Android App Usage Guide

The Droidspaces Android app provides a premium GUI for managing Linux containers. It abstracts away the complexity of namespaces and mounts while giving you high-level control over your environments.

Bottom Navigation

• Home: A dashboard displaying the number of installed and running containers, root availability status, and the backend version.
• Containers: A dedicated manager for all installed containers (Install, Start, Stop, Edit, and Uninstall).
• Panel: A central dashboard for managing Running Containers and monitoring real-time System Statistics (CPU, RAM, Temperature, etc.).

Containers Tab

This tab allows you to install containers using the "+" icon, and lists all your installed environments. Each container has a control card:

• Install Button (+): Install a new container.
• Play Button: Start the container and boot the init system.
• Stop Button: Sends a graceful shutdown signal to the container's init.
• Cycle Button: Fast-restart the container.
• Terminal Icon (Logs): Provides access to persistent session logs for the container's previous start, stop, and restart sequences.

Networking Configuration

When editing or creating a container, you can choose from three networking modes:

• Host (Default): Shares host network directly.
• NAT (Isolated): Private network namespace with deterministic IP and port forwarding support.
• None: No network access.

Configuring Upstream Interfaces (NAT Mode)

If you select NAT (Isolated) mode, you must specify one or more upstream interfaces for the container to have internet access. The app provides a convenient auto-detection workflow:

1. Detect Wi-Fi: Connect to your Wi-Fi network and press the refresh button in the "Upstream Interfaces" menu. Select the interface (usually wlan0) that appears.
2. Detect Mobile Data: Disable Wi-Fi and connect to mobile data. Press the refresh button again and select the mobile data interface (e.g., rmnet0, ccmni1).
3. Save: Both interfaces will now be used by the Route Monitor to keep your container connected as you switch networks.

Port Forwarding

In NAT mode, use the Port Forwarding section to map host ports to container ports (e.g., 22:22). You can also specify port ranges (e.g., 1000-2000:1000-2000) for services that require multiple contiguous ports.

Panel Tab (Active Environments)

The Panel tab focuses strictly on your running containers. Tapping a running container card opens the Details Screen.

Container Details Screen

This screen provides deep introspection into the running environment: - Distribution Info: Shows the Pretty Name, Version, Per-container-uptime, Hostname, and IP Address (IPv4). - Available Users: Lists detected users in the rootfs. - Copy Login: Choose a user from the dropdown and tap this to copy a command like su -c 'droidspaces enter [user]'. - Terminal: Open an interactive Terminal Emulator inside from the container, natively on the Droidspaces app ! - Systemd Menu: If the container uses systemd, a "Manage" button appears. Tapping it opens a list of all systemd services, allowing you to Start, Stop, or Restart individual services (e.g., SSH, Nginx, or a VNC server) directly from the app.

Accessing the Container Shell

Droidspaces provides two primary ways to interact with your running Linux containers. Whether you want a quick check from within the app or a full-featured session in your favorite terminal, we've got you covered.

Method 1: Built-in Terminal (v5.7.0+)

This is the most convenient way to quickly run commands without leaving the Droidspaces app.

1. Ensure the container is RUNNING.
2. Navigate to the Panel tab and tap the container to open its Details.
3. Find the Terminal card and tap Open.
4. Select the User you wish to log in as (e.g., root or your default user).
5. An interactive terminal will launch directly within the app.

Method 2: External Terminal (Copy Login)

For power users who prefer Termux, ADB, or other terminal emulators, Droidspaces allows you to "attach" external sessions to the container.

1. Ensure the container is RUNNING.
2. Open the container Details in the Panel tab.
3. Select your desired user from the dropdown menu.
4. Tap Copy Login. This copies a command like su -c 'droidspaces --name=[name enter [user]' to your clipboard.
5. Open your preferred terminal (e.g., Termux) and Paste the command.
6. Run the command (ensure your terminal has root permissions granted from your root manager).

Settings & Requirements

Accessed via the gear icon in the top right: - Requirements: Runs a 27-point diagnostic check on your kernel. - Kernel Config: Provides a copyable droidspaces.config snippet specifically for your device. - Theme Engine: Support for AMOLED Black, Material You, Changing accent colors, and Light/Dark modes.

© 2026 Droidspaces  ·  GPLv3  ·  by ravindu644 and contributors