Running Linux on My Samsung Tab

I have a Samsung Tab A8 and I mainly use Linux on all my desktops. Naturally, I wanted to tinker with the tablet — try installing Linux on it, poke around with Ubuntu or Arch, and see how far I could push it.

This post covers the whole thing: how Android and Linux are actually connected, how most people customize Android (and how few go deep), and the actual step-by-step install.

Note: This is not a full kernel replacement. Android still runs underneath — this is a Linux userspace container sitting on top of Android.

Part 1 — How Android and Linux Are Actually Connected

Before touching anything, it helps to understand the underlying architecture.

• Linux is the kernel — the core of the operating system.
• Android started as a project built on top of Linux.
• Google acquired Android in 2005 and integrated it into their ecosystem.

Everything is connected. Android is Linux at the kernel level — it just has Google’s stack, the Dalvik/ART runtime, and the Android framework layered on top. When you run Linux on Android, you are running a second Linux userspace alongside Android’s own.

Part 2 — Android Customization: Where Most People Stop

Most people customise their Android. Very few go deep. The four major areas:

Android is a lot like Windows in terms of customisation culture — most people change the skin, but nothing at the kernel level. Here is what the actual breakdown looks like:

And zoomed out to overall mobile OS market share — Android and iOS dominate at 99%, while alternative OSes like GrapheneOS, LineageOS, Arch, and Ubuntu make up the remaining 1%. I have been running in that 1%.

I have been running in that 1%.

Part 3 — Installing Ubuntu + XFCE on the Tab

Now the real part. Ubuntu 22.04 + XFCE, viewed over VNC.

Step 1 — Choose Your OS

Options include Arch, Ubuntu, Manjaro, and Debian. For this guide: Ubuntu 22.04 + XFCE. It is stable and light enough to actually use on a tablet.

Step 2 — Install Termux and a VNC Client

Install Termux from F-Droid or the GitHub releases page — not the Play Store version, it is outdated. Give it storage access, background permission, and anything else it asks for.

Then install a VNC client. I use bVNC Pro — it has been the most reliable for me. Termux:11 also works and is free.

VNC lets you see the Linux desktop over the network. Linux runs a VNC server on a port, you point your VNC app at it, and you see the GUI.

Step 3 — Run the Install Command in Termux

Paste this entire command into Termux:

pkg update -y && pkg install wget curl proot tar -y && wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AndronixApp/AndronixOrigin/master/Installer/Ubuntu22/ubuntu22-xfce.sh -O ubuntu22-xfce.sh && chmod +x ubuntu22-xfce.sh && bash ubuntu22-xfce.sh

What this does:

1. Updates Termux packages
2. Installs wget, curl, proot, tar
3. Downloads the Ubuntu 22.04 + XFCE setup script
4. Makes it executable and runs it

After the script finishes, Linux will not start automatically. You will land at a prompt like:

root@localhost:~/#

You are now inside the Ubuntu container.

Step 4 — Start the VNC Server

Add your device’s IP in your VNC app first. Then, inside the Ubuntu container, run:

vncserver :1
export DISPLAY=:1
startxfce4 &

• vncserver :1 — starts the VNC server on port 5901
• export DISPLAY=:1 — sets the active display
• startxfce4 & — launches the XFCE desktop in the background

Connect your VNC app to 127.0.0.1:5901 and you should see the XFCE desktop.

Ubuntu is now running on your Android tablet.

Step 5 — Post-Setup Inside Linux

Open the terminal inside the XFCE session — not Termux, the actual Linux terminal in the VNC window — and run:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

Then install what you need: internet drivers, audio drivers, file managers, and so on. This part varies by device. It is complicated, but worth the effort.

Daily Commands

To start:

./start-ubuntu22.sh

Then inside the container:

vncserver :1
export DISPLAY=:1
startxfce4 &

To stop — do not skip this:

vncserver -kill :1
exit

Then swipe away or end the Termux session from the notification. Kill VNC first, exit the container, then close Termux. Skipping steps can leave orphaned processes running in the background.

Wrapping Up

If you understood something nice and interesting and learned something from the blog, check out my GitHub for more interesting stuff and normal Padre utility experience to scientists amen o fortuna.