uDroid installs and runs Linux systems from one Android app. This guide covers the everyday controls and when to use them.
| Area | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Home | See the active system and open common actions. |
| Linux | Install, open, reset, or delete Linux systems. |
| Terminal | Run Linux commands and install packages. |
| Apps | Open graphical or terminal applications installed in Linux. |
| About | Check for updates, get support, and copy diagnostic logs. |
Some areas appear only after a Linux system is installed. Device compatibility on Home shows which optional features are available on the phone and is useful before changing graphics settings.
- Open Linux and choose a distribution.
- Review its download size and file access.
- Select Download image.
- Follow the installation stages until Linux is ready.
- Select Open terminal.
You can leave the page while installation continues. The notification returns to the same installation page. A paused download can be resumed without starting again.
If installation stops, read the message below the active stage and open View install log for the full error. Fix the reported issue, then select Try again.
Open Linux, then select an installed system. Its page contains the controls and settings for that system.
Use Terminal to install packages, edit files, or run command-line tools. The terminal stays alive when you move between uDroid pages. Use Stop on the system page when you want to end Linux or change settings that require it to be stopped.
uDroid can start X11 desktop sessions installed inside Linux.
- Install XFCE, Plasma, MATE, or another X11 desktop with the distribution's package manager.
- Return to the system page and refresh it.
- Choose the detected desktop and select Start.
- Select Display after the desktop is running.
Use Desktop compositing for effects and transparency. Turn it off when a desktop feels slow or shows visual glitches. Touch-sized interface makes desktop controls and the pointer easier to use on a phone.
Leave Graphics driver on Automatic unless an application needs another available profile. Compatibility is checked per device, and experimental profiles may be unstable.
The Apps page lists launchable applications that provide a standard Linux desktop entry. Install an application inside Linux, refresh the list, then select it to launch.
Use Add to home screen when you want an Android launcher shortcut. The shortcut always points to that application in that specific Linux system.
The top toolbar opens the Android keyboard, mouse palette, display buttons (Keys), and desktop settings. Its arrow collapses the toolbar; tap the compact handle to bring it back.
Choose a touch mode in Desktop settings → Pointer:
- Direct: the pointer follows your finger.
- Trackpad: move the pointer relative to your finger for finer control.
- Native: send touch points to Linux apps that support touch input.
The mouse palette has L, M, R, and scroll up/down. Tap a mouse button to keep it pressed; tap it again to release it. Hold a button and move another finger on the desktop for a temporary press-and-drag. Drag the palette by its Mouse header, or tap its Lock control to keep the palette in place. That Lock controls the palette's position, not a mouse button.
The two-row keyboard strip stays at the bottom even when the Android keyboard is closed. If Keep desktop above keyboard is on, the strip moves above the Android keyboard when it opens. Turn Show keyboard strip off in Desktop settings → Keyboard to reclaim the space.
The strip has 12 editable slots. In Desktop settings → Keyboard, tap a slot to assign a letter, number, modifier, arrow, function or navigation key, supported punctuation key, mouse button, or scroll direction. Reset keyboard strip restores the default bindings.
Keys on the toolbar shows separate translucent buttons over the Linux display. Add, change, or remove them in Desktop settings → Keyboard. To move one, choose Arrange on display, drag it to the desired place, then tap Done on the toolbar. Positions are saved. Normal use does not move buttons, so holding a key cannot accidentally drag it.
Both the strip and display buttons use the same key gestures:
| Gesture | Result |
|---|---|
| Tap a key | Press and release it once. |
| Hold a key | Keep it pressed until your finger lifts; hold several for chords or WASD diagonals. |
| Double-tap a modifier | Lock Ctrl, Alt, Shift, or Super on. Tap it once to unlock. |
For example, hold Ctrl with one finger and tap C with another. A single tap on Ctrl alone sends a complete press-and-release. Hiding controls, changing their bindings, leaving the display, or losing the renderer releases held and locked inputs.
Desktop settings also control resolution, scaling, sharpness, pointer speed, keyboard handling, and whether the screen stays awake. Keep desktop above keyboard resizes Linux into the space above the Android keyboard; turn it off if you prefer the keyboard to cover the desktop without resizing it.
Device speaker sends Linux audio to Android and is enabled by default. Device microphone is optional and stored per Linux system. Android asks for permission and shows its privacy indicator while the microphone is active.
Applications need PulseAudio-compatible client libraries. If one application has no sound while others work, install its distribution's PulseAudio client or compatibility package.
Open File access to choose which Android and system paths Linux can see.
Internal shared storage can be exposed at /mnt/shared. Custom mounts are for
other Android paths the app can read.
Stop Linux before changing mounts. Session mounts used by the display, audio, or graphics features are added automatically only when those features need them.
Open Environment variables to view or change the values used by new terminal, app, and desktop launches. Restart Linux when an existing terminal needs the new values. Reset restores uDroid-managed values without removing your custom variables.
Stop its terminal and desktop first.
- Reset erases the Linux filesystem and installs a fresh copy.
- Delete removes the Linux system without reinstalling it.
Android folders shared with Linux are outside its private filesystem and are not erased by reset or delete.
Open About to check for updates. uDroid verifies a downloaded APK before opening Android's installer; Android always asks for final confirmation.
The diagnostic log records app actions and supervised Linux commands. Search inside it, select a log block to copy that block, or use Copy report when asking for help.
| Problem | What to try |
|---|---|
| Installation stopped | Read the active-stage message, open the install log, then retry. |
| Android closes Linux | Follow the warning on the system page and review Android's child-process setting. |
| Desktop is slow or damaged | Use Automatic or Software graphics, disable compositing, or lower the display resolution. |
| An installed app is missing | Refresh Apps and check that the package provides a desktop entry. |
| One app has no sound | Install its PulseAudio client or compatibility package. |
| You need help | Copy the diagnostic report from About and attach it to a GitHub issue. |