Introduction

Termux is an Android terminal emulator and Linux environment app that works directly with no rooting or setup required. A minimal base system is installed automatically – additional packages are available using the APT package manager.

Termux enables you to access the Linux command line and run various tools and utilities on your phone without compromising its security or performance. You can enjoy the bash and zsh shells, edit files with nano and vim, access servers over ssh, compile code with gcc and clang, use the python console as a pocket calculator, and much more.

Termux is not just a terminal emulator, but also a powerful Linux development environment that allows you to install and use many common software packages from GNU/Linux distributions. You can also develop your own projects with CMake and pkg-config, or use languages like Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go, Rust, etc.

Termux is an open source project that is maintained by a community of developers and users. You can contribute to the project by reporting issues, submitting patches, writing documentation, or donating to support its development.

Requirements

Before you start using Termux, you need to make sure that your device meets the following requirements:

  • Android version: The minimum Android version required for Termux to work properly is Android 7.0 (Nougat) or higher. This is because Termux uses features that are not available in older versions of Android. Using a newer version of Android also ensures better performance and compatibility.
  • Permissions: During installation and running of Termux, certain permissions are required for proper functioning of the app. The permissions may vary depending on the version of Termux installed, but they basically include storage and network. Storage access is required in order to read and write files in the Termux home directory (/data/data/com.termux/files/home) and the prefix directory (/data/data/com.termux/files/usr), where all the packages are installed. Network access is required in order to download packages and updates from the Termux repositories and to access remote servers via ssh or other protocols.

Download and Installation

Termux can be downloaded from F-Droid or GitHub either through the GitHub Releases or GitHub Build action workflows. This article will provide the steps on how to download the app from F-Droid, install and configure it on your device.

  1. Go to F-Droid and search for Termux or click here to go directly to the app page.
  2. Tap on Download APK button and wait for the download to complete.
  3. Once downloaded, tap on the APK file to install it on your device. You may need to enable Unknown sources option in your device settings if you haven’t done so before.
  4. After installation, open Termux app from your app drawer or home screen. You will see a black screen with a white cursor indicating that Termux is ready for input.
  5. The first thing you need to do is to update Termux to the latest version. To do this, enter the following command in the terminal:
    apt update && apt upgrade
    This will update the package lists and upgrade any outdated packages. You may need to accept some prompts during the process