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Termux: Linux applications on Android

Posted by Roy Schestowitz on Jul 13, 2023

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Termux is an Android app that provides a Linux environment and terminal emulator for such devices. Most command-line software can be used quite easily with Termux, and GUI software can be run by installing a few extra apps. It is an excellent option for Android users who want to run Linux software occasionally on a device more portable than a laptop but do not want to use a dedicated Linux phone due to the cost or limitations of such devices.

The Android operating system runs on the Linux kernel, but it cannot run most desktop Linux software on its own because its user space is almost entirely different. One of the most important differences is the absence of the GNU C library (glibc); Android uses Google's custom Bionic C library implementation, released under the three-clause BSD license, instead. Android's filesystem layout is also different from that of a typical Linux system, necessitating adaptations to run standard Linux software.

Because of these differences, software generally must be compiled specifically for Termux. The app's developers maintain repositories containing rebuilds of widely-used command-line Linux software, as well as many GUI programs.

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