Enable Binder IPC on Ubuntu Linux

⚠️ Important Notice This document is generated by GitHub Copilot and has not been fully tested or validated in real Ubuntu environments. The instructions provided are based on general knowledge and may require adjustments for your specific system configuration. Please proceed with caution and test thoroughly in a safe environment before applying to production systems.

Ubuntu Linux does not enable Binder IPC by default. Here are several methods to enable it:

The easiest way is to install the anbox-modules package which provides the necessary kernel modules:

# Install required packages
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install software-properties-common

# Add the anbox PPA
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:morphis/anbox-support
$ sudo apt update

# Install anbox modules
$ sudo apt install anbox-modules-dkms

After installation, load the modules:

# Load binder modules
$ sudo modprobe ashmem_linux
$ sudo modprobe binder_linux

# Verify modules are loaded
$ lsmod | grep -E "(ashmem|binder)"

Method 2: Install Custom Kernel

Option A: Using mainline kernel with binder support

Some Ubuntu kernels include binder support. Check if your kernel already has it:

# Check if binder is available
$ grep -E "(ANDROID|BINDER)" /boot/config-$(uname -r)

If not available, you may need to compile a custom kernel or use a kernel that includes binder support.

Option B: Using Ubuntu mainline kernels

You can try installing a mainline kernel that includes binder support:

# Install mainline kernel (example for 6.1)
$ wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v6.1/amd64/linux-headers-6.1.0-060100_6.1.0-060100.202212111530_all.deb
$ wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v6.1/amd64/linux-headers-6.1.0-060100-generic_6.1.0-060100.202212111530_amd64.deb
$ wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v6.1/amd64/linux-image-unsigned-6.1.0-060100-generic_6.1.0-060100.202212111530_amd64.deb
$ wget -c https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v6.1/amd64/linux-modules-6.1.0-060100-generic_6.1.0-060100.202212111530_amd64.deb

$ sudo dpkg -i *.deb
$ sudo reboot

Method 3: Build Custom Kernel (Advanced)

If you need to build your own kernel with binder support:

# Install build dependencies
$ sudo apt install build-essential libncurses-dev bison flex libssl-dev libelf-dev

# Download kernel source
$ wget https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/linux-6.1.tar.xz
$ tar -xf linux-6.1.tar.xz
$ cd linux-6.1

# Configure kernel with binder support
$ make menuconfig

# Navigate to: General setup -> Enable Android support
# Enable:
# CONFIG_ANDROID=y
# CONFIG_ANDROID_BINDER_IPC=y
# CONFIG_ANDROID_BINDERFS=y
# CONFIG_ASHMEM=y

# Build and install
$ make -j$(nproc)
$ sudo make modules_install
$ sudo make install
$ sudo update-grub
$ sudo reboot

Verification

After enabling binder support, verify it's working:

# Check if binder modules are available
$ find /lib/modules/$(uname -r) -name "*binder*"

# Check if binderfs is supported
$ grep binderfs /proc/filesystems

# Test creating a binder device (requires rsbinder-tools)
$ sudo rsb_device test_binder

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

  1. Module not found: Ensure the anbox-modules-dkms package is properly installed
  2. Permission denied: Make sure you're using sudo for device creation
  3. Kernel too old: Binder support requires Linux kernel 3.19+ with backported patches or 4.17+ natively

Getting Help:

  • Check dmesg for kernel messages: dmesg | grep -i binder
  • Verify module loading: sudo modprobe -v binder_linux
  • Check system logs: journalctl -f while loading modules

References