C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR The new Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 supports running Linux apps, transforming the big-screen tablet into a versatile productivity machine.
This is notable because it’s the first MediaTek Dimensity chipset we know of that can run Android’s Linux Terminal app.
Alongside the Galaxy Tab S11, the Xiaomi 15T series also supports the Linux Terminal — but only after updating to Android 16.
Big Android tablets are incredible devices for media consumption, but their productivity capabilities are all over the place. While a few large tablets can replace laptops for some people, most are, at best, just giant notepads. The new Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is firmly in the former category with its massive OLED display and an array of Samsung-exclusive multitasking features. Thanks to the addition of Linux app support, however, its computing capabilities transcend those of almost any other Android tablet.
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Earlier this year, Google introduced the Linux Terminal app, allowing you to run full-fledged Linux programs on your Android device. The app boots an instance of Debian (a popular Linux distribution) in a virtual machine (VM). It then lets you send commands to this VM, opening the door to running many power-user and developer tools that aren’t natively available on Android. This effectively transforms any compatible Android device into a powerful, portable Linux PC.
Not every device has access to the Linux Terminal app, however. While every Tensor-powered Google Pixel has it, many Snapdragon-powered devices do not. Samsung’s Snapdragon-powered Galaxy Z Fold 7, for example, does not support the Linux Terminal, but its Exynos-powered sibling does.
This discrepancy is because the Linux Terminal app has two key requirements. First, devices must have a version of the Android Virtualization Framework (AVF) that supports the Terminal app. The Android 15 QPR2 update from March was the first release with Terminal support. Second, their chipsets must support running “unprotected” VMs, i.e., VMs whose memory can be accessed by the host OS. This second requirement is what separates the Galaxy Z Fold 7 from the Z Flip 7; the Flip’s Exynos chipset supports unprotected VMs, while the Fold’s Snapdragon chipset does not.
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