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Cycada (compatibility layer)

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Allows iOS software to run on Android
Cycada
Original author(s)
  • Jeremy Andrus (formerly)
  • Alexander Van’t Hof
  • Naser AlDuaij
  • Christoffer Dall
  • Nicolas Viennot
  • Jason Nieh
Developer(s)Department of Computer Science, Columbia University
Operating systemAndroid
TypeCompatibility layer
Websitesystems.cs.columbia.edu/projects/cycada/

Cycada (formerly known as Cider, and Chameleon before) is a compatibility layer that aims to allow applications designed for iOS to run unmodified on the Android operating system. The method uses compile-time adaptation to run unmodified code with minimal implementation effort.

The project was revealed in a conference paper by computer science researchers at Columbia University. The project enables iOS applications to adapt to Android's kernel and programming libraries.

A video released shows that many applications work, including the iOS version of Yelp, Apple's iBooks software and 3D benchmarks using OpenGL. Consequent to the release of the white paper, hardware GPS support was added to the software.

Unlike many other compatibility layers (such as WINE or Darling), Cycada works at the kernel level, as opposed to at user space.

Cycada is not a simple APK file, and modifies the entire Linux kernel.

It is unknown whether the project will be released.

The original name “Cider” was most likely a play on WINE, another compatibility layer named after an alcoholic drink.

Since lead developer Jeremy Andrus left for a job on the Darwin kernel at Apple, the project has been headed by Jason Nieh. Work on the project has still continued following this related to graphics in 2017.

Similar projects

  1. In December of 2022, Internet user Martijn de Vos, also known as devos50 has reverse engineered this device to successfully create a QEMU emulation of this device, running iPhone OS 1.0.
  2. touchHLE is a compatibility layer (referred to as a “high-level emulator”) for Windows and macOS made by Andrea "hikari_no_yume" in early 2023. The emulator was only able to run one software, Super Monkey Ball. She says that fans will have to "be patient" for anything else to emulate. It uses code translation along with CPU emulation when necessary, and specifically stated that she does not want to be compatible with 64 bit software.
  3. ipasim is a compatibility layer that provides native execution for iOS apps to run on Windows based on code translations and WinObjC.
  4. QEMU-t9080, also known as TruEmu is an iPhone 11 emulated in QEMU for the purpose of security research and cannot boot past the Apple Logo.

Notes

1. Cider is an alcoholic drink made from apples.

See also

References

  1. https://mice.cs.columbia.edu/getTechreport.php?techreportID=1536&format=pdf&
  2. Columbia University students create software allowing native iOS apps to run on Android devices – 9to5mac
  3. In Sync: Columbia Engineering Team First to Run iOS Apps on Android Platform
  4. ^ Andrus, Jeremy et. al. ``Cider: Native Execution of iOS Apps on Android." In Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Architectural Support for Programming Languages and Operating Systems (ASPLOS 2014). ACM, 2014, p. 367-382.
  5. Research project Cider brings iOS apps to Android devices – TheNextWeb
  6. Students get iOS apps running (slowly) on Android – Engadget
  7. "Columbia Cycada Demo". YouTube. 9 May 2014.
  8. "Cycada lets iOS apps run on Android natively". 20 August 2014.
  9. Andrus, Jeremy; Alduaij, Naser; Nieh, Jason (11 December 2017). "Binary compatible graphics support in Android for running iOS apps". Proceedings of the 18th ACM/IFIP/USENIX Middleware Conference. pp. 55–67. doi:10.1145/3135974.3135981. ISBN 9781450347204. S2CID 21784151.
  10. "Developer successfully emulates first version of iPhone OS on a computer with QEMU". 24 December 2022.
  11. "High-level iOS emulator touchHLE runs on Windows and Mac, aims to preserve old iOS gaming apps". 6 February 2023.
  12. Joneš, Jan (27 June 2019). "IOS emulator for Windows". hdl:20.500.11956/108316.
  13. "IPhone 11 Can Now be Emulated in QEMU Open-Source Emulator". 4 March 2022.
  14. "TruEMU: an extensible, open-source, whole-system iOS emulator" (PDF). Black Hat Briefings. 2022-08-10.
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