Android Desktop Linux (ADL) is an open-source knowledge base for running practical desktop Linux environments on Android devices.
ADL brings together beginner-friendly installation guides, hardware compatibility information, Linux education, technical diagrams, troubleshooting resources, and community-tested configurations.
Rather than promoting one distribution, device manufacturer, desktop environment, or installation method, ADL documents the broader desktop-Linux-on-Android ecosystem.
Created and maintained by Bhaskar Pandey (@thebpandey) · Android Desktop Linux Project - Almora Technology · MIT License
📖 Published website: https://thebpandey.github.io/ADL/
Modern flagship Android phones have powerful processors, substantial memory, external-display output, Bluetooth peripheral support, and access to Linux userspace environments. But the knowledge needed to build a reliable Android desktop setup is fragmented across GitHub repositories, forum discussions, Reddit threads, videos, package documentation, outdated tutorials, and device-specific instructions.
ADL exists to organize that information into one open, structured, maintainable, and beginner-friendly knowledge base — with an emphasis on practical documentation, reproducible procedures, official sources, tested compatibility, clear troubleshooting, and long-term maintainability.
- Open documentation for desktop Linux on Android
- Reproducible, beginner-friendly installation guidance
- Linux education for Android users
- Hardware compatibility information
- Device and desktop-mode research
- Troubleshooting documentation
- Community testing and verification
- A long-term, vendor-neutral technical reference
- A Linux distribution
- A replacement Android operating system
- A desktop environment
- A commercial product
- A single installer or setup script
- A vendor-specific support site
- A replacement for Termux, Local Desktop, or Samsung DeX
Help people get more value from the Android hardware they already own by making desktop Linux on Android understandable, reproducible, and practical — with accessibility for beginners, accuracy, vendor neutrality, community knowledge, transparent verification, and long-term documentation maintenance.
- Beginners who want a working Linux desktop on their phone without prior Linux experience.
- Tinkerers and power users who want to understand how the pieces fit together and optimize their setup.
- Developers who want a portable Linux workstation on hardware they already own.
- Contributors who want to test devices, report compatibility, and improve the documentation.
- Getting Started — beginner-friendly paths from an Android phone to a working desktop.
- Installation Guides — documented installation methods using supported tools and Linux distributions.
- Learning Linux — plain-language explanations of Termux, proot, Linux distributions, desktop environments, package managers, filesystems, and commands.
- Hardware Guidance — information about phones, docks, displays, input devices, storage, cables, and workstation setups.
- Compatibility Database — structured device, Android-version, desktop-mode, Linux, desktop-environment, and peripheral compatibility information.
- Desktop Environments — guidance comparing XFCE, LXQt, KDE Plasma, GNOME, MATE, Cinnamon, and future supported environments.
- Applications — guidance for browsers, development tools, office applications, terminals, file management, and media tools.
- Troubleshooting — systematic help for installation, display, permissions, package, performance, audio, and input-device problems.
- Reference Library — commands, configuration files, scripts, glossary terms, architecture diagrams, and official sources.
- Community Knowledge — community testing, verified configurations, compatibility reports, documentation improvements, and contributor workflows.
ADL documents multiple approaches rather than a single one. Methods it covers or plans to cover include Termux, Termux:X11, Local Desktop, Ubuntu, Debian, Arch Linux, Fedora, Alpine Linux, Samsung DeX, manufacturer desktop modes, manual proot installations, and future Android–Linux integrations.
Not every method is complete, tested, or equally recommended. Where supported, each is labeled with a status so readers know how much to trust it:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Documented | Written up in the docs |
| Planned | On the roadmap, not yet documented |
| Experimental | Documented but not broadly validated |
| Community Tested | Reproduced by community reporters |
| Maintainer Verified | Reproduced by a maintainer on reference hardware |
| Needs Testing | Based on specs, not yet verified |
Unverified methods are never presented as supported.
The compatibility database is static JSON plus React components — no backend,
fully GitHub Pages compatible. It tracks devices, hardware, distributions,
desktop environments, Android versions, test results, and full verified
configurations, and is also published as a machine-readable interface under
/ADL/data/*.json and /ADL/ai-metadata.json. Claims never record a status
above what was actually tested; manufacturer-spec claims stay at
needs-testing.
See: https://thebpandey.github.io/ADL/docs/compatibility/overview
ADL documents the hardware around the phone — USB-C hubs and docks, external displays, keyboards, mice, storage, cables, and power — describing hardware classes by their specifications (for example, "USB-C hub with HDMI + 45 W PD") rather than promoting specific store listings.
- Quick Start — for users who want a working desktop as quickly as possible.
- Learn — for users who want to understand the technologies and architecture.
- Reference — for commands, configurations, compatibility, troubleshooting, glossary terms, and technical lookup.
ADL is actively maintained. The documentation, compatibility platform, and component library are in place; coverage of devices, distributions, desktop environments, and installation methods continues to expand as configurations are tested and verified. Compatibility entries reflect only what has actually been tested — reference-hardware verification is currently focused on the Samsung Galaxy S22+.
https://thebpandey.github.io/ADL/
Start with the Quick Start guide — it walks the full path from installing Termux to launching your desktop.
Contributions are welcome from everyone. Changes are proposed through GitHub issues and pull requests, reviewed by the maintainer, and merged when they meet the project's standards. Public access does not mean unrestricted direct editing — maintainers review every change before it is published.
- Contributing — how to propose changes, writing standards, and pull request workflow
- Governance — roles, decision-making, and reviews
- Support — how to get installation help and what to include when asking
ADL is free and open-source — donations are entirely optional and never required to use the documentation or to get help. If the project saved you time and you'd like to support it:
All payments go through these external platforms; this project never collects payment information. You can also support ADL by starring the repo, reporting bugs, or contributing.
Thank you to everyone supporting ADL! GitHub Sponsors are updated automatically; Buy Me a Coffee and Cash App donors are added on request (recognition is opt-in).
Become the first sponsor!
- Security — how to report security issues privately
- Foundation — installation guides, desktop environment setup, package management basics, and troubleshooting.
- Expansion — additional distributions and desktop environments, development environment setup, and performance guidance.
- Ecosystem — application compatibility, workflows, and media and networking tools.
- Community — broader device and hardware compatibility coverage, verified configurations, and contribution growth.
The site is built with Docusaurus 3 and TypeScript.
# Install dependencies
npm ci
# Start the development server (http://localhost:3000)
npm start
# Build for production — fails on broken internal links
npm run build
# Serve the production build locally
npm run serve
# Type-check
npm run typecheckdocs/ # Documentation content (Markdown/MDX)
data/ # Compatibility database (source of truth, JSON)
src/
css/ # Custom stylesheets
components/ # React components used in docs
pages/ # Custom pages (landing page)
theme/ # Theme overrides and MDX component registry
static/
img/ # Static images and favicon
.github/ # Workflows, issue/PR templates, governance
docusaurus.config.ts # Docusaurus configuration
sidebars.ts # Sidebar / navigation configuration
CLAUDE.md # AI assistant operating standards
The site deploys to GitHub Pages automatically via GitHub Actions
(.github/workflows/deploy.yml) on every push to main. Pull requests are
verified by a build-only workflow that never deploys. If you fork this
project, enable GitHub Pages in Settings → Pages with GitHub Actions
as the source.
Copyright © 2026 Bhaskar Pandey. Released under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.
- Author / project owner: Bhaskar Pandey (@thebpandey)
- Organization: Android Desktop Linux Project - Almora Technology
- Copyright: Copyright © 2026 Bhaskar Pandey. Released under the MIT License.
- Published website: https://thebpandey.github.io/ADL/
- Profiles: GitHub · LinkedIn · bhaskarpandey.com · almora.tech
Contributors are credited when their contributions are approved — merged work is attributed in the git history and acknowledged in the changelog.
Android Desktop Linux is an independent project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Google or Samsung. All product names, trademarks, and registered trademarks — including Android, Samsung DeX, Ubuntu, Termux, and XFCE — are the property of their respective owners.