If you’ve ever wanted to bring the Android TV experience to your Fedora desktop or laptop, this guide is for you.
Using Waydroid, you can run a full Android TV system (LineageOS 20, Android 13) directly on Fedora — with full access to Google Play Store, hardware acceleration, and support for streaming apps like YouTube, Prime Video, and Netflix.
Unlike emulators, Waydroid runs Android inside a container environment that uses your system’s kernel and GPU, making it nearly as fast as a native Android device.
1. 🌟 Introduction: What Makes Waydroid Special
Waydroid isn’t an emulator like Bluestacks or Genymotion.
It’s a containerized Android system that integrates directly with your Fedora Linux kernel.
This approach allows Android apps to run smoothly with native GPU acceleration and lower resource usage.
For this setup, we’ll be using a custom Android TV build based on LineageOS 20 (Android 13), created by a community developer named SuperChicken.
This build already includes:
- Google Play Store and Play Services
- Widevine L3 DRM (for streaming apps)
- VA-API hardware acceleration (for Intel/AMD GPUs)
So, once you complete this setup, you’ll have a fully functional Android TV system running directly on your Fedora desktop — without needing a separate TV box or emulator.
2. ⚙️ System Requirements for Fedora
Before we begin installation, make sure your system meets the minimum requirements.
Minimum System Requirements
- Fedora 38 or later (Workstation or KDE Spin recommended)
- 64-bit processor (Intel or AMD)
- 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended)
- 10 GB free disk space
- Stable internet connection
Update Your System
Always start by updating Fedora:
sudo dnf update -y
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh -y
Now that your system is up to date, let’s move on to installing Waydroid.
3. 🧩 Installing Waydroid on Fedora
Waydroid is available via a COPR repository maintained by the Fedora community.
Let’s install it step by step.
Step 1: Enable the COPR Repository
sudo dnf copr enable aleasto/waydroid -y
Step 2: Install Waydroid and Required Tools
sudo dnf install waydroid lxc python3-pip -y
This installs Waydroid, LXC (Linux Containers), and necessary dependencies.
Step 3: Adjust SELinux (Important for Fedora)
Fedora’s SELinux sometimes prevents containers from running properly.
To avoid permission issues, temporarily set SELinux to permissive mode:
sudo setenforce 0
You can later revert it using:
sudo setenforce 1
Step 4: Enable and Start the Waydroid Container Service
sudo systemctl enable waydroid-container
sudo systemctl start waydroid-container
Waydroid is now installed and ready for setup.
Next, we’ll add the Android TV build.
4. 📦 Downloading the Android TV (LineageOS 20) Build
The Android TV build we’ll use is maintained on GitHub:
👉 https://github.com/supechicken/waydroid-androidtv-build
Features:
- Based on LineageOS 20 (Android 13)
- Includes Google Play Store & Services
- Supports Widevine L3 DRM
- Hardware-accelerated video decoding
Download Steps:
- Visit the GitHub page above.
- Scroll down to the Releases section.
- Download the latest
.zipfile for your 64-bit PC. - Extract it. You’ll see:
system.imgvendor.img
We’ll use these two image files to boot Android TV inside Waydroid.
5. 🧠 Setting Up Android TV in Waydroid
Once you’ve extracted the build, let’s configure it.
Step 1: Clean Up Old Data (If Any)
If you’ve run Waydroid before:
sudo waydroid session stop
sudo rm -rf ~/.local/share/waydroid
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/waydroid/overlay*
Step 2: Copy Android TV Images
Move both extracted files to the Waydroid images directory:
sudo mkdir -p /etc/waydroid-extra/images/
sudo cp ~/Downloads/system.img /etc/waydroid-extra/images/system.img
sudo cp ~/Downloads/vendor.img /etc/waydroid-extra/images/vendor.img
Step 3: Initialize Waydroid
sudo waydroid init -f
Step 4: Start the Waydroid Session
waydroid session start
Wait a few minutes for the first boot — you’ll soon see the Android TV home screen appear on your Fedora desktop.
6. 🔐 Registering Android TV with Google
Since this custom Android TV isn’t certified, you’ll need to register its Android ID with Google to log into Play Store.
Step 1: Get Your Android ID
Run this in the terminal:
sudo waydroid shell -- sh -c "sqlite3 /data/data/*/*/gservices.db 'select * from main where name=\"android_id\";'"
Copy the numeric ID shown in the output.
Step 2: Register Your Device with Google
- Visit: https://www.google.com/android/uncertified
- Sign in with your Google account.
- Paste the Android ID.
- Complete the CAPTCHA and click Register.
Step 3: Restart the Container
sudo systemctl restart waydroid-container
Now open Play Store again — you’ll be able to sign in normally.
7. 📲 Installing Apps and Using Play Store
Once Play Store is active, you can install any Android TV-compatible app.
Some popular ones to try first:
- YouTube
- Amazon Prime Video
- Hotstar
- MX Player
- Spotify
- Plex
- VLC
To install:
- Open Play Store.
- Search for an app.
- Click Install.
Alternatively, you can sideload apps using Aurora Store if you prefer not to log into Google:
waydroid app install ~/Downloads/AuroraStore*.apk
8. 🎬 Testing Streaming and Performance
Let’s test how well Android TV runs on Fedora.
Step 1: Open YouTube
You’ll see a QR code for quick sign-in — scan it using your phone camera.
Playback should be smooth with HD quality video.
Step 2: Test Prime Video or Netflix
Sign in and play a movie.
Thanks to Widevine L3 and VA-API support, playback should be stutter-free and smooth.
Step 3: Try Window Mode
You can switch between fullscreen and windowed mode:
waydroid show-full-ui
Waydroid even supports integration with your desktop’s sound and network stack.
9. 🧹 How to Uninstall Waydroid on Fedora
If you no longer want Android TV, you can completely remove it.
Step 1: Stop the Session
sudo waydroid session stop
Step 2: Remove Waydroid
sudo dnf remove waydroid -y
Step 3: Delete Residual Files
sudo rm -rf ~/.local/share/waydroid
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/waydroid
sudo rm -rf /etc/waydroid-extra
That’s it. Waydroid is now completely removed from your Fedora system.
10. ❓ FAQs and Common Questions
Q1. Is Waydroid safe on Fedora?
Yes. It uses Fedora’s container system (LXC) and doesn’t modify your core OS files.
Q2. Do I need an NVIDIA GPU?
Not required. In fact, Intel and AMD GPUs work best because of native VA-API acceleration.
Q3. Can I watch 4K content?
Widevine L3 limits playback to HD on some DRM platforms, but 1080p works perfectly.
Q4. Will my data persist?
Yes, all installed apps and settings remain until you delete or reinitialize Waydroid.
11. ⚠️ Disclaimer
This tutorial is for educational purposes.
Waydroid and the Android TV image are community projects and not affiliated with Google or LineageOS.
Streaming app compatibility may vary, and DRM content is limited by certification level (L3).
Proceed at your own discretion.
🔗 Useful Links
- Official Waydroid Website: https://waydro.id/
- Android TV Build (GitHub): https://github.com/supechicken/waydroid-androidtv-build
#Fedora #Waydroid #AndroidTV #Linux #LineageOS #GooglePlay #OpenSource #Android13 #TechGuide #LinuxTips
