Creating a Virtual Machine for Android 8.1+ with Compatible ISO for arm64 and QEMU

Creating a Virtual Machine for Android 8.1+ (ARM64) with QEMU

This article will guide you through the process of creating a virtual machine for Android 8.1 and later versions that support ARM64 architecture using QEMU. With the increasing popularity of single-board computers (SBCs) like Raspberry Pi and the increasing number of mobile devices using ARM64 architecture, there is a growing need for developers to test their applications on this architecture.

What is QEMU?

QEMU (Quick Emulator) is a free and open-source machine emulator and virtualizer. It can run a variety of operating systems and machine types, including ARM64, on various host architectures. QEMU is frequently used in the development of embedded systems that use ARM processors.

What is a GSI Image?

GSI (Generic System Image) is a system image for generic ARM64 devices that can be used for testing and development purposes. It can be used with QEMU to create a virtual machine for Android 8.1+ that supports ARM64 architecture.

Unfortunately, a GSI image for Android 8.1 and later versions with ARM64 architecture is not available for download. However, you can create a virtual machine for Android 8.1+ using a different method, as described below.

Creating a Virtual Machine for Android 8.1+ (ARM64) with QEMU

To create a virtual machine for Android 8.1+ that supports ARM64 architecture, you will need the following:

• The qemu-system-aarch64 binary from the QEMU project.
• An Android 8.1+ ARM64 system image.
• A device tree file for the target hardware platform.

You can download the qemu-system-aarch64 binary from the QEMU project's website. You can obtain an Android 8.1+ ARM64 system image from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) website. Finally, you can find a device tree file for the target hardware platform on the Linaro website or another similar resource.

Once you have these files, you can create a virtual machine for Android 8.1+ using the following steps.

Step 1: Create a Virtual Machine Configuration File

Create a configuration file for your virtual machine using the following syntax:

Replace the following variables with the appropriate values:

• aosp\_kernel: The path to the Android 8.1+ ARM64 system image kernel.
• aosp\_initrd: The path to the Android 8.1+ ARM64 system image initrd.
• device\_tree: The path to the device tree file for the target hardware platform.
• aosp\_image: The path to the Android 8.1+ ARM64 system image.

Step 2: Start the Virtual Machine

After creating the configuration file, you can start the virtual machine using the following command:

This command starts the virtual machine using the configuration file created in the previous step.

Step 3: Access the Virtual Machine

After starting the virtual machine, you can access it using a variety of methods. One common method is using an SSH client to connect to the virtual machine's IP address on port 2222.

Creating a virtual machine for Android 8.1+ that supports ARM64 architecture can be done using QEMU and an Android 8.1+ ARM64 system image. While a GSI image is not available for Android 8.1+, the method described above can be used as an alternative. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create a virtual machine for Android 8.1+ that supports ARM64 architecture and use it for testing and development purposes.

References

• QEMU Project
• Android Open Source Project
• Linaro