GENERAL FAQ

There are already 200+ distributions for Linux, why create  yet another distribution?

Unlike other Linux distributions, VolksPC Linux desktop  runs on top of Android.  Installation is as simple as installing any Android application (apk). The whole process  takes about five  minutes and your existing Android applications continue to work the same as before.

What does VolksPC mean ?

The German term Volk translates to “people”, thus VolksPC translates to “people’s PC” or “people’s  computer”.

Is VolksPC  distribution open source ?

Other than the graphics stack ,  VolksPC distribution is a pure Debian based OS. Software developers can also build their own VolksPC based distribution with our SDK .  We also provide  the  GPL/LGPL   software components that we have changed or is not available from the Debian repository.

Why are you charging for free and open source Debian ?

Anyone can download  our Debian based volkspcimgarm64.zip for free ( see Installation   page). However we charge for the Android APK’s (the Installerxxx.apk and Desktop.apk) that give user the capability to install and run Debian desktop on their Android device.

Is Linux desktop emulated or running on a virtual machine (VM) ?

No, Linux desktop  runs at full-speed. In fact VolksPC desktop running over Android has faster graphics performance   than natively running Linux.

Is Android emulated or running on a virtual machine (VM) ?

No, Android runs at full-speed. We don’t change the original Android installation.

I want to run Android on Linux  desktop rather than Linux desktop on Android.

We want to bring Linux desktop  to the consumer market. Android phones and tablets are already very successful in this market.  For example,  this Google Pixel  Android phone can also act as a desktop when connected to a USB hub.

Why bother with Android when I can run GNU/Linux desktop ?

In this  interview , Linus Torvalds, the father of Linux, says that “Chromebooks and Android are the path towards the desktop” .  We have embraced his vision and have brought the best of Linux desktop software to a very successful Android platform.

What is the limitation of the evaluation software ?

The evaluation software on Linux has a time-out issue: after 10 minutes of use, it stops responding to keyboard events, making it appear frozen,  while the mouse and Android-related features remain operational. To address this, users can reboot the system to regain 10 minutes of keyboard functionality, use an on-screen keyboard, or upgrade to a version with full keyboard support .

If I buy your software, do you provide future updates ?

We will always provide a Debian file system (volkspcimgarm64.zip) that is the latest stable release. As an example  you can update your current Debian Trixie  installation with our Debian package manager running on Linux. When Debian Forky is released you can easily upgrade with the Installer application. Android updates are made by the vendor which is not under our control. While, for each product, we maintain Android APK’s for at least 2 years , we expect  that the Linux desktop will be usable for several years.

Why is the Installer application specific for each device ?

The InstallerXXX.apk requires graphics driver that are built for the target Android device. Unlike Windows  you cannot build a generic Linux (Android uses Linux kernel) driver.

What is the kernel version for my device  ?

This can be determined with  the Settings application, i.e  Settings->About phone->Android version->Kernel version. For example, if a kernel version is 5.10.xxx-android12-xxxxx (xxx indicates values that you can ignore),  then you are running   GKI Kernel Android12-5.10. Or if your kernel version is 5.15.xxx-android13-xxxxx , then you are running   GKI Kernel Android13-5.15.

What is a GKI Kernel ?

Google’s  Android GKI Kernel  project is an effort to standardize the kernel and reduce fragmentation. It is a requirement for all new Android devices. This standardization means that  once we build our graphics driver, for say the android12-5.10 GKI kernel,  it will support many Android devices that use the same android12-5.10 GKI kernel  irrespective of the Android version, screen resolution or the CPU manufacturer.

Can I  run VolksPC  Linux desktop on my device  ?

We only support rooted devices that use a  GKI Kernel. Specifically, the  supported GKI kernels are: Android12-5.10, Android13-5.15, Android14-6.1 and Android15-6.6.  We also have experimental  build for  Android16-6.12. Contact us if you are interested in testing  it.

What is root access and why is it required ?

Traditional operating systems such as Windows and Linux need administrative  privileges to install drivers and applications. This higher level privilege is called root access or superuser in Linux and other  Unix like operating systems. Android on the other hand has a very different security model and user doesn’t have the ability to remove any preinstalled applications.

Does Android have to be rooted to run VolksPC OS ?

For our Raspberry Pi  distribution, the underlying Lineage OS doesn’t need to be rooted.  However all off-the-shelf devices will need to be rooted.

How can I root my  Android device ?

Magisk  and KernelSU are common tools used to root any Android device. We have used Magisk extensively and recommend it for rooting.

Will Android hijack my Linux keyboard shortcuts  ?

While this is true of other implementations of Linux on Android, VolksPC  desktop isolates the keyboard shortcuts from Android.   For example while on Android Alt+Tab will switch between Android apps but while on the Linux desktop the same combination will switch between Linux desktop apps.

Can I lean programming on VolksPC OS ?

The Linux desktop, in general, offers a rich environment for learning programming due to its extensive collection of tools and applications. These capabilities are also available on the VolksPC desktop. The Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is  considered the most popular IDE (Integrated Development Environment) and  runs well on the VolksPC  desktop using our built-in Wayland server.

How good is YouTube video playback on VolksPC OS ?

While  YouTube video playback is quite good on the  VolksPC desktop ,  Android  is the superior choice for media consumption due to its dedicated streaming apps and excellent performance for video playback.

Why should I use Android when it doesn’t respect my privacy ?

VolksPC Linux desktop can also run on LineageOS  or  any other privacy focused Android custom ROM as long as it uses  a GKI Kernel  and is rooted.

Does VolksPC OS support HiDPI (High Dots Per Inch) displays ?

The default configuration of our Debian file system (volkspcimgarm64.zip) is optimized for 1080P display. But with some simple changes the user can optimize the system for HiDPI  tablets such as the OnePlus Pad 2 . Please read the ReleaseNotest.txt document located on the Linux desktop.

Can VolksPC OS  run on Android phones ?

Yes, it can run on any  Android phone or tablet.  With phones  we are not interested in running Linux on the smaller screen, as Android  already shines here .  Instead  VolksPC OS is designed to run on the secondary screen  of  higher end phones  with support for HDMI output. This video clip of  VolksPC desktop running on the Google Pixel phone  shows how Android and VolksPC desktop application can run together on the same device.

Can Android phone receive phone calls while on the VolksPC Linux desktop ?

Yes, users can still receive and make phone calls. The VolksPC Linux desktop is just another Android application.

Will my Linux application loose data if I disconnect the phone from the USB dock  ?

No, the  state of the Linux application  is maintained whether you are connected to the HDMI output or not. However we recommend that you save your work before you disconnect from the hub.

Does VolksPC OS support touch screen ?

With  tablets, the VolksPC Linux desktop supports single touch and emulates  right click mouse button when you touch-and-hold.

Does VolksPC OS support  on screen keyboard ?

Yes it does. We have tested this feature with matchbox-keyboard.

Does VolksPC OS support Bluetooth  keyboard and speakers ?

Yes it does. We inherit these capabilities from Android.

Can user copy/paste between Android and  Linux desktop applications?

Yes,  we support  copy/paste of text between Android and Linux applications as seen in this video clip. For sharing general content  use the  internal storage folder.

Can user share files between Android and  Linux  ?

User can share files  by placing  them in internal storage which is referred to on Android as /sdcard and on Linux desktop  as /home/desktop/sdcard. Also external sd card or usb drive is automatically  mounted by Android and visible on Linux desktop at /home/desktop/storage.

Is VolksPC  distribution comprised of two independent operating systems ?

No, the VolksPC Linux desktop is just another Android application. Android features  such as screen recording and casting  also works for the desktop. The VolksPC desktop shares important  resources with Android:

  • Files can be shared between Android and Linux desktop.
  • Linux desktop Internet, language and timezone settings  are based on Android.
  • User can copy/paste between Android and Linux desktop.

How can user switch  between Linux desktop  and Android?

Linux desktop is just another Android application. User can use the navigation bar for switching between applications. Clicking the Android button on the  Linux desktop panel  will also take user to  the Android home screen.

TECHNICAL FAQ

Can VolksPC OS support all Linux desktop applications?

We support all applications, with core applications using X11  framework and newer applications using Wayland.  Our XFCE desktop runs GTK-2 and GTK-3 applications using X11 API’s while QT5, QT6 and GTK-4 applications will run using our built-in Wayland server . Some applications such as Chromium browser and  Visual Studio Code (and other electron apps) need to be told to use Wayland instead of X11.  User can also run any failing application  in a 100% compatible Xorg X11 client/server environment. The user needs to first install X11 environment from the package manager and then  start a separate nested X11 desktop

How to configure the Wayland server and applications ?

Wayland server is already running on  the VolksPC desktop . The keyboard configuration for Wayland is defined in .config/waylandx11.ini which may need to be changed. This follows Weston Wayland compositor’s KEYBOARD SECTION as defined in  weston.ini.  Restarting the system allows these changes to take effect. QT5,  QT6 and  GTK-4 applications will use Wayland automatically  but other applications may need some minor  changes. Please read the ReleaseNotest.txt document located on the Linux desktop.

How to run a X11 compatible nested desktop?

You can start “VNC X11 Desktop” script provided in the system menu. This will start a simple Blackbox window manager based X11 desktop. The  desktop can be customized by changing  .vnc/xstartup file.  All applications are still running as “desktop”user. Applications can also play audio from  within this X11 environment.

Can I start a web server on Linux ?

You can start any service on Linux by adding it to /etc/rc.chroot script on Debian. However this script is executed only when you start the Linux desktop. This is different from standard Linux where startup scripts are executed  whenever the system boots up.

Can I format a USB drive on Linux ?

No, such standard Linux capabilities have been disabled on VolksPC Linux. Unlike Linux, we want to limit the ability of users to potentially  trash their Android device.

Is Audio supported on Linux applications ?

Yes, it is supported with Pulse Audio and the audio stream is sent to the Android audio device. When Linux desktop boots up the  audio volume is set to maximum. But if the sound is still low,  switch to Android and increase the volume there.

Why is the installation of new Debian applications failing ?

The VolksPC distribution uses a separate root and home partition. The  root partition ( volkspcimgarm64.zip ) is about 85% full and can run out of space if the user tries to install more applications.  In such a situation, the VolksPC Android Installer application should  be used to increase the size of  the Linux root partition.

Is this technology identical to UserLand or Linux On Android?

Linux on Android uses X Server Android application  to display Linux desktop graphics. Graphics goes through several layers before being rendered on the screen resulting in very sluggish performance.

  • Linux On Android graphics path: X client-> network->X server->Android’s SurfaceFlinger -> hardware.
  • VolksPC OS graphics path: X client-> driver->Android’s SurfaceFlinger->hardware.

This video  clip compares  VolksPC OS performance against Ubuntu Mate desktop running on ODROID-N2.  This is an old release but you can compare performance on a Raspberry Pi  SBC  running our latest software.

Is VolksPC  a 64bit distribution ?

Yes, we only support 64bit  architecture for both x86 PC (amd64) and ARM  (arm64).

Who  is the default user on Linux desktop ?

VolksPC OS  automatically logs in as user “desktop”. There is no password prompt.

How is time zone and locale configured for Linux ?

When the desktop  starts up it reads these configuration parameters from Android settings. So if the user changes Android settings it will take effect on the next boot.

How to change  keyboard settings for Linux ?

VolksPC OS  uses xmodmap to set up keyboard mapping tables. There are a set of  tables in /usr/share/xmodmap   that support PC105 keyboard for each language.  Android’s language settings are used to automatically configure the system.

How to change the mouse acceleration for Linux ?

The user can change this setting in bash_profile under the home directory  (/bin/x11setaccel  thresh denominator numerator). The default setting  ( x11setaccel 5 1 5 ) works best for PS/2 mouse. You may need to change it if you use wireless mouse.