The Install Fails or Stops

This page covers problems while installing a free distro, and just after. For desktop problems, see The desktop is black, slow or closes; for Termux errors, see Termux errors. If yours isn't here, see Still stuck? at the bottom.

The install stopped halfwayCopy Anchor Link

Android sometimes stops long-running apps in the background, the connection drops, or Termux gets closed by accident. None of that ruins your install.

Fix: paste and run the same install command again. The installer remembers which steps finished and picks up where it stopped. You'll see those steps marked as done or skipped.

Process completed (signal 9) - press EnterCopy Anchor Link

This error comes from Android's phantom process killer (Android 12 and newer), which kills apps that start too many processes. It can hit during an install or while you use the desktop.

Fix: turn off the phantom process killer by following Process completed (signal 9). Then run the install command again; it continues where it stopped.

Also disable battery optimization for Termux in your phone's settings.

Not enough storageCopy Anchor Link

The installer checks your free space before it starts, and warns you if it looks too low. Roughly how much a distro takes once installed:

Leave some extra room for the download while it unpacks. If you're short on space, free some up, pick a smaller desktop, or use the command line only. Use andronix list to see what's installed, and remove distros you don't use.

Download errorsCopy Anchor Link

• The download failed or timed out: check your connection and run the same command again. The download resumes instead of starting over.
• The installer says your network hit the limit: the fallback download source limits how many downloads come from one network. Wait a while and try again, or switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data.

The installer warns about an old kernelCopy Anchor Link

Some older phones (for example Android 8 or 9 phones on a 4.4 kernel) run a Linux kernel older than 4.8. On those, every desktop stays black: XFCE, LXQt, MATE and KDE Plasma, in Termux:X11 and VNC alike. The command line works fully.

andronix warns you before a desktop install, and again before andronix desktop and vncserver-start:

This phone's Linux kernel (4.4.x) is older than 4.8: desktops (XFCE, LXQt, MATE, KDE) stay black on it, in Termux:X11 and VNC alike. The command line works fully: install with --de none.

What to do:

• Use the command line only. Install with --de none, for example andronix install debian --de none, or pick CLI Only in the app. You can still install and run command-line software, dev packs and servers.
• Check your kernel: run uname -r in Termux. 4.4.x or 4.9.x? A 4.9 kernel is fine; only versions below 4.8 are affected.

There's no workaround for the desktop on these kernels. If you think your phone is wrongly flagged, tell us on Discord with the output of uname -r.

Your phone isn't supported by a distroCopy Anchor Link

In its first step, the installer checks your phone's CPU. If a distro isn't available for it (for example, Fedora and Manjaro need a 64-bit phone), it tells you. Pick another distro from Supported Distros.

I forgot my passwordCopy Anchor Link

In Termux, open a root shell in the distro and set a new password for your user:

andronix start debian --root
passwd alex

Replace debian with your distro and alex with your username. To reset the desktop (VNC) password, see Changing the desktop password.

sudo prints "unable to send audit message"Copy Anchor Link

sudo: unable to send audit message: Operation not permitted is harmless. Your command still runs as root.

Still stuck?Copy Anchor Link

• Every install, remove, backup and restore writes a log to ~/.andronix/logs/ in Termux. Include the latest one when you ask for help.
• With installer 2.0.1 or newer, also include the output of andronix doctor: it shows your phone's details and the fixes Andronix applies. See andronix doctor.
• Report a problem: right after a failed command, run andronix report in Termux (installer 2.0.2+), or use the form in the Andronix app. Either attaches your phone's details and gives you a report ID.
• Ask on our Discord, or email support@andronix.app.
• Check the FAQ.