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How to Run a Linux Desktop on an Android Phone Without Root

You can run a full Linux desktop on Android without root using two free apps, Termux and Termux:X11. Install both from GitHub, install Debian Linux with proot-distro, add the XFCE desktop, and start it with one command. It takes about 40 minutes and around 2.6 GB of storage, and it works on almost any phone running Android 7 or newer.

Below, you can see the detailed step-by-step guide on how to run Linux using Termux on Android.

Before You Start

  • An Android phone running Android 7 or newer. Almost every phone from the last few years works. I used a OnePlus phone on Android 16.
  • About 3 GB of free storage. The finished setup, with Firefox, took about 2.6 GB on my phone.
  • Wi-Fi and your charger. The downloads are around 600 MB, and installing the desktop takes a while.
  • About 40 minutes. No root, no computer and no paid apps.

Install Termux

Termux is a free, open-source terminal app for Android. Everything in this guide runs inside it. I'm using the version from Termux's official GitHub page, which is one of the two download sources Termux's own website points to.

  1. 1

    Open the Termux download page

    Open Chrome and go to github.com/termux/termux-app/releases/latest. This is Termux's official download page.

    Android, step 1: Open the Termux download page
  2. 2

    Download the arm64 file

    Scroll down to Assets and tap the file that ends in arm64-v8a.apk. Almost every Android phone from the last few years needs this one.

    Android, step 2: Download the arm64 file
  3. 3

    Confirm the download

    Chrome asks if you trust the site. Tap Download.

    Android, step 3: Confirm the download
  4. 4

    Open the file

    When Chrome says File downloaded, tap Open. You can also find it later in Chrome's Downloads.

    Android, step 4: Open the file
  5. Optional

    Only if your phone asks which app to open it with

    5

    Choose Package installer

    Tap Package installer. If your phone says Chrome isn't allowed to install apps, tap Settings, turn on Allow from this source and go back.

    Android, step 5: Choose Package installer
  6. 6

    Install Termux

    Tap Install.

    Android, step 6: Install Termux
  7. Optional

    Only if Google Play Protect shows a warning

    7

    Close the Play Protect warning

    Play Protect warns you because Termux is built for an older version of Android, not because it's harmful. Tap OK. On my phone, Termux installed anyway.

    Android, step 7: Close the Play Protect warning

Install Termux:X11

Termux:X11 is the companion app that shows the Linux desktop on your screen. You install it exactly the same way.

  1. 8

    Open the Termux:X11 download page

    In Chrome, go to github.com/termux/termux-x11/releases/latest. It's the official nightly build, and that's the one everyone uses.

    Android, step 8: Open the Termux:X11 download page
  2. 9

    Download the universal file

    Under Assets, tap termux-x11-universal-debug.apk. Don't pick the one with sharedUid in its name.

    Android, step 9: Download the universal file
  3. 10

    Install Termux:X11

    Tap Download, then Open, then Install, just like you did for Termux.

    Android, step 10: Install Termux:X11
  4. Optional

    Only on OnePlus, OPPO and realme phones, which scan every app you install

    11

    Continue the installation

    Tap Continue installation.

    Android, step 11: Continue the installation

Update Termux

Now open Termux and get it ready. You type (or paste) one command at a time and press Enter, the ↵ key on your keyboard. Tap the black screen if the keyboard isn't showing.

  1. 12

    Open Termux and allow notifications

    Open Termux from your app drawer. It sets itself up for a few seconds the first time. Tap Allow, so it can keep running in the background.

    Android, step 12: Open Termux and allow notifications
  2. 13

    Update Termux

    Copy this command, paste it into Termux (press and hold the screen, then tap Paste) and press Enter.

    pkg update -y && pkg upgrade -y
    Android, step 13: Update Termux
  3. 14

    Press Enter when it asks a question

    Partway through, it stops and asks what to do about a file, like openssl.cnf. Just press Enter to keep the default. On my phone it asked three times.

    Android, step 14: Press Enter when it asks a question
  4. 15

    Add the X11 package source

    When you see the ~ $ prompt again, run this command. It adds the source the desktop packages come from.

    pkg install x11-repo -y
    Android, step 15: Add the X11 package source
  5. 16

    Install the display server and proot-distro

    This installs the server that draws the desktop and proot-distro, the tool that installs Linux for you.

    pkg install termux-x11-nightly proot-distro -y
    Android, step 16: Install the display server and proot-distro

Install Debian Linux

proot-distro installs a real Linux system inside Termux, with no root needed. I'm using Debian, because it's stable and has every app you're likely to want.

  1. 17

    Download Debian

    Run this command. It took about a minute on my phone.

    proot-distro install debian
    Android, step 17: Download Debian
  2. 18

    Wait for it to finish

    When it says Finished installation, Debian is ready.

    Android, step 18: Wait for it to finish
  3. 19

    Log in to Debian

    Run this command to step inside Debian. The prompt changes to root@localhost:~#, which means you're now in Linux.

    proot-distro login debian
    Android, step 19: Log in to Debian
  4. 20

    Update Debian

    Run this to bring Debian up to date. It takes a minute or two.

    apt update && apt upgrade -y
    Android, step 20: Update Debian

Install the XFCE Desktop

XFCE is a light, classic desktop with a menu, a taskbar and windows. It runs well on a phone. This is the longest part, so plug in your charger.

  1. 21

    Install XFCE

    Run this command inside Debian. It downloads about 320 MB, and on my phone the whole install took around 13 minutes. Keep Termux open on the screen while it works.

    apt install xfce4 xfce4-terminal dbus-x11 -y
    Android, step 21: Install XFCE
  2. 22

    Press Enter on the keyboard screen

    A blue screen asks about your keyboard. Press Enter to choose OK.

    Android, step 22: Press Enter on the keyboard screen
  3. 23

    Pick your keyboard layout

    English (US) is already selected, so press Enter. To choose another layout, use the arrow keys above the keyboard first.

    Android, step 23: Pick your keyboard layout
  4. 24

    Go back to Termux

    When you see root@localhost:~# again, the desktop is installed. Type this and press Enter to leave Debian.

    exit
    Android, step 24: Go back to Termux

Start the Linux Desktop

Starting the desktop takes a few commands, so we'll save them as one short command called startlinux. You only do this once.

  1. 25

    Create the startlinux command

    Copy and paste this whole command into Termux and press Enter. Nothing seems to happen, and that's fine: it just saves the command.

    echo 'pkill -9 -f "termux-x11|dbus|xfce|xfconf|gvfs|at-spi|gpg-agent|dconf"; rm -rf $PREFIX/tmp/.X0-lock $PREFIX/tmp/.X11-unix; termux-x11 :0 >/dev/null 2>&1 & sleep 3; am start -n com.termux.x11/.MainActivity >/dev/null 2>&1; proot-distro login debian --shared-tmp -- bash -c "export DISPLAY=:0; dbus-launch --exit-with-session startxfce4"' > $PREFIX/bin/startlinux && chmod +x $PREFIX/bin/startlinux
    Android, step 25: Create the startlinux command
  2. 26

    Start the desktop

    Now type this and press Enter. Termux:X11 opens on its own after a few seconds.

    startlinux
    Android, step 26: Start the desktop
  3. 27

    Allow notifications for Termux:X11

    Tap Allow. The desktop appears behind this message.

    Android, step 27: Allow notifications for Termux:X11
  4. 28

    Open the Termux:X11 settings

    The first time, everything on the desktop looks tiny. To fix it, tap the gear icon at the bottom right.

    Android, step 28: Open the Termux:X11 settings
  5. 29

    Open Output

    Tap Output.

    Android, step 29: Open Output
  6. 30

    Choose scaled

    Tap Display resolution mode and choose scaled.

    Android, step 30: Choose scaled
  7. 31

    Make everything bigger

    Drag the Display scale slider to about 230. That made text easy to read on my phone. Then go back.

    Android, step 31: Make everything bigger
  8. 32

    Make taps work like a touchscreen

    Go back, tap Pointer, then Touchscreen input mode, and choose Simulated touchscreen. Now a tap clicks right where your finger is.

    Android, step 32: Make taps work like a touchscreen

Use Linux on Your Phone

That's it, you're running a full Linux desktop. The Applications menu at the top left has everything, just like on a computer. Let's install a real desktop browser to try it.

  1. 33

    Open the terminal

    Tap Applications at the top left, then Terminal Emulator.

    Android, step 33: Open the terminal
  2. 34

    Install Firefox

    Type this in the Linux terminal and press Enter. Tap the keyboard icon at the bottom right if your keyboard is hidden.

    apt install firefox-esr -y
    Android, step 34: Install Firefox
  3. 35

    Open Firefox

    When it finishes, tap Applications, then Internet, then Firefox ESR.

    Android, step 35: Open Firefox
  4. 36

    Browse like on a computer

    This is the full desktop version of Firefox, running on Linux on my phone. Here it is with techpp.app open.

    Android, step 36: Browse like on a computer

Stop and Restart the Desktop

When you're done, log out so Linux stops running in the background and stops using your battery.

  1. 37

    Open Log Out

    Tap Applications, then Log Out.

    Android, step 37: Open Log Out
  2. 38

    Log out

    Tap Log Out. You're back in Termux.

    Android, step 38: Log out
  3. 39

    Start it again any time

    Next time, open Termux, type this and press Enter. Your settings and apps are all still there.

    startlinux
    Android, step 39: Start it again any time

Fix Common Problems

These are the two problems I actually ran into while setting this up, and how to fix them.

  1. 40

    The desktop closes with signal 9

    If the desktop suddenly disconnects and Termux says Process completed (signal 9), Android closed it to save resources. This happened to me while Firefox was installing.

    Android, step 40: The desktop closes with signal 9
  2. 41

    Turn off Android's process limit

    Open Settings > Developer options and turn on Disable child process restrictions. No Developer options? Go to Settings > About device, tap Version or Build number seven times, and it appears. Then run startlinux again.

    Android, step 41: Turn off Android's process limit
  3. 42

    Fix a stopped install

    If an install was cut off, the next one says dpkg was interrupted. Run this command in the Linux terminal to finish the old one, then try again.

    dpkg --configure -a
    Android, step 42: Fix a stopped install

Remove Linux From Your Phone

Changed your mind? Uninstall the Termux and Termux:X11 apps like any other app. That deletes Debian, the desktop and everything you installed inside it, and you get all of that storage back. If you turned on Disable child process restrictions, you can switch it back off in Developer options too.

That's it. You now have a real Linux desktop in your pocket, and starting it again is just one word, startlinux. If you enjoyed using the terminal, you can also learn how to remove bloatware from your Android phone with ADB.

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