There are apparently only two documented ways to reverse tether an Android via USB to a linux host:
OpenVPN dead
I really wanted the #openVPN method to work because I’m a fan of reducing special-purpose installations and using Swiss army knives of sorts. In principle we might expect openVPN to be well maintained well into the future. But openVPN turns out to be a shit show in this niche context. Features have been dropped from the Android version.
Gnirehtet dying
Gnirehtet works but it’s falling out of maintenance. ~~It’s also unclear if~~ #Gnirehtet really works without root. There is mixed info:
- Ade Malsasa Akbar from Ubuntubuzz claims root is not needed (and devs agree).
- OSradar claims root is needed. (edit: they are mistaken)
If anyone has managed to reverse tether an unrooted Android over USB to a linux host using free software, please chime in. Thanks!
update on Gnirehtet