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Complete Official Reference

RootX IDE & Terminal Manual

Complete A-to-Z technical documentation for RootX. Learn about the native ARM64 compilation engine, PRoot Linux container architecture, code editor preferences, OTG keyboard shortcuts, package manager runtimes, and deep troubleshooting steps.

1. Core Architecture & Overview

RootX is an ultra-modern, high-performance integrated development environment (IDE) and terminal emulator engineered for real code compilation and execution directly on Android. Rather than relying on cloud simulation, RootX executes code at native speeds on your mobile hardware.

A. Native Compilation Engine (NDK / JNI Direct Bridge)

Languages such as Node.js, Python 3, PHP, and Go are pre-compiled specifically for the Android NDK (Native Development Kit) ARM64 target. RootX bridges system command calls directly to process binaries without virtualization overhead, achieving full native CPU performance.

B. PRoot Environment (User-Space Linux Container on Android)

PRoot is a user-space implementation of chroot, mount, and binfmt_misc using the ptrace() system call tracing mechanism.

When a program makes a standard Linux file system call, PRoot captures it and redirects it to local sandbox directories. This allows running full Linux distributions like Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (ARM64) and Alpine Linux (ARM64) with complete root privileges without requiring Android root access.

Visual Identity Systems

• Aurix UI: AMOLED-optimized pitch black (#000000) canvas for night coding & extreme battery saving.
• Glass UI: Translucent glassmorphism Apple-inspired layout with micro-borders and soft glows.

Zero Cloud & Privacy

• 100% Local Sandboxing: Files, DB queries, and compile chains stay on device.
• Encrypted Google Drive: Backup/restore build projects securely.
• Encrypted Secrets: API keys and GitHub tokens stored safely in device memory.

2. Workspace & Project Management

2.1 Creating a New Project

Method A — Graphical UI Wizard

Tap the "+" Floating Action Button or "New Project".
Enter your project name and choose directory path.
Tap "Create" to generate workspace and launch editor.

Method B — Terminal Shell Command

Open RootX Terminal and execute:

Terminal Command

$ make project in -r <ProjectName>

# Aliases:

$ create project in -r <Name>

$ mk project in -r <Name>

2.2 Dashboard & Search

All active projects appear as cards on the Home Screen.
Top Bar Search icon filters projects by name instantly.
Tap any card to load into the Multi-Tab Code Editor.

2.3 Project Card Menu Options

Open Project: Load active workspace.
Rename Project: Update folder name & metadata.
Export as ZIP: Save compressed archive to Downloads.
Delete Project: Permanently remove project folder.
Push to GitHub: Sync code directly to GitHub.

2.4 User Profile & License Status

Tap profile icon at top left to view Account Type (Free vs. PRO) and GitHub authentication state. Entering a valid RootX PRO License Key unlocks PRoot Linux Containers and advanced multi-distro tools.

3. Code Editor & Live Preview

3.1 File Explorer & Navigation

Swipe left edge or tap Navigation Drawer icon. Manage files with + File or + Folder. Long-press files for rename, delete, duplicate, or path copying.

3.2 Editor Features (VS-Code Style)

• 30+ Languages: JS, TS, Python, HTML/CSS, Go, Kotlin, PHP, C/C++, SQL, JSON, Rust, Bash.

• Smart Intellisense: Auto-brackets, quote completion, keyword suggestions.

• Minimap Navigation: Visual preview column for fast multi-line scrolling.

• Auto-Format on Save: Prettier and Python beautifiers standardizing code.

3.3 Live Web & Script Preview

Tap "Play / Preview" or press Ctrl + P. Launches internal WebView browser rendering HTML/CSS/JS with a built-in console logger capturing console.log and network logs.

4. OTG Shortcuts & Safe Interrupt Signals

RootX features zero-lag physical desktop keyboard shortcut support for USB OTG and Bluetooth devices.

Global & Editor Shortcuts

Toggle File Explorer / Drawer SliderCtrl + M

Launch Live Web / Browser PreviewCtrl + P

Toggle PRoot Linux Terminal PaneCtrl + T

Auto-Format Active Code FileCtrl + F

Open Search & Replace BarCtrl + Shift + F

Quick Save Active File ImmediatelyCtrl + S

Open New File Creation DialogCtrl + N

Close Active Editor TabCtrl + W

Navigate Back to Home ScreenCtrl + H

Run File (Node, Python, Bash, HTML)Ctrl + R

Open Keyboard Shortcuts ReferenceCtrl + K

Terminal Shortcuts

Clear Terminal Screen OutputCtrl + L

Cancel / Interrupt Running ProcessCtrl + C

Exit Shell / Close Terminal SessionCtrl + D

Safe Interrupts Mechanism (Ctrl + C Signal Pipeline)

Pressing Ctrl + C or clicking the STOP button in UI dispatches ASCII byte signal value 3 directly into native process stream buffers. This gracefully interrupts running tasks without freezing the app or locking files.

5. Dual Terminal Engines & Linux Distros

Free Engine

5.1 rx 12.0.6 E (Native Android Shell)

Fast native Android shell environment (12.0.6v) for lightweight Node, Python, and PHP scripts.

Switch to Free Engine

$ rx v12.0.6 e

# Aliases:

$ 12.0.6v

$ rx update -12.0.6v e

PRO Engine

5.2 rx v14 Linux (PRoot Container Engine)

Full Linux system mount with root privileges (root@ubuntu) and real package managers (apt, apk).

Upgrade / Switch to PRoot Engine

$ upgrade - rx v14 linux

# Aliases:

$ rx v14 linux

$ install rx v14 linux

5.3 Distribution Management Commands

Distribution Commands (Ubuntu 24.04 LTS & Alpine 3.24)

# View Installed Linux Distributions

$ distro list

$ distro show

# Output: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (~70MB dl / ~220MB rootfs) | Alpine 3.24 (~3.5MB dl / ~15MB rootfs)

# Switch Active Linux Distribution

$ distro switch ubuntu

$ distro switch alpine

# Install Specific Linux Distribution

$ install ubuntu # Deploy Ubuntu Server rootfs container

$ install alpine # Deploy Alpine Linux rootfs container

# Delete Container RootFS

$ distro delete ubuntu # Wipes Ubuntu container

$ distro delete alpine # Wipes Alpine container

# Check Terminal Engine Status

$ update show

6. Integrated Package Manager (`rx` / `pkg`) & Runtimes

Install development packages using rx install <package> or pkg install <package>.

Integrated Package Installation Commands

# Node.js & NPM Runtimes

$ rx install nodejs # Node.js v22.0.0 & NPM v10.8.2

$ rx install npm # NPM Package CLI

# Python 3 & PIP

$ rx install python # Full Python interpreter & PIP

# PHP Engine

$ rx install php # CLI PHP engine & Web runner

# Go Language Compiler

$ rx install golang # Go v1.22.5 arm64 toolchain (Alias: rx install go)

# Java & Kotlin Compilers

$ rx install java # ECJ Java Compiler & Dex Executor

$ rx install kt # Kotlin Compiler (kotlinc) & runtime

# MariaDB / MySQL Server Daemon

$ rx install mysql # MariaDB 10.11 SQL server daemon & client

# PRoot Linux Containers Exclusive Packages

$ rx install git # Git version control inside PRoot

$ rx install gcc # GCC C/C++ compiler toolchain inside PRoot

Package Removal

Uninstall Commands

$ rx uninstall nodejs

$ rx uninstall python

$ rx uninstall php

$ rx uninstall golang

$ rx uninstall java

$ rx uninstall mysql

Version Verification

Check Installed Versions

$ rx version nodejs

$ rx version npm

$ rx version python

$ rx version golang

7. Built-In Shell Commands & Storage Navigation

7.1 File System Operations

Standard Linux Shell Commands

$ ls # List files & folders

$ cd [path] # Change directory (cd ~ for root workspace, cd .. for parent)

$ pwd # Print current working directory path

$ mkdir <dir> # Create directory

$ rm <file_or_dir> # Delete file/directory recursively

$ cat <file> # Display text contents of file

$ touch <file> # Create empty file

$ cp <src> <dest> # Copy file

$ mv <src> <dest> # Move / rename file

$ clear # Clear terminal screen output

$ history # Display command history

$ about # Print RootX system version & kernel info

$ help # Print summary of utility guides

7.2 Language Execution Commands

Language Script Runtimes

# Node.js Execution

$ node <script.js> # Execute JavaScript via Node.js v22.0.0

$ npm <command> # Run NPM commands (npm install, npm test)

$ npx <package> # Execute NPX binaries directly

# Python Execution

$ python <script.py> # Run Python scripts with live log streaming

$ pip install <pkg> # Install Python libraries

# Go Compiler

$ go run <file.go> # Compile and run Go source file

$ go build # Build native arm64 binary from Go package

$ go version # Check Go release

# Java Compiler & Dex Engine

$ java <File.java> # Compiles .java with ECJ, converts to .dex, runs via DexExecutor

# Kotlin Compiler & Dex Engine

$ kt <File.kt> # Compiles .kt with kotlinc, converts to .dex, runs on JVM

7.3 MariaDB / MySQL Server Commands

MariaDB 10.11 Database Management

$ mysql init # Launch setup wizard (set/skip root password)

$ mysql start # Start local MariaDB daemon

$ mysql stop # Stop local MariaDB daemon

$ mysql status # Display MariaDB server status

$ mysql reset-password # Reset MySQL root password

$ mysql # Connect to interactive MariaDB shell

# Inside SQL Shell:

# - Queries end with ';' or '\g'

# - Type 'use <dbname>;' to switch database

# - Type 'exit', 'quit', or '\q' to exit shell

7.4 Task & Process Control (`rx task`)

Background Server Control

$ rx task # List active servers, listening ports & PIDs

$ rx task -<PID> kill # Kill server process by PID

$ rx task all kill # Terminate all background servers

7.5 Storage Navigation Modes

Quick Storage Switch

$ rx -i # Switch to Internal App Storage (/data/user/0/aurix.root.x/files)

$ rx ~sdcard # Switch to External SD Card Storage

8. App Settings & Theme Parameters (A to Z)

Configure RootX via the Settings gear icon. Settings are serialized automatically inside the AppSettings state:

Complete AppSettings Parameters

themeName: Default "ONE_DARK" syntax palette.

appTheme: Default "Aurix UI" (AMOLED vs. Glass UI).

fontSize: Scalable from 8sp to 32sp (Default 14).

showLineNumbers: Toggle gutter line numbers (Default true).

tabSize: Indentation spaces count (2, 4, 8; Default 4).

wordWrap: Soft line wrapping toggle (Default false).

autoSave: Background auto-save files (Default true).

autoCloseBrackets: Auto pair (), , [], "", '' (Default true).

hapticFeedback: Keyboard vibration feedback (Default true).

previewAutoRefresh: Auto refresh preview on save (Default true).

maxConsoleLines: Web console output limit (Default 200).

autoFormatOnSave: Prettier & Python beautifier (Default true).

showMinimap: Right preview scrollbar minimap (Default false).

selectedAiModel: Default "openai/gpt-4o-mini" model.

Supported Editor Syntax Themes (11 Palettes)

One DarkDraculaMonokaiGitHub DarkMaterial ThemeNordTokyo NightAurix BlackNeon VibeCyberpunkOceanic Next

OpenRouter AI Integration

Connect your OpenRouter API key to switch between Gemini 1.5 Pro, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o, and Llama 3 70B. Custom system prompts allow tuning AI code generators.

GitHub PAT & Sync

Store Personal Access Tokens (PAT) securely for private repo cloning, branch targeting (main/master), and auto Git push synchronization.

9. Deep System Diagnostics & Troubleshooting

Real technical diagnostics and step-by-step solutions for common mobile development issues:

Problem 1: "Command not found" inside Standard Shell on running Python, NPM, or PHP packages.

Root Cause: Standard Android shell runs standalone static binaries without native glibc architecture bindings for complex packages.

Solution:
1. Switch to PRoot Linux environment: v14 linux
2. Install OS container: install ubuntu
3. Execute package commands inside PRoot container using standard package managers (apt install python3-pip, apt install nodejs).

Problem 2: Terminal process freezes, ports blocked ("Address already in use"), or background server hangs.

Root Cause: Web servers (Vite, Express, Python SimpleHTTP) run endless TCP listening loops that can stay alive in background thread cycles when hiding session tabs.

Solution:
1. Check active servers & process PIDs: rx task
2. Kill target process by PID: rx task -<PID> kill (e.g. rx task -4532 kill)
3. Or reset all server processes: rx task all kill

Problem 3: Application crashes or freezes when clicking Ctrl+C / STOP button.

Root Cause: Brutally killing thread processes causes file locks and unmounting errors in native OS containers.

Solution: RootX deploys a safe control signals pipeline. Tapping Ctrl+C writes ASCII byte signal 3 directly to streams, allowing child processes to shut down gracefully without crashing.

Problem 4: "WebView called on background thread" crash

Resolution: Wrapped UI elements and terminal session tasks inside Android Main Looper dispatchers (activity.runOnUiThread), preventing concurrency crashes.

Problem 5: Permission Denied in SD Card path

Resolution: Run rx ~sdcard to trigger permission popup, or use isolated Internal Application storage (rx -i) for high performance.