Galaxy Linux

Arch Linux ARM + XFCE desktop for Samsung Galaxy and Android --- powered by Termux:X11.

Rootless • PRoot • Arch Linux ARM • XFCE • Termux:X11 • DeX-friendly

Galaxy Linux turns a compatible Android phone or tablet into a portable Linux workstation without rooting the device, replacing Android, or unlocking the bootloader.

It runs an Arch Linux ARM userspace through PRoot. XFCE is the graphical desktop running inside Arch, and Termux:X11 displays that desktop on Android or a Samsung DeX monitor.

[!IMPORTANT] Galaxy Linux is an independent community project. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Samsung, Arch Linux, Termux, or Termux:X11.

Architecture

Samsung Galaxy / Android
          │
          ▼
        Termux
          │
          ▼
     PRoot-Distro
          │
          ▼
   Arch Linux ARM
          │
          ▼
        XFCE
          │
          ▼
     Termux:X11
          │
          ▼
Phone / Tablet / Samsung DeX

Why does an Arch project say XFCE?

They are different layers.

Arch Linux ARM is the Linux userspace/distribution. It supplies the filesystem, shell, libraries, pacman, packages and development environment.
XFCE is the graphical desktop environment running inside Arch.
Termux:X11 is the X server/display bridge that lets Android show the Linux desktop.
Samsung DeX is an optional Samsung external-display environment.

XFCE does not replace Arch. A future Galaxy Linux profile could use another desktop environment while still running Arch Linux underneath.

Features

Arch Linux ARM userspace
Rootless PRoot environment
XFCE desktop
Termux:X11 integration
Samsung DeX-friendly workflow
PulseAudio integration
Start and stop launchers
Existing-installation protection
Repair/reconfiguration mode
Clean uninstall workflow
Optional Developer Edition
Device compatibility reporting
Snapdragon/Adreno-aware graphics setup where supported
Software-rendering fallback where appropriate

Quick Start

Requirements

Recommended:

64-bit ARM Android device
Samsung Galaxy S/Tab class device or equivalent
current Termux installation
Termux:X11 companion app
at least 5 GB free storage for a practical desktop installation
reliable Internet connection during installation
keyboard and mouse for serious desktop use
Samsung DeX for the best external-monitor experience

Samsung DeX is recommended, not required.

[!NOTE] PRoot is not a virtual machine and Galaxy Linux does not boot a separate Linux kernel. The Arch userspace runs on top of Android's existing kernel.

1. Install Termux and Termux:X11

Install a current supported Termux build and the Termux:X11 companion application from their official project sources.

Galaxy Linux needs both the Termux-side termux-x11 command and the Android Termux:X11 app to display the desktop.

2. Install Galaxy Linux

Stable Base Edition --- v0.1.1

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Neclonesoul/galaxy-linux/v0.1.1/install.sh | bash

The version is deliberately pinned. This prevents the command from silently executing a future, untested version of main.

The installer prepares the required Termux packages, creates the Arch environment, configures XFCE and generates the Galaxy Linux launchers.

3. Start the desktop

~/start-galaxy-linux

Open Termux:X11 to view the desktop.

4. Stop the desktop

~/stop-galaxy-linux

Developer Edition

Galaxy Linux Developer Edition extends the base desktop into a mobile development workstation.

It is intended for workflows such as:

Galaxy → Termux → Arch → Code → Git → GitHub → Build → Deploy

Developer tooling includes support for:

Git
GitHub CLI
Hugo
Node.js and npm
Python, pip/venv and pipx
OpenSSH
rsync
ImageMagick
jq
ripgrep
fd
ShellCheck
tmux
Clang
CMake
general build tooling
Cloudflare Wrangler project workflows
optional Arduino/ESP development tooling

Install Developer Edition directly

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Neclonesoul/galaxy-linux/v0.1.1/install.sh \
  | bash -s -- --profile developer

Check the developer environment

After installation:

~/galaxy-dev-check

Cloudflare projects

Wrangler should normally be installed per project:

mkdir -p ~/Projects
cd ~/Projects/my-project

npm install --save-dev wrangler@latest
npx wrangler login
npx wrangler dev
npx wrangler deploy

Daily Use

Start the graphical desktop:

~/start-galaxy-linux

Enter the Arch shell without launching XFCE:

~/galaxy-linux-shell

Stop the graphical environment:

~/stop-galaxy-linux

A useful project layout is:

mkdir -p ~/Projects
cd ~/Projects

From there you can clone and work with normal development repositories:

git clone <repository>
cd <repository>

Examples:

hugo server --bind 0.0.0.0

npm install
npm run dev

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate

Repair and Reconfiguration

Galaxy Linux is designed to detect an existing installation rather than silently destroying it.

To intentionally rerun base configuration:

./install.sh --repair

For Developer Edition:

./install.sh --profile developer --repair

Do not use repair mode as a substitute for backing up important work.

Graphics Acceleration

Graphics support on Android is hardware- and software-dependent.

Snapdragon Galaxy devices using Qualcomm Adreno graphics may be able to use the Turnip/Zink graphics stack. Galaxy Linux detects relevant device information and can configure an accelerated path where appropriate.

Hardware acceleration is not guaranteed.

Compatibility can vary with:

Samsung model
Snapdragon or Exynos SoC
GPU generation
Android version
One UI version
Termux version
Termux:X11 version
Mesa/Turnip versions
individual Linux applications

A software-rendering fallback is preferable to pretending unsupported hardware is accelerated.

Samsung DeX

DeX is not required to run Galaxy Linux, but it is one of the project's primary use cases.

A Galaxy phone connected to a monitor, keyboard and mouse can provide:

Android applications through DeX
a conventional Arch shell
an XFCE Linux desktop
Git-based development
local web development
SSH administration
static-site development
Python and Node.js workflows

Galaxy Linux does not replace DeX. It adds a Linux workstation environment that can be used alongside it.

USB, Arduino and ESP Development

Developer Edition can provide compilers, command-line tooling and embedded-development utilities.

However, PRoot does not automatically grant unrestricted access to Android USB devices. Android remains responsible for USB permissions and device ownership.

Therefore:

source editing and compilation can work normally;
firmware/toolchain preparation can work normally;
direct USB flashing may require additional Android/Termux integration;
support varies by device and adapter.

Do not assume that a USB device visible to Android will automatically appear as a conventional /dev/ttyUSB* device inside Arch.

Troubleshooting

Black screen or cursor only

Termux:X11 documents compatibility options for devices that display a black screen or rendering problems. Consult the upstream Termux:X11 documentation before changing the Galaxy Linux launcher.

XFCE does not appear

Check that:

Termux:X11 is installed.
the Termux-side X11 packages are installed.
the Galaxy Linux container exists.
the X11 server is running.
the PRoot session shares the required X11 temporary/socket path.
DISPLAY is set by the launcher.

Audio does not work

Restart the Galaxy Linux session:

~/stop-galaxy-linux
~/start-galaxy-linux

Developer tool missing

Run:

~/galaxy-dev-check

Then rerun the developer profile if required:

./install.sh --profile developer --repair

Uninstall

From a cloned copy of the repository:

./uninstall.sh

Read the confirmation carefully.

[!WARNING] Removing the Arch container permanently destroys files stored exclusively inside that container. Back up anything important first.

The uninstaller should not be treated as an Android/Termux reset tool. Shared Termux packages may also be used by unrelated projects.

Device Compatibility

Galaxy Linux is intended to become community-tested rather than relying on vague claims such as "works on all Samsung phones."

Useful device reports include:

Field Example

Device Galaxy S-series / Tab S-series SoC Snapdragon / Exynos Android Version One UI Version Termux Version/source Termux:X11 Version Display Phone / DeX / external resolution XFCE Working / partial / failed Audio Working / partial / failed GPU renderer Reported renderer Keyboard/mouse Working / issues Notes Known problems or fixes

See docs/DEVICE-REPORT.md for the reporting format.

Repository Layout

galaxy-linux/
├── README.md
├── LICENSE
├── CONTRIBUTING.md
├── SECURITY.md
├── install.sh
├── uninstall.sh
├── bin/
│   ├── start-galaxy-linux
│   ├── stop-galaxy-linux
│   └── galaxy-dev-check
├── profiles/
│   └── developer/
│       └── bootstrap.sh
├── scripts/
│   └── arch-bootstrap.sh
└── docs/
    ├── DEVELOPER-EDITION.md
    ├── DEVICE-REPORT.md
    └── WORKFLOW.md

Versioning

The recommended public installer is pinned to a release:

v0.1.1

Using a tagged release gives users a reproducible entry point and prevents an installation command copied months ago from unexpectedly following a changed main branch.

Developers can clone the repository directly when testing current development:

git clone https://github.com/Neclonesoul/galaxy-linux.git
cd galaxy-linux

Security

Piping remote scripts into a shell is convenient but carries risk.

Before using the one-line installer, security-conscious users should inspect the tagged script first or clone the repository and run it locally:

git clone --branch v0.1.1 --depth 1 \
  https://github.com/Neclonesoul/galaxy-linux.git

cd galaxy-linux
less install.sh
./install.sh

Report security-sensitive issues according to SECURITY.md.

Contributing

Testing across different Samsung and Android hardware is particularly valuable.

Useful contributions include:

verified device reports
installer fixes
Termux:X11 compatibility improvements
documentation
graphics compatibility findings
DeX behaviour reports
reproducible bug reports
Developer Edition improvements

See CONTRIBUTING.md before submitting changes.

Project Status

Early public release / active development.

Galaxy Linux should currently be treated as an experimental workstation project rather than a production operating system.

The immediate goals are:

reliable installation on supported ARM64 Android hardware;
repeatable Arch + XFCE startup through Termux:X11;
documented Samsung DeX compatibility;
reproducible device testing;
a useful Developer Edition;
conservative, evidence-based GPU support.

Acknowledgements

Galaxy Linux builds on the work of the wider open-source ecosystem, particularly:

Termux
Termux:X11
PRoot
PRoot-Distro
Arch Linux / Arch Linux ARM
XFCE
Mesa
the many upstream projects included in Developer Edition

Please support and respect the upstream projects and their licenses.

License

See LICENSE for this repository's licensing terms.

Galaxy Linux

Your phone already has the computer. This project gives it a Linux desk.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
bin		bin
docs		docs
profiles/developer		profiles/developer
scripts		scripts
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
SECURITY.md		SECURITY.md
install.sh		install.sh
uninstall.sh		uninstall.sh

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Galaxy Linux

Architecture

Why does an Arch project say XFCE?

Features

Quick Start

Requirements

1. Install Termux and Termux:X11

2. Install Galaxy Linux

Stable Base Edition --- v0.1.1

3. Start the desktop

4. Stop the desktop

Developer Edition

Install Developer Edition directly

Check the developer environment

Cloudflare projects

Daily Use

Repair and Reconfiguration

Graphics Acceleration

Samsung DeX

USB, Arduino and ESP Development

Troubleshooting

Black screen or cursor only

XFCE does not appear

Audio does not work

Developer tool missing

Uninstall

Device Compatibility

Repository Layout

Versioning

Security

Contributing

Project Status

Acknowledgements

License

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