Waydroid is garbage. It's so bad. Better use redroid: https://github.com/remote-android/redroid-doc

Recall the post above mine:

> > I would still count it as the Linux kernel.

> This may be technically true, except it has no single meaningful implication, like no Linux software works there.

Termux is notable is because you in fact don't need a virtual machine at all, or even a proper container. Even the "chroot" aspect is basically just to create a facade to make software work with less effort; it's not literally needed. And you can indeed run typical graphical Linux software as long as you have a compatible display server; Termux offers an X server as an add-on.

This doesn't mean that Android is the same as desktop Linux, but that's not the point here. The point is that Android runs the Linux kernel, and not just in name only. You actually can make use of the Linux aspect of Android, which many of us do.

It's possible that Google will lock down Android further in the future and make the host Linux environment less usable for stock Linux apps, but today you can run quite a lot of typical CLI and even desktop Linux software directly in Android with minimal fuss. Even if it's a little cumbersome, it's quite useful in a pinch.

I'd argue whether you can readily install software to the Linux host environment is also neither here nor there. For an immutable abroot setup like SteamOS, you can't really install directly to the host environment, but in my mind that does not make it any less "desktop Linux" or Linux kernel based.

You are talking about the OS while the person you are discussing with is speaking about the kernel.

The Linux kernel has its own merits outside standard Linux userspace.

I agree, saying that the fact standard Linux distros and Android share the same kernel has no single meaningful implication really undervalues the Linux kernel.

I also agree that it's important to keep in mind the two OSes are mostly incompatible.

The two OSes sharing the kernel have practical implications, including (theoretically) seeing improvements coming from Android dev in the kernel that can benefit standard linux distros, and things like Termux or Waydroid.

In practice Linux is a family of different OSes. Sometimes POSIX-centric, sometimes not.

What do you even count as "an OS"? Linux + gnu userland + Gnome? Or is it KDE? Embedded Linux? Does ChromeOS count? LG's WebOS?

Try Termux and you'll be surprised how much 'Linux' software runs fine on Android, this includes things made to run under X11 etc.

And you can't easily rewrite Qt software to use GTK. Still they both run on Linux.

Me neither! I was suggesting to use "Posix" instead of "Linux" because it properly separates GNU/Linux or other Linuxes from Android. Posix is what Android isn't but what MacOS is. What people erroneously try to call "Linux" because they don't have a better word.