I do it. It has be DOT and you have to have a valid cert.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

What is the current wisdom about having an android device always plugged in? Some people say that it will kill and pillow the battery, but does it really?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

I don't know. I think they are pretty good at managing battery, and have a new setting for maxing it out at 80% charge, but I don't think I'd put it near anything expensive for years on end.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

The trick of retrofitting any battery powered device into a wired one is to remove the battery. No matter what, Li-ion batteries cannot sustain permanent power. Expensive adapters and new Androids can regulate power well, as can automations, but the best worry-free option is battery removal.

Edit: I've just remembered Fairphone, they're bossing the mobile repair ability front and have removable batteries like pre-2012. Could get one of those

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

I can see my 5 year old android mobile struggling being a suitable self hosting machine... (Because of the battery).

But not gonna lie, having it working as a more advanced travel router connect to Tailscale sounds like a neat idea (which I think it is already possible? The other day I saw the client app that supports subnet routers? I just haven't tried it, and it has a disclaimer that it drains the battery... So I didn't end up doing that at that moment when I was away).

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

Get steam-headless running on there

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Impressive! Can you please link the instructions you followed?

Some time ago I was hosting the full ARR suite, bitwarden, AdGuard etc, but it was usually a mess with direct installs. With docker it might be worth revisiting it.

My only advice, buy a usb-ETH dongle, it will make a huge difference in stability

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago

https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/debian/#install-using-the-repository

That's it lol. To turn on the terminal, it's a developer option for now, and is very alpha, just search for Linux in settings after turning on dev mode

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

Oh nice! I'd love to run an ad blocker/dns/reverse proxy on something with a little more beef than the Pi zero I've got now.

Jellyfin and or Pi zero does not like streaming through the video.local address I've got setup, so i have to use IP address to get anything without stuttering.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

How do we activate this feature? I have it enabled after going into the developer settings menu but nothing seems to happen, I see mentions of an app but idk what the app is. I am on grapheneOS though instead of normal android so there could be something with that here.

Oh nvm I figured it out, it just took a bit for me to realize there was a new terminal app on my phone

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

While this is very exciting, I just tried it, and the network connectivity seems to be broken. No IPv6.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (3 children)

Hmm I was messing with its networking. External vpns break stuff on GrapheneOS. Its internal IP was 192.168.0.2, and my network is different.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

Yes, Linux is running in a VM, and the network interface is a virtualized veth interface connected to a host bridge. The host android system has IP address 192.168.0.1, and this network interface is called avf_tap_fixed (as seen from termux).

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[–] shadshack 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I can't get it to have network connection while my phone is on cellular data. On wifi it's fine.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I just checked, and I have connectivity while on cellular. Maybe (just wild speculation) your mobile network is IPv6-only? Android (not Linux) should list 192.0.0.4 as an IP address in that case.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Just installed arch with chroot on my old rooted phone a week ago.

Seeing this is great because it means there's no need for complicated workarounds or even root access! Plus the distro runs natively and not with difficulties like with chroot :D

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Native in what sense? As I understand it that uses a VM of some sort

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I dont think I so much want this for my phone as for my homemade AndroidTV boxes. Losing the Linux functionality after switching from Kodi/libreelec had been my biggest pain point.

Can't wait to see my TV boxes show up in my Beszel dashboard!

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