why i love termux
I’ve been using Termux for around 2 years now.
I don’t even remember why I started using it, but I never really stopped.
What it is
It’s basically a terminal on your Android.
That sounds a bit weird at first, and honestly it kinda is. Typing commands on a touchscreen isn’t really the most natural thing.
But once you get used to it, it starts making more sense.
Compared to normal Android
On a normal Android phone, you don’t really get anything like this, unless you count the newer terminal app that comes with newer versions.
You’re mostly just using GUI apps, and whatever those apps let you do. If something isn’t built into an app, you usually just can’t do it. Termux feels very different. It’s quite literally an emulated Linux environment on your phone. You can install things, run commands, and just do stuff directly instead of going through menus all the time.
After a while, normal apps start to feel a bit limiting.
Why I like it
It just feels like it gives you a lot of freedom for something that’s running on a phone.
You can actually do real things with it, not just mess around. Installing tools, manipulating files with Nano, running small programs, you know. That makes it feel a lot more useful.
I’ve also messed around with things like Kali NetHunter and using PRoot-Distro to run stuff like Arch Linux inside it, which still feels kind of cool to me.
It’s not something I use all the time, but the fact that you can do that on a phone is really cool.
What’s different about it
There’s basically no UI to get in your way.
It’s just commands, and maybe a virtual keyboard if you don’t have an external one. And that might sound like a downside, but it actually makes things feel simpler in a weird way.
It doesn’t try to instruct you or restrict you, it just gives you a place to do things however you want.
Downsides
It’s definitely not user-friendly.
Getting things set up can be a bit annoying, and sometimes stuff just doesn’t work the way you expect it to.
Typing on a phone is also not great, unless you’re great with phone keyboards. (I’m not, I constantly make typos when I try typing too fast.) Especially for longer commands.
And yeah, it’s not really for everyone. If you’re not used to Linux terminals, it’s probably going to feel confusing more than anything else.
Takeaway
I actually use Termux quite a bit, and not just for messing around.
It’s surprisingly practical once you get used to it, especially for small things you don’t want to switch to a computer for.
I still wouldn’t say it replaces a proper setup, because that’s not what it’s meant for. Though it is good enough for a lot more than you’d expect.
I think that’s why I’ve stuck with it for so long. It’s useful, but also just nice to have around.
Thanks for reading :)