MaruOS turns Android smartphone into Linux desktop

Many modern smartphones are powerful enough to support the work of ordinary office applications, browsers and other business (and not so) tools without any problems. But the vast majority of software released for smartphones is intended only for mobile devices. What if you use your smartphone as a laptop, to which you can connect a monitor and peripheral devices?

The idea is not new, yes, but no one has yet succeeded in implementing it. There is Continuum from Microsoft, Canonical tried to change the situation with their Ubuntu-smartphones and custom OS. All this software and hardware did not receive much distribution, unfortunately. Maybe more lucky MaruOS, this is a custom build Adnroid. If you connect a display, keyboard, mouse to the phone from this OS, you can start Debian.


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The current OS version only supports Google Nexus 5, and you will need a SlimPort cable to connect the phone to the monitor (one end of the cable connects to the microUSB port of the phone, the other to the HDMI port of a TV or monitor).

When installing the OS will have to flash the phone, erasing data from the device. So when installing a new OS, you should remember this.



It seems that MaruOS automatically detects when a monitor is connected, and launches the LXC Linux Container , a tool that allows you to run Linux with Android, so that the user can switch between both OSs. In this case, the phone continues to support Android (all smartphone functions remain active), and the user sees Debian on the monitor.



Discussions on the capabilities of the OS and its work are now being conducted on Hacker News and reddit .

The installer contains a script to help the user complete the MaruOS installation procedure. Removing the software returns the user's phone (remember, this is now only Nexus 5) to the factory settings of the smartphone and its original OS.

MaruOS website can be found here .