Limitations

Many users are looking for a reliable way to use Linux on their Android devices without rooting their devices. Andronix is a viable option for this, but it comes with some limitations. We do our best to provide a complete Linux PC 💻 experience, but some things are out of our hands due to restrictions imposed by the Android layer, its SELinux 🔐 policies, and the process we use to run Linux on Android devices.

This page summarizes what Andronix can't do and why, so you know what to expect before you start.

GamingCopy Anchor Link

Andronix cannot run Steam 🎮, PC games, or emulate other architectures using Wine/PlayOnLinux on any of its Linux systems. The main reason is that Steam only supports Intel/AMD-based CPUs and not mobile CPUs, i.e., aarch64, armv8, arm64, arm, armv7, arm32, etc.

Architectural LimitationsCopy Anchor Link

• If you are using an Android device running Android 7 or above with an arm64/armv8/aarch64 chipset, Andronix can only run software compiled for the arm64/armv8/aarch64 architecture. You can check your device's architecture using CPUZ. If you are using a device with an Android layer, such as a Chromebook, Andronix will only run software made for your architecture, which may be i386/i686/x86 or x86_64.

PRoot LimitationsCopy Anchor Link

• Andronix does not claim that it will run all software, even if the software meets all the conditions mentioned above. If the software requires Linux kernel or hardware support that is not present in the ⚠ PRoot environment, it might fail to run. Andronix uses the PRoot environment, which has certain unavoidable limitations that can make some software unusable.

Development EnvironmentsCopy Anchor Link

• Andronix does not support compiling large chunks of code 👩‍💻, such as building an Android app, large software projects, or kernels. Compilation sometimes requires specific hardware that is not present in the PRoot environment, which leads to errors. Reports about such errors on any of our support channels won't be addressed.

HackingCopy Anchor Link

• You won't be able to use penetration testing tools for hacking/cracking purposes, e.g., Wi-Fi hacking or packet capture. These require real hardware support for features like packet capturing, which is not natively available on Android phones.

Hardware LimitationsCopy Anchor Link

• The Linux environment cannot mount or read hardware such as drives or adapters 🖨. This is because FUSE mounts cannot be used under PRoot.

• Linux cannot be installed on external storage, as Android does not permit writing to external storage such as SD cards or USB devices.

Container ApplicationsCopy Anchor Link

• SNAP/Docker/Flatpak packages cannot be installed in any Linux environment. The primary reason is that all three require kernel and bus modules that are unavailable in the PRoot environment. Secondly, they are mainly focused on Intel/AMD-based architectures, not on ARM.

Networking and Init SystemsCopy Anchor Link

• You can't use VPNs or anything else that changes the properties of the network, because the network used inside the Linux container is managed by Android, not by Linux itself. As a result, Linux does not have access to modify any network properties.

Hardware accelerationCopy Anchor Link

• None of the available distros are hardware accelerated, because Termux doesn't support hardware acceleration. The day Termux adds hardware acceleration to their app, we will support it too. For more questions about hardware acceleration, go here.

Next stepsCopy Anchor Link

• Learn how Andronix works under the hood.
• Ready to go? Install a distro.
• Check the FAQ for common problems and fixes.