A developer who goes by Leminos has released LinuxRunner, an open-source app that runs ARM64 Linux programs and desktop environments on an iPhone, according to the project’s GitHub README. It needs no jailbreak, no virtual machine and no JIT.
If you have ever wanted a real terminal and a package manager in your pocket, Linux on iPhone just became a sideload away. It works by interpreting the code rather than booting anything, and the README is upfront about what still breaks.
TL;DR: LinuxRunner is a GPL-3.0 app that runs ARM64 Linux userspace on iPhone and iPad using its own interpreter, with Debian, Alpine and Arch setups on offer. You install it by signing an IPA yourself, and the desktop environments are still marked experimental. Treat it as a capable terminal first and a pocket desktop second.
How Linux on iPhone works without a jailbreak
The README says LinuxRunner “interprets ARM64 Linux instructions and implements the Linux system calls that applications need.” It runs Linux userspace inside the iOS app instead of booting a kernel, and it builds on iSH through ios-linuxkit.
That design sidesteps QEMU, a JIT and a full virtual machine, which is the whole point of the project. What runs on top of that layer is the more interesting part.
Which distributions and apps it runs
Version 1.0.0 offered Debian 13 ARM64 and Alpine 3.24 installs. Version 1.0.1, published on October 27, 2026, added an Arch Linux ARM setup with pacman and an experimental Openbox and LXQt desktop, plus iPad adaptations, per the release notes.
The README says Telegram Desktop has been tested on Arch with login, messages and calls working. Earlier captures show Dolphin, Firefox and Blender, though compatibility varies by app. Graphics go through an Xvfb display, Mesa software OpenGL and an optional Metal bridge that the README calls experimental.
How to install LinuxRunner on an iPhone
You download the IPA from GitHub Releases, then sign and install it with a compatible sideloading tool. The README names Sideloadly and AltStore Classic as examples and does not guarantee any one service. The 1.0.1 file is about 14.6 MB.
The deployment target is iOS 15.0 or later, so a phone on the current iOS 27.2 release qualifies. Once it opens, the app walks you through installing Debian or Alpine and creating a Linux account. For a desktop, you choose “Install Desktop Components” and then “Open Desktop.”
The limits the README admits to
Only ARM64 programs run. x86 and x86-64 applications, kernel modules, systemd as init, containers and Wayland sessions are not supported, and demanding programs may exceed device memory limits.
iOS can also suspend the app in the background. The Keep Screen Awake option “prevents the foreground idle lock, not background suspension,” so a long compile may stall when you switch away.
One line deserves a second read: “Linux users and permissions do not isolate hostile programs from the app.” That is a good reason to keep unfamiliar binaries away from a phone full of personal data, and our piece on iPhone security in 2026 gives wider context.
Who this is actually for
The README lists compilers, Python and Node.js among the things you can run, which makes this a pocket dev environment before it is a desktop replacement. If you want KDE Plasma, expect to tinker, since the project marks it as experimental.
It is also very new. Version 1.0.0 arrived on October 25, 2026 and 1.0.1 followed two days later, so rough edges are likely. Not a polished product, but an honest one about its edges.
