Samsung has brought Linux support to its DeX ecosystem. DeX was already a great way to get a full-screen desktop experience without the need of a standalone computer. However, it was not an actual desktop. Samsung is changing that by bringing Linux support which will allow users to use a full blown Linux operating system. Samsung has brought Linux support with almost all the features you will need to get started with Linux. With Linux on DeX, you will be able to carry your whole computer in your pocket. Whether you are developer or just a user who prefers Linux OS, this is a great news. In this article, we are going to show you how you can install Linux on Dex on supported devices so that you can live the future right now.
Requirement
- Only a handful of devices are supported right now. In our testing, we are using Galaxy Note 9 (Exynos). Here’s the list of supported devices:
- Galaxy Note 9
- Galaxy Tab S4,
- Galaxy S9 & S9+
- Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, S10 5G
- Galaxt Tab S5e
- Monitor with Type-C to HDMI connector. It’s recommended to use Samsung’s own connector for better performance.
- For navigation, you can use Note 9’s display as mouse and keyboard. If you want full desktop experience, you can, of course, connect wireless keyboard and mouse.
Installing Linux on Samsung Dex
Download the latest version of Linux on DeX Beta app (Free) from APKmirror. For some reason, the Play Store link is broken right now and it’s not working. Nonetheless, you can side-load the app from APKmirror, it’s completely safe to use.
Galaxy Note 9
Galaxy Tab S4,
Galaxy S9 & S9+
Galaxy S10, S10e, S10+, S10 5G
Galaxt Tab S5e
- Now connect the smartphone using Type-C to HDMI connector to your monitor. Samsung DeX will automatically start on the monitor. If you don’t have a wireless mouse and keyboard, you can use Samsung’s display to navigate DeX. Open the app drawer on DeX and click on Linux on DeX Beta app.
Note: the default user name is “dextop” and the password is “secret”.
Frankly speaking, Linux on DeX is fairly responsive and I was surprised to see this kind of performance on a beta channel. To give you a perspective, Linux is running in a container, which is part of the DeX ecosystem, and installed in an app on the Note 9. There are so many layers, yet it performed decently well. There was intermittent lag, but overall applications ran quickly without much latency.
However, there is no reason for consumers to get disheartened as they can use normal Android apps while running Dex and can launch Linux on DeX when they want a complete desktop experience. Basically, it’s a complete package and I am not sure why Samsung isn’t marketing this feature heavily. You can have a PC-like experience with absolutely great performance. It definitely looks like the future. Well done, Samsung!
Samsung has done an amazing job of packing a whole desktop opreating system on its smartphone. Linux on DeX program is currently in beta, and surely it will get better with time. When DeX was initially launched in 2017, the performance was choppy and it didn’t exactly feel like a desktop experience.
