Google's new 'Aluminium OS' project brings Android to PC

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

What Aluminium OS Is (Speculated Role)

  • Many see Aluminium not as a brand‑new OS but as ChromeOS rebased on Android’s lower layers (kernel, display, power, Bluetooth), unifying divergent stacks.
  • Job postings and internal shifts suggest ChromeOS for lower tiers and Aluminium for “premium”/AI‑heavy devices, targeting laptops, detachables, and tablets.
  • Some argue this is mainly about expanding Google’s Play/AI footprint to PCs, not solving a user‑driven problem.

Security and Sandboxing Debates

  • Several commenters are enthusiastic: Android‑style per‑app sandboxing, granular permissions, good defaults for encryption, battery and privacy indicators are seen as far ahead of typical desktop Linux setups.
  • Others counter that desktop security is already “good enough” with Secure Boot + LUKS + SELinux, and that phones mainly add convenience and coercive controls (passcode lockouts, attestation).
  • There is extensive discussion on open source trust: you don’t personally read all the code, but public auditability and community review are viewed as a major advantage despite proven supply‑chain attacks.

Lockdown, Ownership, and App Stores

  • Strong concern that Google will import mobile‑style lockdown (remote attestation, app‑store gatekeeping, 30% cuts, harder sideloading) into PCs, further normalizing platforms where users don’t have final say.
  • Some frame this as part of a larger trend alongside macOS notarization and Windows 11’s ads, accounts, and AI integration.
  • Others argue average users benefit from locked‑down systems and that Android still allows more bypasses than Apple’s platforms.

Android Apps on Desktop: Usefulness and UX

  • Skeptics doubt most Android apps work well with large screens, keyboards, and traditional desktop workflows; DeX and ChromeOS Android support are cited as clumsy.
  • Supporters note real demand for mobile‑only apps (banking, transit, social, offline maps, Google services) and suggest a windowed, multi‑app desktop Android could be “good enough” for many, especially on 2‑in‑1 devices.
  • Accessibility and keyboard navigation in Android are called “not ready” for PC use.

Linux vs Big Vendor OSes

  • Long side‑threads debate “GNU/Linux” naming, shrinking GNU components, systemd/Wayland, and whether this is finally “the year of Linux on the desktop” thanks to Valve/Proton.
  • Opinions split: some see desktop Linux as increasingly viable; others say fragmentation, unstable ABIs, and weaker app sandboxing mean mainstream open‑source desktop will arrive via Android, not traditional Linux.