How to Install Linux OS on Rooted Android Devices

Prerequisites

Before you start, here’s a quick list of what you’ll need:

• Rooted Android device (Magisk or SuperSU for rooting works great)
• Custom recovery like TWRP installed
• At least 4 GB of free storage, preferably on an SD card
• BusyBox (Download BusyBox APK)
• VNC Viewer for Android (Download VNC Viewer APK)
• Terminal Emulator or Termux (Download Termux APK)
• Linux Deploy (Download Linux Deploy APK)

Make sure your device is compatible. This should work for most rooted Android phones, though some older models might have issues.

Installing Linux on Rooted Android Devices Using Linux Deploy

Now, let’s jump into getting Linux running on your phone. We’ll use Linux Deploy, an app that makes the process much simpler.

Install BusyBox

First things first, you’ll need BusyBox. It makes sure your phone can handle Linux commands.

• Download BusyBox APK and install it.
• Open the app and install the necessary files.

Install Linux Deploy

Now, let’s get Linux Deploy installed and set up.

• Download Linux Deploy APK and install it.
• Open the app and give it root permissions when it asks.

Configure Linux Deploy

This step is all about setting things up before installation. Here’s how you do it:

• Open the Settings in Linux Deploy and select your Linux distribution (like Debian or Ubuntu).
• Choose File as the Installation Type and set the path to /sdcard/Debian or use an external SD card.
• Set your File System to ext4 (if ext4 doesn’t work, you can try ext2 or ext3).
• Enable the GUI option and select VNC as the graphics subsystem.

Install Linux and Set Up VNC Viewer

Now that the settings are in place, it’s time to install Linux:

• Tap Install in Linux Deploy and let it download the necessary files. This can take a while depending on your internet speed.
• Once it’s done, Download VNC Viewer APK to access the Linux desktop.

Start Linux

Now that Linux is installed, let’s boot it up:

• Tap Start in Linux Deploy to boot your Linux setup.
• Open VNC Viewer, create a connection to localhost:5900, and use the username and password you set in Linux Deploy.

Congrats! Your Android phone is now running Linux, and you can use it just like a small computer.

Installing Linux OS Alongside Android Using AParted

If you’re not ready to give up Android, you can run Linux alongside it. Here’s how to set that up.

Partition Your SD Card (Optional)

To use an SD card for Linux storage:

• Use an app like AParted to create a partition. Make sure it’s at least 4 GB and formatted as ext4.

Download Linux Distribution Image

• Download the Linux .img file and extract it on your computer, then transfer it to your Android device.

Configure and Install via Linux Deploy

• Open Linux Deploy and configure the settings as we did earlier, but this time set the installation path to your SD card.
• Tap Install, wait for it to complete, and then tap Start to boot Linux.

Access Linux with VNC Viewer

• Just like before, open VNC Viewer, connect to localhost:5900, and you’re good to go.

Who would’ve thought your Android phone could handle a full Linux operating system? Now you’ve got everything you need to explore Linux right on your mobile device. If you follow the steps carefully, you’ll soon be using Linux right alongside Android, or as the primary OS, depending on your choice.

Give it a go and see how far you can take it!