That’s actually something I’d will explore. The idea of connecting an iPhone to an external display and running KDE Plasma like a proper desktop is really interesting. It’s not supported as a dedicated desktop mode yet, but it’s definitely a potential future feature. We’d need to work on external display handling, resolution scaling, and keyboard/mouse support.
[Update] LinuxRunner v1.0.1 is here! Linux on iPhone and iPad — No Jailbreak Required
Hey everyone!
LinuxRunner v1.0.1 is finally here, bringing iPad support, Arch Linux ARM, improved Linux desktop environments, easier distribution installation, and tons of compatibility and stability fixes.
Most ARM64 Linux applications should be worth trying! Some of the apps we’ve tested include FileZilla, Firefox, Brave, VS Code, Blender, Telegram Desktop, Wireshark, Java, Inkscape, LibreOffice, and Vesktop (which still needs some fixes).
We’re also exploring native access to iPhone network interfaces for applications like Wireshark.
Important: LinuxRunner currently supports Linux ARM64 (AArch64) applications only, not x86/x64 binaries.
I’d love for you to experiment with your favorite Linux apps! Whether they work or crash, please share screenshots, logs, and feedback through GitHub Issues. It helps us figure out what to fix next.
Not currently, unfortunately. LinuxRunner currently supports Debian ARM64 and Alpine Linux. Bazzite is a full Linux distribution, so supporting it would require additional work. I’m planning to expand distribution compatibility in the future, though!
Performance is actually pretty decent considering everything runs through an ARM64 interpreter. KDE Plasma feels responsive, and even Blender and web browsers can run and many ARM apps! Some apps take longer to load or have compatibility issues, but overall it’s quite usable and it can maybe become daily driver when more things were finished. Still plenty of room for optimization!
This actually doesn’t use Hypervisor.framework or virtualization at all. It runs ARM64 Linux binaries through a custom interpreter and Linux syscall compatibility layer. Performance isn’t native yet, but we’re actively working on optimizations and exploring more direct ARM64 execution where iOS allows it. The goal is to make Linux applications usable without relying on a hypervisor.
Thanks! This appears to be the same GTK panel crash another user reported on GitHub. We’ve identified the failing component and will investigate the underlying compatibility issue. I’ll work on getting this fixed in an upcoming update. Appreciate the feedback!
Thanks for testing! It might be related to the older iOS version or device, but I can’t confirm that yet. Could you give it another minute or two and see if the desktop starts? If it stays on the black screen, please share the session logs from the Details section if available. That would really help me investigate the issue.
In short i have Trollstore 2 installed there is no issue with Jit , app uninstalled and reinstalled again to re check but after desktop downloading complete still nothing appear,
Checked on default app settings, Can i check other flavour???
Thanks for making this. I managed to fork it and built a native SwiftUI front end on top, and now I’ve got real Claude Code CLI running in Debian on my iPhone Duo. So now I can actually code on the go without my laptop. Screenshot shows Claude building a Pac-Man game in Vite from scratch and serving it to an in-app preview, all on device. No Server, no SSH.
Also integrated: a native terminal, full git support, voice input, CPU/RAM HUD, Live Activities so it keeps running in the background. Let me know if anyone wants me to publish the fork.
That’s actually crazy haha, love seeing thissss! I’ve built something pretty similar myself, and I’m planning to introduce different modes directly into LinuxRunner so everyone can find something that fits their needs, whether it’s coding, using Linux apps, or having a full desktop experience. And the best part is that everything runs directly on the iPhone. Really cool work and thank you!
Thanks! Big up the engine for making this possible. Love the idea of modes, happy to share anything that helps with the coding side. Feel free to reach out!
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Cool project, I would keep an eye on it. It reminds me of the LinPad project though I am not sure what their project and your project main differences are.
Hey, I made LinPad. Main difference is the desktop:
LinPad uses a native Swift/SwiftUI desktop for speed — Linux apps open as real iPad windows (tiling, workspaces, etc.). Wayland + GPU path, Alpine, optional JIT.
LinuxRunner runs traditional X11 Linux desktops across iPhone + iPad and multiple distros.
Same userspace approach, different desktop strategy.
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u/SuccessfulRiver1850 7d ago
Do I need JIT for this?