Media Applications

ADL can handle media playback, image editing, and audio work using the same open-source tools found on full Linux desktops. The main constraint is that proot does not provide GPU access, so every media operation runs on the CPU. Choosing the right application and configuring it properly makes a significant difference in performance.

Video Playback

VLC Media Player

VLC is the most popular media player on Linux. It plays virtually every video and audio format without needing separate codec packages, and it has a full graphical interface with playlist management, subtitle support, and streaming capabilities.

$apt update && apt install vlc -y

After installation, VLC appears in your application menu under Multimedia. You can also launch it from the terminal with vlc.

🟡Performance — Medium Impact

VLC without hardware acceleration relies entirely on your CPU for video decoding. On most Android devices running ADL, 720p video plays smoothly, but 1080p may stutter depending on your processor. Avoid 4K playback entirely.

VLC Performance Settings

Open VLC and navigate to Tools > Preferences. Set "Show settings" to All at the bottom left, then adjust these values:

Setting Path	Value	Purpose
Video > Output modules	X11 video output	Avoids GPU-dependent output modules
Input/Codecs > Video codecs > FFmpeg	Threads: 2-4	Distributes decoding across CPU cores
Video > Deinterlace	Off	Saves CPU on progressive content
Playlist > Auto	Uncheck preparse	Stops VLC from scanning all files on startup

✅💡 Tip

If video playback stutters, try reducing the resolution. In VLC, you cannot downscale a local file on the fly, but for network streams you can select a lower quality. For local files, re-encoding to 480p with FFmpeg before playback is a practical workaround.

Codec Setup

VLC bundles its own codecs, so it handles most formats without extra packages. If you use other media players or need system-wide codec support, install the restricted extras package:

$apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras -y

This installs commonly needed codecs, fonts, and the FFmpeg suite. It covers MP4, MP3, AAC, H.264, and many other formats.

If you prefer a minimal installation instead of the full extras bundle, install only the codecs you need:

$apt install ffmpeg libavcodec-extra -y

ℹ️Codec licensing

The ubuntu-restricted-extras package includes codecs that are free to use but carry patent restrictions in some jurisdictions. For personal use on your own device, this is not a practical concern.

mpv -- Lightweight Alternative

If VLC feels sluggish on your device, mpv is a lighter alternative. It uses fewer resources, has no heavy GUI, and is often faster for simple playback tasks.

$apt install mpv -y

Play a video file from the terminal:

$mpv /path/to/video.mp4

mpv uses keyboard controls by default: space to pause, arrow keys to seek, q to quit. It does not have a traditional menu bar, which is what makes it fast.

🤔Video Player: VLC vs mpv

Image Editing

GIMP

GIMP is a full-featured image editor comparable to Photoshop. It supports layers, masks, filters, custom brushes, and plugin extensions. Install it from the Ubuntu repositories:

$apt install gimp -y

GIMP appears in the application menu under Graphics. First launch takes longer than usual because it loads fonts, brushes, and plugin data.

🟡Performance — Medium Impact

GIMP loads slowly on first launch (30-60 seconds is normal in ADL). Subsequent launches are faster because it caches plugin data. Working with images larger than 3000x3000 pixels may cause noticeable lag during filter operations.

GIMP Memory Configuration

GIMP defaults to using a large tile cache, which can overwhelm devices with limited RAM. Adjust this under Edit > Preferences > System Resources:

• Tile cache size -- set to 512 MB or less on devices with 4 GB RAM
• Maximum undo memory -- set to 128 MB to prevent undo history from consuming too much RAM
• Number of undo levels -- reduce to 10-15 for large images

mtPaint -- Lightweight Alternative

For quick image edits, crops, and simple drawings, mtPaint uses a fraction of the resources GIMP requires. It loads in seconds and handles common tasks without the overhead of a professional editing suite.

$apt install mtpaint -y

🤔Image Editor: GIMP vs mtPaint

Audio Editing

Audacity

Audacity is the standard open-source audio editor. It records, edits, and exports audio in multiple formats. It works well for podcasting, voice recording, music editing, and basic audio cleanup.

$apt install audacity -y

Audacity appears in the application menu under Multimedia. It requires a working audio setup, which in ADL means PulseAudio must be configured and connected to Termux's audio server.

⚠️Audio output in proot

Audio playback in proot requires PulseAudio to be running and properly configured. If you hear no sound, verify that PulseAudio is started and that the PULSE_SERVER environment variable is set. See your desktop setup guide for audio configuration details.

Audacity Performance Tips

• Set the project sample rate to 44100 Hz (CD quality) rather than higher rates unless you specifically need them
• Use 16-bit depth instead of 32-bit float for basic editing tasks
• Close the spectrogram view when not needed, as it continuously recalculates and uses CPU
• Export to OGG or MP3 rather than uncompressed WAV to save storage space

Alternative: Command-Line Audio with FFmpeg

For batch audio conversion, trimming, or format changes, FFmpeg handles these tasks without a GUI and with minimal resource usage:

$apt install ffmpeg -y

Convert an audio file to MP3:

$ffmpeg -i input.wav -codec:audio libmp3lame -qscale:audio 2 output.mp3

Trim audio to a specific time range:

$ffmpeg -i input.mp3 -ss 00:00:30 -to 00:02:00 -c copy trimmed.mp3

✅💡 Tip

FFmpeg is already included if you installed ubuntu-restricted-extras or libavcodec-extra earlier. Check with ffmpeg -version before installing it again.

General Performance Considerations

Every media application in ADL shares the same constraints: no GPU acceleration, limited RAM shared with Android, and CPU-only processing. These guidelines apply across the board:

• Close Android apps before doing media work. Games, social media apps, and browsers running on the Android side consume RAM that ADL applications need.
• Avoid multitasking heavy applications. Running VLC and GIMP simultaneously on a 4 GB device will cause both to slow down or crash.
• Prefer lightweight alternatives on devices with 4 GB of RAM or less. mpv, mtPaint, and FFmpeg cover most everyday needs with far less overhead.
• Monitor memory usage with free -h in the terminal. If available memory drops below 500 MB, close applications before they start swapping.

$free -h

🤔Overall Media Strategy by Device RAM