Linxr — Alpine Linux on Android (No Root)

#android #linux #qemu #mobile

What is Linxr?

Linxr = Linux + r (as in: run it).

Linux in your pocket.

Linxr is a single Android APK that runs a full Alpine Linux environment on any non-rooted Android phone. No Termux. No root. No PC required after install.

Install it, tap Start VM, wait ~15 seconds, and you have a live Linux shell — from the built-in terminal tab or any SSH client on the same device.

GitHub: github.com/AI2TH/Linxr
Download: linxr-v1.apk — ARM64 · 63 MB

Why Does This Exist?

Modern Android phones are powerful Linux machines underneath — 8 cores, 8 GB RAM, a full Linux 6.x kernel. But the platform deliberately limits what regular apps can do. Running native Linux tools requires either rooting the device or a runtime like Termux.

Linxr explores how far a normal, unmodified APK can go using only standard Android APIs. The answer: far enough for a full Alpine Linux VM with SSH access, persistent storage, and internet — in a 63 MB APK.

What You Get

Feature	Details
Alpine Linux 3.19	bash, sudo, apk package manager, openssl
Built-in SSH terminal	Auto-connects when VM starts; auto-retries
External SSH	`ssh root@localhost -p 2222` from any SSH client
Persistent storage	Installed packages survive VM restarts
Internet access	`apk add curl git python3` just works
No root	QEMU runs as a regular app process

Default credentials: root / alpine

The Stack

Flutter UI (Dart)
  └── MethodChannel
        └── Kotlin VmManager
              └── QEMU (libqemu.so — ships inside APK jniLibs)
                    └── Alpine Linux 3.19 VM (QCOW2 disk image)
                          └── OpenSSH sshd (port 22)
                                ↑
                    SLIRP hostfwd: Android :2222 → VM :22
                                ↑
              SSH client (dartssh2 + xterm — Flutter)

How It Compares to Pockr

Linxr is the sibling of Pockr — which runs Docker on Android. Linxr strips that down to the essentials:

	Linxr	Pockr
Guest runtime	OpenSSH	Docker daemon + FastAPI
Access method	SSH terminal	REST API
APK size	63 MB	163 MB
Boot time	~15 s	~60 s
First-run setup	None	~5 min (Docker install)

If you just need a Linux shell, Linxr is the right tool.

About the Name

Linxr = Linux with a dropped vowel. Same naming pattern as Pockr — short, memorable, double meaning. The goal was always "install this APK, get Linux" — no configuration, no server, no extra steps.