Introduction of Termux

In this series, we will learn about Termux and making Termux tools. So let’s start by learning what Termux is.

Termux

Termux is a Terminal Emulator for Android. It is free and open source. You can run a Linux environment on your Android device via Termux. It is a Linux Kernel Based Application.

Details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termux

Installation

Since November 2, 2020, Termux developers have no longer been able to publish updates of Termux applications and add-ons because they are not ready for changes upcoming with SDK Level 29 (Android 10). So, they publish updates of the Termux Application on F-Droid. The latest version of Termux is 0.119(119), released on 6 June 2022.

Download Termux: 0.119.1, 0.118, 0.117, 0.116, 0.101

0.118 (118) version is the more stable version of Termux.

As Termux is an open-source project, the source code is public. Source Code: https://github.com/termux/termux-app

Addons

Termux:API — Access Android and Chrome hardware features.

Termux:Boot — Run script(s) when your device boots.

Termux:Float — Run Termux in a floating window.

Termux:Styling — Have color schemes and powerline-ready fonts to customize the appearance of the Termux terminal.

Termux:Tasker — An easy way to call Termux executables from Tasker and compatible apps.

Termux:Widget — Start small scriptlets from the home screen.

Details: https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Main_Page

What can I do with Termux?

• Data processing with Python.
• Programming in a development environment.
• Downloading and managing files and pages using time-established tools.
• Learning the basics of the Linux command line environment.
• Running an SSH client.
• Synchronizing and backing up your files.

Is root required?

Termux does not usually require the device to be rooted. It’s primarily targeted at non-root users.

You may want to root your device to:

• Modify a device’s firmware.
• Manipulate the parameters of the operating system or kernel.
• Non-interactively install/uninstall APKs.
• Have full R/W access to all file systems on the device.
• Have direct access to hardware devices such as BT/Wi-Fi modules or serial lines (e.g., to access modem).
• Install a Linux distribution on top of Android through chroot (not proot!) or containerization.
• Generally, you have “full” control over your device.

Otherwise, the root isn’t necessary and is rather bad than good.

Details: https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Getting_started