Run Linux on Android devices

Once upon a time, I tried to search for a simple way to run Linux on Android. My only intention at the time was to use Linux and some basic applications like SSH, Git, awk, etc. Not asking for much! I don't want to root my Android device. I have a tablet that I use mostly for reading e-books, news, and a handful of Linux blogs. Other than that, I don't use it much. So I decided to use it to implement some Linux functions. If you also want to run Linux on your Android device, this article may be helpful to you.

Termux - Android terminal emulator running on Android and Chrome OS
Termux is an Android terminal emulator and application that provides a Linux environment. Unlike many other apps, there is no need to root the device or set up. It works right out of the box! It will automatically install a basic Linux system, but you can also use the APT package manager to install other software packages. All in all, you can turn your Android device into a pocket-sized Linux computer. Not only does it work on Android, but you can install it on Chrome OS.

Termux provides many important features:

• It allows you to log into remote servers via openSSH.
• You can also SSH into an Android device from a remote system.
• Use rsync and curl to sync your smartphone contacts to a remote system.
• Support different shells, such as BASH, ZSH, FISH, etc.
• You can choose different text editors to edit/view files, supporting Emacs, Nano and Vim.
• Use the APT package manager to install the packages you want on your Android device. Supports the latest versions of Git, Perl, Python, Ruby and Node.js.
• You can connect your Android device with a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, and external monitor as if it were one integrated device. Termux supports keyboard shortcuts.
• Termux supports almost all GNU/Linux commands.

In addition, some other functions can be enabled by installing plug-ins. For example, the Termux: API plugin allows access to hardware features of Android and Chrome. Other useful plugins include:

• Termux:Boot - Run script when device starts
• Termux: Float - Run Termux in a floating window
• Termux: Styling - Provides color schemes and Powerline-enabled fonts to customize the look of your Termux terminal.
• Termux:Task - Provides an easy way to call the Termux executable from a taskbar-like application.
• Termux: Widget - Provides a suggested way to launch small scripts from the home screen.

To learn more about termux, long press anywhere on the terminal and select the Help menu option to open the built-in help section. Its only drawback is that it requires Android 5.0 and above. It would be much more useful if it supported Android 4.x and older versions. You can find and install Termux on the Google Play Store and F-Droid.

To install Termux from the Google Play Store, click the button below.
To install in F-Droid, click the button below.

The above is the whole process of how to use Linux on Android devices.

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