Maru OS a Linux operating environment for Android

Maru OS is an operating environment for smartphones, combining the mobile operating system "Android" and the Linux distribution "Debian" together with the Xfce desktop environment.

This operating environment "Maru OS" is designed for comfortable work both on the screen of a phone smart as when connecting a monitor or television either as a “secondary display” or in a “mirror” mode along with the keyboard and mouse.

The developments of the Maru OS project are distributed under the Apache 2.0 license.

About Maru OS

Unlike existing Linux environments for Android (for example, debian noroot , GNURoot Debian , Complete Linux Installer y Linux Deploy). en Maru OS, the Linux container is more closely integrated with Android and the mode of operation is automated: when a monitor is connected via HDMI, access to the Xfce desktop is provided in a Debian environment and the Android interface is provided from the smartphone screen.

The only downside to this Maru OS integration is delivered not in the form of a chroot image, but in the form of a self-contained Android-based firmware, including a container with the full-featured Debian Linux distribution, in which you can install deb-packages, run Office applications and Chromium browser, access SD Card, which is also used by applications on Android.

About the new version Maru OS 0.6

Recently a new version of Maru OS was released reaching its v0.6 in which the basic components of the platform are updated to Android 8.1 and Debian 9 (previously Android 6 and Debian 8 were used).

As a basis for this new version of Maru OS 0.6, instead of using the AOSP code (Android Open Project Project) now a reduced version of the LineageOS base code was used (formerly CyanogenMod).

Using LineageOS made it possible to simplify the formation of assemblies for various devices and significantly expand the range of compatible smartphones.

Previously, to transfer Maru OS to the device, the HDMI port on the smartphone was required to connect the monitor and the ability to assemble the firmware based on the Android Open Project (AOSP) code.

These requirements limited the ability to use Maru only on Google Nexus devices.

As of now, the project rejected such requirements and now focuses on providing work on any Android device.

Maru OS 1

In addition to displaying through the HDMI port, other output technologies can be used to support external displays.

This version now supports the use of devices for the use of desktop mode and of which Chromecast support is highlighted in this release (the configuration is done through the section "Configuration> Connected devices> Cast").

In addition to Chromecast, future versions are expected to support Miracast and WiFi Display technologies. The first non-HDMI compatible device, for which the Maru OS 0.6 version was prepared, was the Nexus 5X.

On the other hand, it can also be noted that the developers worked to improve compatibility with external input devices, "in addition to" the keyboard and mouse.

Added support for dynamic switching of input devices for desktop modes and a mobile interface, depending on the connection to an external monitor (if the monitor is connected, the mouse and keyboard are used on the desktop, and if they are not on the mobile device screen).

In addition to connecting mice and keyboards via Bluetooth, the ability to connect USB input devices via the USB-OTG port and USB hub is added.

Issues with the use of all available CPU cores for applications running in desktop mode have been resolved.

How to get Maru OS?

Currently Maru OS has support only for Nexus 5 and Nexus 5 X devices. You can download this new version by going to the official website and in its download section.

The link is this.


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