Make any device your second display on Linux

Do you use Linux? Need an extra monitor but only have one that you can use? Good news! With Deskreen, you can turn any smartphone, tablet, or Laptop into a second screen. Here’s how it works.

Installing Deskreen on Linux

Before using the Deskreen application to extend your screen on Linux, you must install the app on your computer. Thankfully, Deskreen supports Ubuntu, Debian, Arch Linux, and other Linux OSes via AppImage.

To get the Deskreen application set up on your Linux PC, start by opening up a terminal window. You can open up a terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on the keyboard. Alternatively, search for “Terminal” in the app menu and launch it that way.

With the terminal window open and ready to use, the installation process is ready to begin. Follow the instructions below to set up the app on your Linux computer.

Ubuntu

If you’re using Ubuntu, you’ll need to download the Deskreen DEB package from the official website and install it to use it. To get your hands on the latest Deskreen DEB package, run the following wget command.

wget https://github.com/pavlobu/deskreen/releases/download/v1.0.11/deskreen_1.0.11_amd64.deb

After downloading the latest Deskreen DEB package to your computer, you’ll be able to install the software on Ubuntu using the apt install command below.

sudo apt install ./deskreen_1.0.11_amd64.deb

Debian

If you’re running Debian Linux and need to get the Deskreen application up and running on your computer, you’ll have to download the latest DEB package. Using the wget download command, grab the newest release of Deskreen.

wget https://github.com/pavlobu/deskreen/releases/download/v1.0.11/deskreen_1.0.11_amd64.deb

Once you’ve downloaded the DEB package to your computer, the installation can begin. Using the dpkg -i command, set up the latest version of Deskreen on your Debian system.

sudo dpkg -i deskreen_1.0.11_amd64.deb

Be sure to run apt-get install -f if you see any errors during the installation process.

Arch Linux

The Deskreen application is available on the Arch Linux AUR for Arch users. To get it working, start by installing the Trizen AUR helper tool. To install the software on your computer, run the commands below in a terminal window.

sudo pacman -S git base-devel
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/trizen.git
cd trizen/
makepkg -sri

With the Trizen AUR helper tool set up on your computer, use the trizen -S command to set up Deskreen on your Arch Linux system.

trizen -S deskreen

AppImage

Deskreen is available to all Linux distributions via AppImage. To start the installation, ensure you have AppImageLauncher set up on your computer. AppImageLauncher automates the installation of AppImages on Linux and will make setting up Deskreen much easier.

After setting up AppImageLauncher on your computer, download the Deskreen AppImage and open it up with AppImageLauncher to integrate it with your Linux PC.

Setting up Deskreen

You’ll have to pair Deskreen on your computer to the device you plan to use as a secondary display. To do this, follow the step-by-step instructions below.

Step 1: Open up Deskreen on the host computer. Once it is open, scan the QR code with your phone or tablet. Alternatively, copy the URL and send it to the other device if you’re using a laptop or PC for a second screen.

Step 2: Upon opening the URL via a QR code (or link), a pop-up window will appear in the Deskreen app on your Linux desktop. You’ll need to allow the device to pair. Select the “Allow” button in the pop-up.

Step 3: With Deskreen paired, the app will ask you what you wish to share on the second screen. You can share either the entire screen by selecting “Entire Screen” or a separate application window by choosing the “Application Window” option.

Step 4: Upon selecting your share option, you’ll be asked to choose either a screen or an application. If you’re sharing an entire screen, select the screen to share over Deskreen. Or, choose an application if you’re sharing an app over Deskreen.

Disconnecting Deskreen

If you wish to disconnect your second screen from Deskreen, do the following. First, access the “Connected devices” menu in the top-right-hand section of the app. From there, locate the “Disconnect” button and click on it to remove the currently connected device.

Alternatively, if you have multiple devices connected to Deskreen on your Linux PC, locate the “Disconnect all devices” button, and click on it with the mouse. Selecting this button will remove all connections to the Deskreen application running on your Linux computer.