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 ?

This will depend on the device, so it is best to refer to the device specific README file.  For our Raspberry Pi 4 distribution, the underlying Lineage OS doesn’t need to be rooted.  However most 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. KernelSU provides pre-rooted images for GKI Kernels .

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

VolksPC Linux desktop can also run on LineageOS and other Android variants with better focus on privacy.

Will running Linux desktop on Android compromise my privacy ?

VolksPC Linux desktop runs in a sandbox isolated from all Android apps and services. Even our Installer and Desktop application run outside this sandbox. We believe that our distribution is secure and protects Linux desktop user information.

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  Google Pixel Tablet . 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. Here is a video clip  showing  VolksPC OS  running on a Qualcomm  phone .

Phones  have small screens, why are you running Linux desktop on phones ?

It is true that phones have tiny screens making them unsuitable to run a full Linux desktop. However most high end phones can mirror the screen to a large monitor through a USB Type-C hub with HDMI output. This Motorola G100 can function both as a phone and a desktop.

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.

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 I auto start the Linux desktop on boot up ?

No you cannot. While this may be technically feasible it is not desirable. While Android phones and tablets work well with touch interface, the Linux desktop  is primarily designed to work with  mouse and keyboard. So it is best to start the Linux desktop when the user has docked the device to a hub that supports pointer and keyboard inputs.

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.

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 4 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 can I access a remote desktop  ?

The user can use VNC viewer on Android or Debian (xtightvncviewer)  for remote desktop access.