UserLAnd offers easiest route to a full Linux desktop on Android, ZDNet reports

UserLAnd is available on the Google Play Store. It does not require root access, which the report noted is a significant advantage because gaining root access on Android is often painful. The app offers five distributions to choose from: Alpine, Arch, Debian, Kali, and Ubuntu. The free version allows users to run an X server with a terminal app and install a handful of applications such as Firefox and GIMP, but reaching a full desktop environment through the free version is a drawn-out process. The Pro version can be purchased from within the app when users attempt to launch a distribution instance.

Other solutions for running Linux on Android typically end with an Xorg session and a terminal window, after which the user must manually install the desktop environment. UserLAnd Pro automates that step. Users can also start in the Filesystem section to add a new filesystem and create a username, password, and VNC password. If no filesystem is added, the distribution creates one automatically and does not require credentials for login or sudo tasks.

To set up an Ubuntu session, a user opens UserLAnd, enables permissions, taps Ubuntu, then selects Xfce as the desktop. The app prompts for a scaling factor; the report recommends setting it to 2 so text is readable. After tapping Continue, the desktop appears, and a terminal window opens automatically. To upgrade the operating system, the user opens the virtual keyboard by tapping a blank spot on the screen and then tapping the keyboard button, focuses the terminal, and enters "sudo apt update" followed by "sudo apt upgrade -y". No sudo password is requested.

The report noted several caveats. On multiple occasions, UserLAnd lost its connection to the tablet, requiring the session to be stopped and restarted from the Sessions section. In the Ubuntu/Xfce configuration, no web browser was installed, and no graphical tool for installing software was present. Users can install a GUI such as Synaptic, but that depends on the desktop environment. The author also observed that apps would sometimes start and then randomly crash.

Despite these faults, the report concluded that UserLAnd is a handy way to run a Linux desktop on an Android device and is easier than trying to find a Linux distribution that can be installed directly on specific hardware. For those with an old Android tablet, it may bring the device new life.