Linux desktop  on Android

The VolksPC  Linux desktop runs as an application on top of any Android installation. It consists of two Android applications and a  prebuilt Linux desktop image. The prebuilt  VolksPC  desktop image (volkspcimgarm64.zip) uses  our high performance graphics stack which is designed to work with Android.  This image  is based on  Debian  Linux distribution  for ARM (arm64 ) architecture. The VolksPC desktop panel includes an Android button widget that can be used to switch to  Android home screen. Users can continue to use their  existing Android applications as well as all the Debian applications. With our SDK  developers can even build their custom VolksPC desktop image .

VolksPC Android Applications

The VolksPC Android APK’s (the Installerxxx.apk and Desktop.apk)  give user the capability to install and run Debian desktop on their Android device. While the Desktop application is generic and runs on any device, the Installer application  has to be uniquely built for each device that we support.

The VolksPC Desktop application runs full-screen  and  sends desktop graphics and audio to the Android framework. It supports screen casting , screen recording and application switching with the help of Android navigation bar. It also gracefully shuts down the Linux desktop if the user powers down their Android device. The Desktop application is started automatically by the Installer application. The user doesn’t have to directly interact with the Desktop application.

The  VolksPC Installer application  gives user the ability to install, update, remove and start the VolksPC desktop.

The installer menu items are:

1. Start VolksPC  desktop- This will set up the file system and launch the VolksPC Desktop application. The locale and timezone settings will be based on Android settings.

2. Install VolksPC  distribution-  Installer looks for the volkspcimgarm64.zip file on internal flash or USB drive . Our Installation page  has information on how to transfer volkspcimgarm64.zip to the device  and use it for installation.

3. Increase VolksPC image size- The VolksPC desktop image is a single file of fixed size. This image can run out of space if the user installs too many  applications. This option allows a user to increase VolksPC image size in 1GB increments. Please be patient as this operation can take a few minutes to finish.

4. Update VolksPC  distribution- With this button, the user can update the current distribution. The user will also need to put an  UpdateXXX.zip file  in  the internal storage Download directory. The update will take effect  when the desktop is started again.

5. Remove VolksPC  distribution- With this button, the user can remove the installed distribution from internal  storage. This will also remove all files created by user “desktop”. Make sure you backup your files.

Root access is required for most of-the-shelf device and the Installer application will  first check if the  Android devices has root access . If it is already rooted, the user will be prompted to grant Installer root privileges.