5 ms·

Running Emacs on Android

79 points by greenonion 10y ago

avivo 10y ago
I just installed "Termux" and "Hacker’s keyboard," ran `apt upgrade`, `apt install emacs`, and ran `emacs` — everything worked flawlessly. Unlike the OP though, I barely touched the on screen keyboard for all of this — I just used android voice input, even for the terminal commands and `enter` command. I literally said "apt install emacs enter" out loud and it just worked! Voice recognition has come a long way.
- enzanki_ars 10y ago
  I love `Termux`, but I never thought of using voice commands. I'll have to try that...
- kinleyd 10y ago
  Am I glad I didn't miss this post! I've been looking for a usable emacs setup on Android for a long time. Termux just worked out of the box.
- malabarba 10y ago
  Yes, after I published that post Fredrick patch the Emacs package on Termux so it wouldn't need those workarounds. I've updated the post accordingly. Sadly (maybe it's my pronunciation), but voice typing isn't that perfect for me. It works alright for regular sentences, but it refuses to understands things that are not plain english (like apt).
melling 10y ago
Now we need a gesture keyboard so we can type, or twitch, instead of using an onscreen keyboard. Finger IO: http://fingerio.cs.washington.edu http://fingerio.cs.washington.edu Google's Soli: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QNiZfSsPc0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QNiZfSsPc0 Perhaps a modified game controller: http://www.amazon.com/iGrip-Ergonomic-Keyboard-by-AlphaGrip/dp/B000O8AOO0 http://www.amazon.com/iGrip-Ergonomic-Keyboard-by-AlphaGrip/...
- agumonkey 10y ago
  I've seen people being proficient under complex GUIs (final fantasy) with game pads. I'd love to lisp on a paddle.
DigitalJack 10y ago
Emacs is my main editor, but it seems to me vim is far better suited to the limited interface of a phone. There is always evil mode I suppose.
- vpkaihla 10y ago
  Would spacemacs work on Android?
  - fsiefken 10y ago
    In the Termux google group somebody reported an issue with it. I run spacemacs on android with Linux Deploy, Debian and a good ssh client.
desipenguin 10y ago
It is fine to install emacs on an android device, but I can't imagine doing any "keyboard" intensive work on a tiny screen. I've, in past, installed Vim-touch, just for the sake of it. But I almost NEVER used it (beyond first few minutes to make sure "it works")
- arm 10y ago
  This is absolutely perfect for my use case though (running Remix OS¹ on a Remix Mini²). ―――――― ¹ — http://www.jide.com/remixos http://www.jide.com/remixos ² — http://www.jide.com/mini http://www.jide.com/mini
  - fsiefken 10y ago
    Hi Arm, that's a great combination. You might also want to check Linux Deploy to mount a full linux distro (and ssh or vnc into) running with the Android kernel.
- rwmj 10y ago
  External bluetooth keyboard makes it bearable. Keyboards vary to the extent that they are emacs friendly (how many Super-Meta-Alt keys do they have?) but I find this Logitech one just about usable for programming: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Device-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Smartphone/dp/B00NB2NZ92 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Device-Bluetooth-Keyboard-S... (In case it's not clear, the keyboard is huge, as large as a laptop keyboard, so once you start down this road you lose portability).
  - desipenguin 10y ago
    Once you lose portability, why not just use "real" computer ;) (I mean laptop) Entering text of smallish screen is only meant for small amount of text (a tiny note etc.)
    - rwmj 10y ago
      I'm not going to disagree with you :-) However I do also have a sort of compromise, which is my Nexus 9 with the folio keyboard. It folds up into something similar to the size and weight of a paperback book. It's not-so-bad for ssh (I wouldn't really want to program with it), one thing missing would be good key mappings to deal with my odd choice of 'screen' settings. Photo here: https://rwmj.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/nexus-9-ssh-on-the-go/#content https://rwmj.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/nexus-9-ssh-on-the-go/...
mark_l_watson 10y ago
Very cool, I am going to try this when I get home! (I am in Asia on business and I don't want to risk bricking my phone while on the road.) With the Java IDE for Android, a remote keyboard and external display would make for a full on computer.
- desipenguin 10y ago
  Ahh, This I can understand (using Android remotely with "full sized" keyboard/display) (See my previous comment about entering text of smallish screen)
muthdra 10y ago
Termux is powerful. I installed nodejs, ran qici engine out of the box and played with it for a while just to see how far I could get. It worked but the touchscreen is unbearable. It was fun to see it working, though. I also did a little bit of coding with a physical keyboard and an USB-OTG cable for a Lumines clone in Go. It was playable but my phone got stolen and I lost all the source code. By the way, I did all of that on an ancient Moto G 2014.
ferdinandvwyk 10y ago
In conclusion, use Vim instead. ;)
mickael-kerjean 10y ago
That's a small step for man, giant step for emacs kind!!! Never really like any other editor and was waiting for that day to come since years!!!

79 points by greenonion 10y ago

avivo 10y ago

I just installed "Termux" and "Hacker’s keyboard," ran `apt upgrade`, `apt install emacs`, and ran `emacs` — everything worked flawlessly. Unlike the OP though, I barely touched the on screen keyboard for all of this — I just used android voice input, even for the terminal commands and `enter` command. I literally said "apt install emacs enter" out loud and it just worked! Voice recognition has come a long way.

enzanki_ars 10y ago
I love `Termux`, but I never thought of using voice commands. I'll have to try that...
kinleyd 10y ago
Am I glad I didn't miss this post! I've been looking for a usable emacs setup on Android for a long time. Termux just worked out of the box.
malabarba 10y ago
Yes, after I published that post Fredrick patch the Emacs package on Termux so it wouldn't need those workarounds. I've updated the post accordingly. Sadly (maybe it's my pronunciation), but voice typing isn't that perfect for me. It works alright for regular sentences, but it refuses to understands things that are not plain english (like apt).

melling 10y ago

Now we need a gesture keyboard so we can type, or twitch, instead of using an onscreen keyboard. Finger IO: http://fingerio.cs.washington.edu http://fingerio.cs.washington.edu Google's Soli: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QNiZfSsPc0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QNiZfSsPc0 Perhaps a modified game controller: http://www.amazon.com/iGrip-Ergonomic-Keyboard-by-AlphaGrip/dp/B000O8AOO0 http://www.amazon.com/iGrip-Ergonomic-Keyboard-by-AlphaGrip/...

agumonkey 10y ago
I've seen people being proficient under complex GUIs (final fantasy) with game pads. I'd love to lisp on a paddle.

DigitalJack 10y ago

Emacs is my main editor, but it seems to me vim is far better suited to the limited interface of a phone. There is always evil mode I suppose.

vpkaihla 10y ago
Would spacemacs work on Android?
- fsiefken 10y ago
  In the Termux google group somebody reported an issue with it. I run spacemacs on android with Linux Deploy, Debian and a good ssh client.

desipenguin 10y ago

It is fine to install emacs on an android device, but I can't imagine doing any "keyboard" intensive work on a tiny screen. I've, in past, installed Vim-touch, just for the sake of it. But I almost NEVER used it (beyond first few minutes to make sure "it works")

arm 10y ago
This is absolutely perfect for my use case though (running Remix OS¹ on a Remix Mini²). ―――――― ¹ — http://www.jide.com/remixos http://www.jide.com/remixos ² — http://www.jide.com/mini http://www.jide.com/mini
- fsiefken 10y ago
  Hi Arm, that's a great combination. You might also want to check Linux Deploy to mount a full linux distro (and ssh or vnc into) running with the Android kernel.
rwmj 10y ago
External bluetooth keyboard makes it bearable. Keyboards vary to the extent that they are emacs friendly (how many Super-Meta-Alt keys do they have?) but I find this Logitech one just about usable for programming: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Device-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Smartphone/dp/B00NB2NZ92 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Device-Bluetooth-Keyboard-S... (In case it's not clear, the keyboard is huge, as large as a laptop keyboard, so once you start down this road you lose portability).
- desipenguin 10y ago
  Once you lose portability, why not just use "real" computer ;) (I mean laptop) Entering text of smallish screen is only meant for small amount of text (a tiny note etc.)
  - rwmj 10y ago
    I'm not going to disagree with you :-) However I do also have a sort of compromise, which is my Nexus 9 with the folio keyboard. It folds up into something similar to the size and weight of a paperback book. It's not-so-bad for ssh (I wouldn't really want to program with it), one thing missing would be good key mappings to deal with my odd choice of 'screen' settings. Photo here: https://rwmj.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/nexus-9-ssh-on-the-go/#content https://rwmj.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/nexus-9-ssh-on-the-go/...

mark_l_watson 10y ago

Very cool, I am going to try this when I get home! (I am in Asia on business and I don't want to risk bricking my phone while on the road.) With the Java IDE for Android, a remote keyboard and external display would make for a full on computer.

desipenguin 10y ago
Ahh, This I can understand (using Android remotely with "full sized" keyboard/display) (See my previous comment about entering text of smallish screen)

muthdra 10y ago

Termux is powerful. I installed nodejs, ran qici engine out of the box and played with it for a while just to see how far I could get. It worked but the touchscreen is unbearable. It was fun to see it working, though. I also did a little bit of coding with a physical keyboard and an USB-OTG cable for a Lumines clone in Go. It was playable but my phone got stolen and I lost all the source code. By the way, I did all of that on an ancient Moto G 2014.

ferdinandvwyk 10y ago

In conclusion, use Vim instead. ;)

mickael-kerjean 10y ago

That's a small step for man, giant step for emacs kind!!! Never really like any other editor and was waiting for that day to come since years!!!