Fundamentals 3 min read

How Google’s New Fuchsia Guest App Enables Linux Apps to Run in a VM

Google has added a Guest App to its emerging open‑source Fuchsia OS, using the Machina library to let Linux applications run as virtual machines with tighter host integration, signaling a push for broader Linux compatibility across its platforms.

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Jun 27, 2018

How Google’s New Fuchsia Guest App Enables Linux Apps to Run in a VM

Fuchsia Guest App for Linux VMs

Google added a Guest App to the open‑source Fuchsia OS that runs Linux applications inside Fuchsia as virtual machines. The Guest App uses the Machina library, which provides tighter integration with the host OS than traditional emulators such as QEMU.

Background

Earlier, Google released Crostini , enabling Chromebook users to run mainstream Linux applications in a Chrome OS VM. Acer announced that its Chromebook Flip C101 will also gain Linux support, joining a limited set of Chromebooks with native Linux capability.

Fuchsia’s Position

Although Chrome OS already supports Android and Linux apps, Google stresses that Fuchsia is not built on the Linux kernel. Fuchsia will ship distinct user interfaces— Armadillo for phones and Capybara for desktops—and will integrate Android Things, other Android variants, and Google Assistant voice technology.

Technical Goals of the Guest App

Provide Linux compatibility to attract mature applications and developers.

Initially target Debian‑based Linux distributions.

Leverage Machina to achieve better host‑guest integration than QEMU‑based solutions.

Implementation Notes

The Guest App creates a lightweight VM that runs a Debian root filesystem. Machina handles device emulation, graphics forwarding, and I/O, allowing Linux apps to appear as native Fuchsia processes. Developers can clone the source repository (e.g., git clone https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/guest_app) and build it with the Fuchsia SDK.