Linux on Android Handhelds (ROCKNIX Guide)

Last updated: 16MAR2026 (see Changelog for details)

Big news: we have Linux OS options available on high-end Android handhelds like the recent Retroid Pockets, Odins, Thor, and more! This makes them the most powerful ARM-based Linux handhelds in the world. Let’s go over how to install it, and why you might want to consider it — including the ability to emulate higher-end systems like PS3 and Xbox.

Disclaimer: this is an early, experimental process and should only be considered for those who wish to tinker!

Table of Contents

Setup and accessories
Some considerations
Download ROCKNIX
Install
Transferring games
BIOS locations
PortMaster and Wine/Box ports
Getting back to Android
Restoring the stock bootloader

Changelog

Setup and accessories

There are several handhelds that now work with this guide:

The Linux OS we are going to use in this guide is ROCKNIX, a mature custom firmware that is available on a number of different handhelds. ROCKNIX boots from a microSD card, so you will need a new microSD to host this operating system. Because ROCKNIX’s big advantages include higher-end emulation, I would recommend a larger microSD card to host all of those PS3, Xbox, and Wii U files.

256GB: 
Samsung EVO Select
SanDisk Extreme

512GB:
Samsung EVO Select
SanDisk Extreme

Some considerations

If you are still debating whether to install ROCKNIX on your handheld, some things to keep in mind:

• This process is not destructive. ROCKNIX will not touch your Android installation and files, so you can easily switch between the two. This guide will install a new custom Android bootloader (ROCKNIX abl) that allows us to boot Linux from a microSD card. It is simple to revert back to the original Android bootloader.
• The beauty of ROCKNIX is that the entire OS is already set up and configured for you. No need to hunt down emulators, keep them updated, etc. Once installed, you just have to add your games (and BIOS files as needed) and immediately start playing your games.
• While ROCKNIX opens up some native emulators like the Linux versions of RPCS3, Cemu, and Xemu, other emulators are older than their Android counterparts (AetherSX2), or not available at all on this OS (Eden, GameNative, GameHub). I think of ROCKNIX as a fun complement to my emulation setup, but not a replacement for Android.
• ROCKNIX allows you access to PortMaster, where you can play over 1,000 PC ports.
• Once installed, booting into ROCKNIX is as simple as pressing down the VOL DOWN + POWER at the same time while turning on your device, which will go into the ROCKNIX abl. From there, you can choose to boot into Android or Linux, and it will remember your choice with future boots. To revert to the other mode, just repeat this process.
• ROCKNIX on this device is still a work in progress, so your best bet is to check out their discord for the latest info.

Download ROCKNIX

There are two ways to flash ROCKNIX to your microSD card:

Automatic method (Windows only):

ROCKNIX has a handy downloader app (called Image Burner) for Windows, which will download and flash the microSD card image all at once. You can find this tool here.

• Download Image Burner, then open the app
• Change the release version from “Stable” to “Nightly”
• Choose your device. If your specific device isn’t listed, grab an equivalent image (Odin 2 instead of RP6, etc). As long as the device uses the same chipset, you’ll be fine.
• Make sure your microSD card is inserted and selected, then run the app. It will download and flash the image to your microSD card.

Manual method:

• ROCKNIX periodically releases official builds, which you can find on their Releases Page.
• ROCKNIX hosts nightly images on this website (or their nightly GitHub repository), these will be more updated.
  • It can be tricky to figure out which version to download. You’re looking for the img.gz file extension for the chipset of your device. Here is a quick breakdown:
    • SDM845 = SD845 (Odin 1 Pro)
    • SM8250 = SD865 (Retroid Pocket 5, etc)
    • SM8550 = SD 8 Gen 2 or equivalent (Odin 2, AYANEO Pocket DMG, RP6, etc)
    • SM8650 = SD 8 Gen 3 or equivalent (KONKR Pocket Fit, etc)

To install ROCKNIX manually, you will need to flash the image to your microSD card. If the file you downloaded is in .zip format, you may need to unzip it first. For Windows, I would recommend using Rufus, and for Mac, you can use Raspberry Pi Imager.

Install ROCKNIX

Once you have flashed ROCKNIX to your microSD card, insert the card into your device and power it on. It will boot into Android.

• While running Android, use the Files apps to navigate to the microSD card. In the card’s root directory you should see a folder named “ROCKNIX_abl”. Long-press on that folder, then go into the menu and select “Copy to…”
• Navigate to the root directory of your internal storage, and select “Paste” to copy that folder to your device’s root storage.
• Go to Android Settings > Handheld Settings > Run Script as Root and when prompted, navigate to the “ROCKNIX_abl” folder in the root directory of your device’s internal storage. Open the folder and inside you’ll find a file named “backup_abl.sh”, open and run this script. You will see some text prompts and then a notification that the script has run successfully.
  • Note that if you have an AYANEO device, the “Run script as root” option will be found in AYASETTINGS > Device instead of the Android settings.
• Go back to Android Settings > Handheld Settings > Run Script as Root and navigate to the “ROCKNIX_abl” folder in your internal storage root directory again. Open the folder and inside you’ll find a file named “flash_abl.sh”, open and run this script. You will see some text prompts and then a notification that the script has run successfully.
• Press and hold the POWER button on your device, and then when the prompt comes up, choose “Restart”. As soon as the device restarts, press and hold the VOLUME DOWN button and the device will boot into the abl.
• Inside the abl, press the VOLUME UP or DOWN buttons to choose your options, and navigate to “Set the Device” and press the POWER button to confirm. Once in the “Set the Device” menu, choose your device. From there, you should see on the screen that the Boot Mode is set to Linux; this means that when you boot the device, it’s going to look for a ROCKNIX microSD card and boot into it. You can now select the START menu option to boot into ROCKNIX.
  • If you want to boot into Android, then when in the abl select the “Change Boot Mode” option to change the Boot Mode to Android.
• That’s it, your device should now be in ROCKNIX.
  

Transferring games

ROCKNIX uses an EXT4 (Linux) file system, which means that your ROCKNIX card cannot be read by a Windows PC or Mac without special software. There are many ways to transfer files, and the ROCKNIX wiki has a great roundup of your options.

• Network transfer: once connected to your home network, you can transfer your files wirelessly. SMB is an easy way to do this, the ROCKNIX wiki will walk you through the process.
• Linux machine: if you have a Linux machine like the Steam Deck, you can simply transfer files onto the card via that platform.
• External USB drive: like I show in the video above, if you have an external USB drive (or something like a microSD card USB reader) you can use ROCKNIX’s built-in File Manager app to transfer files from the USB drive to your ROCKNIX microSD card. This method is faster than using a network transfer.

To find which files need to be added for each system, I recommend browsing the ROCKNIX wiki, under the “Systems” section you will find a page for each console and any pertinent information. ROM files are copyrighted and will not be shared on this website.

BIOS locations

BIOS files are a little tricky on ROCKNIX, so here is how to place them. BIOS files are also copyrighted so you are on your own to source them.

Some BIOS files are pretty standard, you simply add them to the bios folder on your ROCKNIX microSD card. Here is a list of the most common files:

GAME BOY / COLOR:
gb_bios.bin
gbc_bios.bin

GAME BOY ADVANCE:
gba_bios.bin

PLAYSTATION 1 (many options!):
scph5501.bin

SATURN:
sega_101.bin
mpr-17933.bin

SEGA CD:
bios_CD_E.bin
bios_CD_J.bin
bios_CD_U.bin

NEO GEO (also place in Neo Geo ROM folder):
neogeo.zip

TURBOGRAFX-CD:
syscard1.pce
syscard2.pce
syscard3.pce

Others are a little more tricky, here is a quick rundown:

Pico-8: see the ROCKNIX wiki for instructions.
Dreamcast: place in bios / dc folder. The file name is dc_boot.bin, and you can add others like NAOMI as well.
PS2: place in bios / aethersx2 / bios folder. It’s recommended to use the SCPH-70012.bin BIOS file for the best compatibility (it is case-sensitive).
PS3: You will need to install the PS3 firmware manually through the RPCS3 menu. The ROCKNIX wiki covers the process; consider using a USB mouse to make the process easier. Adding PS3 games themselves is a little tricky, but thankfully the ROCKNIX wiki has that covered as well.
Xbox: place the XBOX files in the ROCKNIX bios > xemu > bios folder. The specific files and their locations are found on the ROCKNIX wiki.

PortMaster and Wine/Box ports

One of the coolest things about ROCKNIX is that it has PortMaster support, which means that you can load up over 900 PC games on your device. This includes “ready to run” ports that can be installed completely from the app, as well as commercial ports where you will need to add your own PC files after purchasing the game on Steam or similar platforms. Here is my full PortMaster guide.

PortMaster community member Jeod has also made a number of PC Wine ports available as well, including titles like Cuphead, Tunic, and Hollow Knight. These games require more power, so the Odin 2 is an excellent fit. Here is a link to their repository. The installation process is similar to PortMaster, you simply add the port files to your microSD card’s Ports folder, then add your commercial files.

If you want to try your hand at building your own Wine ports for ROCKNIX, Jeod has made a guide to get you started.

Getting back to Android

• When in the ROCKNIX menu, press the START button and select QUIT > RESTART SYSTEM. Confirm the restart, and as soon as the device restarts, press and hold the VOLUME DOWN button and the device will boot into the abl.
• Inside the abl, press the VOLUME UP or DOWN buttons to navigate to “Change Boot Mode”, then press the POWER button to confirm. This will change the Boot Mode to Android, and change the menu option to “Start”, just press the POWER button to confirm and it will boot into Android from now on. To get back to ROCKINX, repeat these steps to change the Boot Mode to Linux.

Restoring the stock bootloader

If you want to revert to the original stock Android bootloader, it’s very simple. We already backed up your abl in the previous installation setup.

• Go to Android Settings > Handheld Settings > Run Script as Root and when prompted, navigate to the “ROCKNIX_abl” folder in the root directory of your device’s internal storage. Open the folder and inside you’ll find a file named “restore_backup.sh”, open and run this script. You will see some text prompts and then a notification that the script has run successfully.

Changelog

16MAR2016
– updated ROCKNIX installation process (with new abl and Image Burner)

13MAR2026
– updates in support of upcoming video

17MAY2025
– added support information about Odin 2 Portal and Mini

11MAR2025
– added link to new ROCKNIX nightly page

05MAR2025
– added disclaimer about LinuxLoader disabling charging while powered off, and potential for future OTA update issues
– added guide to restore stock abl

04MAR2025
– updated guide to link to new nightly build options on their website

03MAR2025
– published guide