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.
  • Avid Amoeba
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    19 hours ago

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

  • Avid Amoeba
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    141 day ago

    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.

      • @[email protected]
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        1 day ago

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

        • Avid Amoeba
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          123 hours ago

          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.

          • @[email protected]
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            36 hours ago

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

            • Avid Amoeba
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              58 minutes ago

              I didn’t try because I assume I can’t. 😂 Cause that would require root on Android, or special capability.

              E: Yeah it doesn’t seem to work.

      • Avid Amoeba
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        323 hours 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
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      61 day ago

      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.

      • Avid Amoeba
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        323 hours ago

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

  • AItoothbrush
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    51 day ago

    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.

      • NSRXN
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        17 hours ago

        I had the n810 and always coveted the n900

        • @[email protected]
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          17 hours ago

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

          • NSRXN
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            17 hours ago

            u had one!??

            the best smart phone I ever had was the BlackBerry q10

            • @[email protected]
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              17 hours 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.

    • Avid Amoeba
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      523 hours ago

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

      • AItoothbrush
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        21 day ago

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

    • @[email protected]
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      021 hours ago

      Isn’t Android open source? I like Linux, but I alternate being amazed by Linux and frustrated by how buggy the experience is. Everything on my Android phone / tablet just works effortlessly. But with Linux, it is a crap shoot. My Linux audio drivers kept popping my speakers and it took me hours to figure out the bug. Then when I run wine for a game it randomly thinks it doesn’t have enough storage space. Or how Chrome was having memory leaks. Or all the times I have had to use special bash commands or directly edit configuration files

      • Possibly linux
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        319 hours ago

        AOSP is

        Lineage OS is

        Google Android is mostly proprietary. The reason is they need to gather all the data they can for marketing.

      • AItoothbrush
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        021 hours ago

        Android does the bare minimum to be called source available which isnt the same as open source and also its only the core of android that is. Its literally like taking linux, slapping on a bunch of propeitery stuff onto it and then telling people that you cant contribute to it and youre only gonna use an old, highly modified version of linux actually. Also the whole application ecosystem that you have on it needs your stupid spyware to run properly. As for linux i dont think desktop linux is buggy. Its way more usable than windows for example which literally falls to pieces if you look wrong at it. I have 3 old classmates who switched because windows just kept breaking. Your problems with audio means you probably used a non standard setup which i admit can cause breakages theres no doubt in that. And finally chrome having a memory leak; how is that related to linux?

        • Avid Amoeba
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          15 hours ago

          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.

            • Avid Amoeba
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              14 hours ago

              Sure but according to the AnLinux project docs you can’t really run everything Debian can. For example it says it can’t run some DEs. For me this isn’t about whether Termux can do things a Debian VM can. I know it can. It’s about can Termux do everything a Debian VM can and as far as I know, it cannot.

              And then there’s the work the Termux team has to do to get programs to work on Android. With a Debian VM, there’s no additional work needed. Whatever the Debian team packages would just work.