Termux
Android terminal emulator and Linux environment with its own package manager.
Loved for turning an Android phone or tablet into a portable Linux terminal123 for SSH into home machines, coding with familiar CLI tools, and running scripts and services like Syncthing and rsync.4567 The most common caveat is cramped input on small phone screens,8910 and some found setup and package upgrades painful.111213
Why people recommend it
SSH client · 3
Commenters use it to SSH into desktops and home servers, often with tmux to keep sessions alive.
“Install Termux, SSH into your PC, attach to the tmux session.”
“Termux is incredible and single-handedly keeps me running Android.”
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“I use Termux on my phone to continue working from everywhere”
Full Linux toolset · 3
Runs familiar terminal tools and can build software, so people code directly on the phone.
“Termux is incredible and single-handedly keeps me running Android.”
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“I can use Termux to write applications for my phone in Perl (!).”
Scripts and services · 3
Used to run Syncthing, rsync, SSH tunnels and custom automation scripts on the device.
“I use it for lots of stuff, remote scanning from an old Canon flatbed scanner attached to my NAS”
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Portable workstation · 3
Paired with a Bluetooth keyboard or a foldable screen, it works as a compact laptop replacement.
“With Graphene and Termux, I use my Fold 10 as a cyberdeck”
“Termux is incredible and single-handedly keeps me running Android.”
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“big enough to comfortably use a terminal app like Termux as well”
Distros and emulators · 3
Can host other environments such as Ubuntu, NixOS or a SimH VAX emulator.
“I recommend Termux which gives a Linux based terminal emulator”
“I've got a Termux with NixOS installed on my Android handset.”
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“I've got a VAX/VMS 11/780 that I can run inside it thanks to SimH and Termux.”
Editor-friendly keys · 3
A configurable extra-keys bar makes Emacs and Vim usable without a special keyboard.
“I just use termux's special key bar”
“so i use a termux build,,, well nix-on-droid+emacs-overlay... and it's fine, for capture and recall.”
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“using emacs in terminal mode inside termux”
Caveats and dissent
Small-screen input · 3
Typing and screen space on a phone are a struggle compared with a desktop.
“Termux is nice, but not very good on small screens.”
“For now I didn't find anything that really works better than using termux on android or echo on ipad”
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“Android phone with termux and all the usual Linux tools.”
Setup complexity · 3
Layering distros or tools inside Termux can be a pain to set up.
“in a proot distro[1] in termux: while I appreciated the symbolism of recurrence, it was a pain to set up.”
“Termux android terminal (pkg install package_name)”
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“After a few weeks of trials with Termux, I finally gave up”
Package breakage · 2
Upgrades can break installs, especially on older 32-bit ARM devices.
“Termux and I have a love-hate relationship.”
“recently Hermes stopped installing under Termux (v0.19 - no, v0.18 - yes)”
Device limits · 2
Older Android versions and unrooted phones limit speed and port binding.
“you could use termux but if termux runs on anything lower than android 8 termux will be significantly limited”
“I recommend Termux which gives a Linux based terminal emulator”
Play Store version · 1
One commenter advises getting it from F-Droid, calling the Play Store version watered down.
“Termux is an example. Always get that from F-Droid, not the play store version.”
Often compared with
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Termux 9 mentions
- Surprisingly, Emacs on Android is pretty good 3 mentions
- Ask HN: Best resources for learning how to build a forum back end? 2 mentions
- MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display and Touch 1 mention
- Ask HN: Where has creativity in software gone? 1 mention
- Ask HN: What do you run on a $5 VPS that's worth keeping online 24/7? 1 mention
Data: termux.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 41
“big enough to comfortably use a terminal app like Termux as well”
“I've got a Termux with NixOS installed on my Android handset.”
“Termux based phone assistant.”
“I use Termux on my phone to continue working from everywhere”
“I use termux to ssh”
“I use Termux quite a bit”
“I use this through Termux when coding on my phone.”
“Android phone with termux and all the usual Linux tools.”
“With Graphene and Termux, I use my Fold 10 as a cyberdeck”
“I installed termux and I think it's fine.”
“you could use termux but if termux runs on anything lower than android 8 termux will be significantly limited”
“I use termux and tasker to get my automations done.”
“recently Hermes stopped installing under Termux (v0.19 - no, v0.18 - yes)”
“For now I didn't find anything that really works better than using termux on android or echo on ipad”
“stuff like termux was so capable that I used it to run all kinds of stuff”
“or am using Termux on my phone”
“in a proot distro[1] in termux: while I appreciated the symbolism of recurrence, it was a pain to set up.”
“Termux is nice, but not very good on small screens.”
“I love OpenSimH and Termux.”
“I use pi via termux on android”
“Termux android terminal (pkg install package_name)”
“I recommend Termux which gives a Linux based terminal emulator”
“Termux is an example. Always get that from F-Droid, not the play store version.”
“Thus far I relied on a set of Termux scripts on these devices to keep a reverse ssh tunnel open”
“Terminal emulator”
“Termux and I have a love-hate relationship.”
“I use Termux to host my 11/780 VAX/VMS system on my cheap ass Motorola phone”
“the most useful lately for me is running Syncthing”
“I use it to run Julia on my phone”
“I use it for lots of stuff, remote scanning from an old Canon flatbed scanner attached to my NAS”
“I can use Termux to write applications for my phone in Perl (!).”
“The on demand nature of it is a major selling point to me.”
“Termux is incredible and single-handedly keeps me running Android.”
“I love termux.”
“termux”
“relay it to my iPhone using a Termux script[2]”
“Been using Termux and iSH on my phones for years.”
“why not solely Termux with nginx?”
“I think termux is pretty good and even better than UserLand in this context”
“After a few weeks of trials with Termux, I finally gave up”
“Install Termux, SSH into your PC, attach to the tmux session.”