5 ms·

> But it's really exciting to be able to `ls` and `cd` and `ssh` on a phone Can't you do that on any other Android phone with terminal software installed?

by ebg13 7y ago

traverseda 7y ago
Barely, although termux makes it a lot more reasonable. It's more a package management issue.
- icebraining 7y ago
  You can run a full GNU/Linux distro, and apt-get install most stuff: https://f-droid.org/packages/tech.ula/ https://f-droid.org/packages/tech.ula/
  - pjmlp 7y ago
    If one roots the device. Modern Android has been locking down access to everything that isn't an NDK public API.
    - icebraining 7y ago
      Nope, no root required.
      - pjmlp 7y ago
        So how does it work around the missing APIs not described here? https://developer.android.com/ndk/guides/stable_apis https://developer.android.com/ndk/guides/stable_apis Given the changes started with Android 7 to block access to everything else? In fact, https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Differences_from_Linux https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Differences_from_Linux
        deleted 7y ago
        [deleted]
        Mathnerd314 7y ago
        It runs stuff in a container (PRoot) with standard Linux libraries and FHS layout, then you ssh or VNC in locally. The emulation isn't perfect due to Android's security policies, but close enough.
        pjmlp 7y ago
        Standard Android does not support chroot, nor standard Linux libraries, hence why termux needs to patch them.
      - imtringued 7y ago
        Try installing OpenJDK without root.
- mike-cardwell 7y ago
  I installed Debian in a chroot on my HTC Desire Z in 2011, and proceeded to apt-get install exim on it to tinker.
- gallexme 7y ago
  Theres also https://github.com/t184256/nix-on-droid-bootstrap https://github.com/t184256/nix-on-droid-bootstrap on fdroid for a good package manager
- 0x38B 7y ago
  I can share to Termux from the YouTube app on my Pixel and download an entire playlist to my music folder - Ffmpeg handles any audio. It's quicker than any of the YouTube downloader apps I've tried! How it works: in ~/bin there's a termux-url-opener script that handles what you share: "#!/bin/bash case "$1" in *youtu*) echo "$1 is a YouTube URL, downloading" sh ~/shortcuts/dl_yt.sh $1 ..." (dl_yt just calls youtube-dl -x) I love it and am still finding new uses for Termux. I've got neovim and all my dotfiles loaded, so in a pinch I can ssh into my phone to do some work.
  - chronogram 7y ago
    Would it not be nicer to save a whole lot on bandwidth by using "youtube-dl -f bestaudio[ext=m4a]" instead of "youtube-dl -x"?
    - 0x38B 7y ago
      Good point! My command line looks like this: youtube-dl -f bestaudio -x --no-progress -o "~/storage/music/YouTube/%(title)s.%(ext)s" "$1" This generally gives me .opus files, which play OK but my player can't change the tags.
  - Ycros 7y ago
    Ah, nice to see I'm not the only one running youtube-dl on a phone via Termux.
amelius 7y ago
Not without the risk that the phone vendor, Google (or some Android hacker) is looking over your shoulder.
- aeturnum 7y ago
  I mean, I like Purism, but that risks still exists with this phone. With any phone. The promise not to snoop is central to their business model and I have no reason to believe they would snoop, but certainly the capability is there.
  - beatgammit 7y ago
    Since everything is open, you could probably run your own builds and use your own update server. Or you can use their code as a starting point and port whatever Linux distribution you want to it, which is a lot easier than a locked down Android or iOS device. And since it's so easy to replace everything, they need to maintain the community's trust since everything is in the open. The best part is that I don't really need to trust Purism, I can choose to trust the community instead to whistleblow if Purism breaks the community's trust. Their target demographic is exactly the type that will be watching over their shoulder to make sure nothing fishy is going on.
  - amelius 7y ago
    As always, it boils down to trust. Which phone would you trust more for ssh-ing into your office computer? An Android phone filled with adware, which you don't even completely own? Or a phone that was designed for privacy and for which all important components are open source / open hardware?
    - ta0987 7y ago
      Office computer? Definitely Android. Google is like a feudal lord. In exchange for owning you, they'll protect you from everyone weaker than they are. Google doesn't want to break into your office computer as long as they can shovel ads down your throat. And their reputation for security is much higher than a small startup regardless of the startup's competence and intentions. See e.g. Project Zero or Chrome vulnerabilities vs Firefox.
black_puppydog 7y ago
not properly. android is about as full-blown a linux environment as that plastic router on which your ISP left the telnet open.
Mathnerd314 7y ago
Android has a tiny BusyBox clone (ToyBox IIRC) in the default installation that can be accessed over USB with the right commands. It isn't particularly useful for anything besides poking around, and definitely doesn't support SSH, but it does do ls and cd.

> But it's really exciting to be able to `ls` and `cd` and `ssh` on a phone Can't you do that on any other Android phone with terminal software installed?

by ebg13 7y ago

> But it's really exciting to be able to `ls` and `cd` and `ssh` on a phone Can't you do that on any other Android phone with terminal software installed?

traverseda 7y ago

Barely, although termux makes it a lot more reasonable. It's more a package management issue.

icebraining 7y ago
You can run a full GNU/Linux distro, and apt-get install most stuff: https://f-droid.org/packages/tech.ula/ https://f-droid.org/packages/tech.ula/
- pjmlp 7y ago
  If one roots the device. Modern Android has been locking down access to everything that isn't an NDK public API.
  - icebraining 7y ago
    Nope, no root required.
    - pjmlp 7y ago
      So how does it work around the missing APIs not described here? https://developer.android.com/ndk/guides/stable_apis https://developer.android.com/ndk/guides/stable_apis Given the changes started with Android 7 to block access to everything else? In fact, https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Differences_from_Linux https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Differences_from_Linux
      - deleted 7y ago
        [deleted]
      - Mathnerd314 7y ago
        It runs stuff in a container (PRoot) with standard Linux libraries and FHS layout, then you ssh or VNC in locally. The emulation isn't perfect due to Android's security policies, but close enough.
        pjmlp 7y ago
        Standard Android does not support chroot, nor standard Linux libraries, hence why termux needs to patch them.
    - imtringued 7y ago
      Try installing OpenJDK without root.
mike-cardwell 7y ago
I installed Debian in a chroot on my HTC Desire Z in 2011, and proceeded to apt-get install exim on it to tinker.
gallexme 7y ago
Theres also https://github.com/t184256/nix-on-droid-bootstrap https://github.com/t184256/nix-on-droid-bootstrap on fdroid for a good package manager
0x38B 7y ago
I can share to Termux from the YouTube app on my Pixel and download an entire playlist to my music folder - Ffmpeg handles any audio. It's quicker than any of the YouTube downloader apps I've tried! How it works: in ~/bin there's a termux-url-opener script that handles what you share: "#!/bin/bash case "$1" in *youtu*) echo "$1 is a YouTube URL, downloading" sh ~/shortcuts/dl_yt.sh $1 ..." (dl_yt just calls youtube-dl -x) I love it and am still finding new uses for Termux. I've got neovim and all my dotfiles loaded, so in a pinch I can ssh into my phone to do some work.
- chronogram 7y ago
  Would it not be nicer to save a whole lot on bandwidth by using "youtube-dl -f bestaudio[ext=m4a]" instead of "youtube-dl -x"?
  - 0x38B 7y ago
    Good point! My command line looks like this: youtube-dl -f bestaudio -x --no-progress -o "~/storage/music/YouTube/%(title)s.%(ext)s" "$1" This generally gives me .opus files, which play OK but my player can't change the tags.
- Ycros 7y ago
  Ah, nice to see I'm not the only one running youtube-dl on a phone via Termux.

amelius 7y ago

Not without the risk that the phone vendor, Google (or some Android hacker) is looking over your shoulder.

aeturnum 7y ago
I mean, I like Purism, but that risks still exists with this phone. With any phone. The promise not to snoop is central to their business model and I have no reason to believe they would snoop, but certainly the capability is there.
- beatgammit 7y ago
  Since everything is open, you could probably run your own builds and use your own update server. Or you can use their code as a starting point and port whatever Linux distribution you want to it, which is a lot easier than a locked down Android or iOS device. And since it's so easy to replace everything, they need to maintain the community's trust since everything is in the open. The best part is that I don't really need to trust Purism, I can choose to trust the community instead to whistleblow if Purism breaks the community's trust. Their target demographic is exactly the type that will be watching over their shoulder to make sure nothing fishy is going on.
- amelius 7y ago
  As always, it boils down to trust. Which phone would you trust more for ssh-ing into your office computer? An Android phone filled with adware, which you don't even completely own? Or a phone that was designed for privacy and for which all important components are open source / open hardware?
  - ta0987 7y ago
    Office computer? Definitely Android. Google is like a feudal lord. In exchange for owning you, they'll protect you from everyone weaker than they are. Google doesn't want to break into your office computer as long as they can shovel ads down your throat. And their reputation for security is much higher than a small startup regardless of the startup's competence and intentions. See e.g. Project Zero or Chrome vulnerabilities vs Firefox.

black_puppydog 7y ago

not properly. android is about as full-blown a linux environment as that plastic router on which your ISP left the telnet open.

Mathnerd314 7y ago

Android has a tiny BusyBox clone (ToyBox IIRC) in the default installation that can be accessed over USB with the right commands. It isn't particularly useful for anything besides poking around, and definitely doesn't support SSH, but it does do ls and cd.