this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2025
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Android

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TL;DR

  • Google has added a tabbed interface to the Terminal app in Android 16 Beta 3.
  • The Terminal app lets you run Linux apps in a virtual machine on your Android device.
  • Adding tabs makes it easier to multitask, as you can issue commands without having to wait for a process to complete.
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[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 19 points 2 months ago (2 children)

So I tried this just now, and it works. It looks pretty good at first glance. Proper Debian VM, can listen on ports, can access files under Downloads. It just takes 10-20 seconds to start and a few to stop.

[–] juli@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago (2 children)

would you switch over from termux for this? for performance or something else?

[–] TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.zip 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

It's a debian VM, much better than messing with the android system. All I want now is bridged mode for the network adapters

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It appears to be running behind NAT but it's already have an easy port forwarding feature where I was able to connect to a server running on the VM by connecting to localhost in Termux.

[–] TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Can you forward ports below 1024? I don't get the notification when it's these ports that require sudo.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I didn't try because I assume I can't. πŸ˜‚ Cause that would require root on Android, or special capability.

E: Yeah it doesn't seem to work.

[–] TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I have sudo on the VM doens't make sense to me that i would need root on the Host

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 months ago

Right but think about it. Any ports open on the host are opened by processes running on the host. If a process on the host wants to open 443, the host OS would ask for root. Now think about the VM from the point of view of the host. It's just another running process. If it tries to open 443 - it's gotta have root or it will fail. It doesn't matter what permissions the process inside the VM has. In fact the host doesn't even know about that process. To the host, the VM process wants to open protected port.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 months ago

For things that don't work on Termux. The only advantage of Termux is that it starts way faster and it consumes significantly less resources. Other than that, the VM would be superior. So if I had to connect via SSH to a machine, I'd probably use Termux.

[–] biscuit@lemdro.id 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

can access files under Downloads

Wait, you can access local files on your phone's storage in the VM now? Is that a new addition? On the Android 15 version of this, you don't have any local access at all.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 months ago

I'm on the standard Android 15 on 8 Pro. The shared storage is mounted at /mnt/shared

[–] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 2 months ago (1 children)

ITT: nobody understands the difference between this and Termux

[–] Boomkop3@reddthat.com 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I also don't really see a point to it

[–] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

That's fine, but there is a big difference between the two. Termux is a terminal emulator for the host operating system, while this is a VM running a completely separate guest operating system - Debian 12, in this case. ARM version, but still Debian.

[–] Boomkop3@reddthat.com 1 points 2 months ago

Oh dang, I gotta get on the new android!

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

RDPing from Android into the VM after installing a desktop environment:

[–] s08nlql9@lemm.ee 2 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Just discovered this and want to try a full linux desktop. But what RDP you installed app for this?

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 hours ago

aRDP - it's open source and despite the ugly UI it works very well.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

How's it run? Have you done any performance tests?

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 months ago

No benchmarks. It works, not very fast in the guy but usable.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 10 points 2 months ago

Docker works as expected:

[–] AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 months ago (6 children)

This is like giving a bandaid to someone who just broke their fucking femur. I want actual linux and open source on my phone not a container that runs debian.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It's a real VM, not a container. Chances are you can run containers on top of the VM. Haven't tried.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 months ago

Just tried, and yes you can.

[–] 01011@monero.town 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

RIP maemo. Nokia really messed that up.

[–] nsrxn@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I had the n810 and always coveted the n900

[–] 01011@monero.town 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Physical keyboard. Debian Linux for mobile. It's still my favorite smartphone ever.

[–] nsrxn@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

u had one!??

the best smart phone I ever had was the BlackBerry q10

[–] 01011@monero.town 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I did indeed. Kept using it for as long as I could until I was compelled to switch to Android/iOS. I dislike them both but Android is the lesser of two evils.

[–] space_iio@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 months ago (2 children)

So why not use Ubuntu Touch?

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 months ago

Because it sucks?

[–] AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Because it works on like 1% of phones? Im good with tech but not at the point where i could port something like that.

[–] space_iio@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Okay so you want "actual linux and open source" AND it also needs to work on more than 1% of the phones?

It's like the people who complain about phones not having a SD card but they never buy the phones that actually do support them

There are phones you can buy that run Linux in our open source check out the pinephone

[–] AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 months ago

"Okay so you want "actual linux and open source" AND it also needs to work on more than 1% of the phones?" Is this ironic or did you actually just tell me an argument that ive first seen in a meme? Why cant you have a modern phone that also has linux - because of the stupid corporations. Also same with sd cards. If you want a modern, high end phone with an sd card it just doesnt exist. You shouldnt have to compromise but capitalism forces you because at this point there are like 5 companies that make phones and all of them benefit from you suffering. If qualcomm offered proper support, phones could have linux support but they dont.

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[–] Ajzak@lemm.ee 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

ight now i need a pixel with video out and I'm satisfied.

[–] SatyrSack@feddit.org 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The past two generations have supported that

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yep and there is a new desktop mode that will be available soon as well.

[–] Ajzak@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago (2 children)

holy shit huge news, for some reason i didn't catch that. Thanks!

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 2 points 2 months ago

I haven't seen anyone talking about it except Graphene OS

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 3 points 2 months ago

What do we think is Google's motivation for adding this?

[–] Boomkop3@reddthat.com 3 points 2 months ago

I really hope linux apps don't start getting dependent on google libraries

[–] BeatTakeshi@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Ahem termux had this feature for ages

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] BeatTakeshi@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Sure but this can do things that Termux can't. E.g. running a desktop, Docker or whatever else a full Debian OS can run. Plus you can do tabs in Byobu or whatever.

[–] BeatTakeshi@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)
[–] Michal@programming.dev 1 points 2 months ago

The use termux?

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