How do i install and run .apk packages on my PC
 

Hi, I am running Debian Sid x64 on my Laptop. It so happens that the free Wifi providers whose largesse i depend on presently, will make it available only on their app. from November onwards. I have already downloaded their <Joister Connect_v2.3.1_apkpure.com.apk> but i have no idea how to install or run it. Don't own a smartphone, wouldn't know how to use it if i had one..:cry:

Gurgled quite a bit before i decided to trouble you, read about ArchON, Shashlik, Genymotion, etc. but couldn't fully follow their guides, nor am i sure how i should go about it. Would really appreciate if someone could advise me as to what exactly is it that i need and how to go about getting it, preferably from the Debian Sid repository. Thanks.

The .apk file almost certainly will not work on your Debian PC as it's made for the Android kernel running on ARM.
How do your provider propose to let Windows, OSX and Windows phone users connect to their network? It seems odd that they would lock things down only to Android on ARM...

That sucks, but surely, there has to be a way..what about those android emulators, in fact i typed "android" in Synaptic and came up with a whole bunch of stuff, platforms and such, only thing is i don't know what to use and how to go about it..or something that can be done on virtualbox?

Is that what they are doing, locking down only to Android and ARM? How did you come to that conclusion, i mean i don't even know how ARM figures in this? As far i believe they must have apps for these systems too but i haven't had cause to be concerned with those, so sorry if i am vague.

Using an emulator isn't an option because you want your Linux install to connect to the internet not some emulator running in it.
I say they're locking things down to Android and ARM because that's what the .apk file runs on -- it won't run on anything apart from Android and, possibly, Android on ARM.
What I was getting at though is that you should be looking to find out how they expect people who aren't using Android phones and tablets to connect. I find it very difficult to believe that somebody is locking down a network to Android only.

Looked it up now that you got me interested. :-) http://choilieng.com/apk-on-pc/com.j....myaccount.apk

I hope you did not take my last post to mean that the issue is resolved, all that link did was to lead me to a .apk file.

It looks to me like if you're using Joispot then, on a PC, one simply connects to the hotspot and then opens the browser and is directed to a page such as this to log on -- no app needed. If he app does open on a PC some other way (for example through Google Chrome, perhaps) then all the better but I don't think it is required to use the service.

For now, i should know as i am using it to post this, as i said they have made it amply clear on their login page that it won't be so at the end of this month.

Not knowing what to choose from the Sid repos by way of emulators or platforms, or what packages to install, i have narrowed it down to these two options:
1) Installing remix OS on a USB and booting from it. I have deliberately avoided the option of installing it on my hard disk as i do not wish to risk having it mess with my grub. Cons: Huge download, unfamiliar territory, running an OS from a USB is bound to slower and will require more HW resources.
2) Installing Shashlik on Debian. Cons: Again unexplored territory and if the website and comments are any indication, the project could very well be dead. There has been no News or development since the last release of March.

Would welcome suggestions for any alternatives and/or advice on the options i have chosen. Thanks.

I would call your ISP and ask them how to connect on a PC.

I don't know about Android emulators and how feasible it is to run Android programs on them, but if I find something, I'll let you know.

Why not get a cheap/used/old Android phone, run it natively, and use the phone as a hot-spot?

Awesome idea, could you be more specific? I mean once i connect to Joispot Wifi with the phone, how do i do the rest with wicd on my laptop? I know this may sound irritatingly dumb but i have no experience with gadgets, in fact when i was in college even PCs and the Internet were unheard of, maybe some academics had a whiff of it but the general populace, none..yes, i am that much of a dinosaur. :LOL

Btw, i tried both, remix OS is too sluggish to be of any use, also i like to be on my system when i am connected.
Having some issues with shashlik which i have posted in the Linux software section.

You enable tethering on the phone, allowing the phone to share its internet connection with other devices. Then, your laptop/whatever connects to it as it would any other wifi hotspot.
And I'm older than you.
Running emulators is ALWAYS going to be slow. But the better question would be, what are you going to DO with your system that you need the Internet for? If it's only email/web browsing, you'd be far better served by just getting an Android tablet, and being done. Load the APK natively, and use the tablet...Google Drive/Dropbox/other cloud storage available, external thumb drives supported, as well as bluetooth keyboards/mice. In short....a 'laptop', albeit one that isn't as powerful as a 'real' computer is.

And a better question is: are you ABSOLUTELY SURE you need Android for this?? I looked at their website....it doesn't specifically say ANYTHING about needing an app...just that you have to sign up for an account, and visit their web page to sign in. Their page specifically says "All you need is a wifi capable device and a joister account"

it's usually possible to tether with a cable, the computer should recognize this as just another wired connection.
probably slightly better performance & less pollution.
if you use the phone solely for that, you could even stick it to the bottom of your laptop (or to the side of your desktop). i recommend industrial grade velcro :D

Thank you guys, and you Ondoho, old friend. Even though the issue is resolved as far as i can tell, i won't mark it as solved till i've actually made it work..or till somebody else here tries it out and reports success.:p

Shaslik was a bust, all the kde bloat i installed was to no avail. Got an adroid phone sized window with a black screen for all my pains. But i did manage to install the apk, and got a window if nothing else, and there have been successes reported..hence far be it from me to presume to be disparaging about the project.

I'll ask again: ARE YOU SURE that you absolutely need a phone/Android to make this work????? AGAIN: from their website, it does not appear to be the case...it specifically says "any wifi capable device", and it directs you to a login page, where you log in with your free account.

AGAIN: emulators aren't a really good way to go to start with, especially for what you're trying to do.