Don't even get me started on MacOS archive bits. At least the DS_store files are only annoying and don't break functionality when using the drive on other devices 😑
This doesn't look like another alpine vm. But maybe I misread the install script. I see it uses apt so some sort of Debian base? If so, no root, GPU accelerated, not virtualized, Linux on Android is quite the accomplishment.
Just to put it out here. Termux has proot-distro that allows you to run qite a few distros as containers. Technically not a VM afaik. I find it useful, because it is sometimes simpler to wipe that instead of reinstalling Termux.
You never needed a VM to run Linux apps on Android. Android can run Linux apps because it is already a Linux operating system. This is like referring to a docker container as "running Linux on Debian" or whatever.
Linux, the kernel, is the thing that containers run on top of. The container does not actually contain an instance of Linux, it shares it with the host.
we really need a user friendly gui app tgat can finish tge whole setup into a linux environment quickly and easily. think of it like carlimaries installer for linux on Android
This, apart from the home assistant use, may be a great solution for an all in one klipper setup for 3d printers (I currently use a RasPi, and a tablet as a touchscreen), or installed inside a chunky keyboard, paired with one of these USB C all in one hubs as a PC in a keyboard build,. Neat.
What I ask myself here is why I should have unused phones lying around in the first place?
If I somehow think constantly wasting money on a new model just because there is a new number written on its packaging is worth it, I would not actually think in terms of reusing old hardware.
If I am however thinking about using hardware instead of just throwing it away while still functional why wouldn't I use a phone as anyone else as a phone?
Could be a number of things. Battery life has significantly decreased. Can't run recent Android versions, no longer getting security updates, or even software not running because the Android version is no longer supported. I've had 3 phones in the last 15 years or so (still on the 3rd) and I still have the other two and they run, but not for long without being plugged in.
There isn't only one reason for that to happen. I have two old smartphones around. Both are no longer usable with any worthwhile mobile service in Canada. The first (and oldest - originally mine before becoming a hand-me-down to a relative) went out of use after the elderly person who was using it had it active for a year or two but then stopped bothering with it due to his illness keeping him at home and preference for larger screens in general. The other I'd still be using (still use it for some things!) if I could. I have always used my computers, phones, etc. as long as I could get away with but for #2, I had to get a newer (but used) phone to keep service after the end of 3G in Canada. The new phone is definitely nicer in some ways but I wouldn't have changed phones if I had a choice. 🤷🏾♀️
Well you answered your own question, you should not have unused phones lying around because you use them till they die, good.
Now if for any other reason you end up with unused phones that nobody else wants to use here is something you can do with them!
This is my case, I get phones handed down to me, if it's any better than anything I use I migrate to it and keep the old one in case something happens to the new one.
I still have my previous phone... S5 that I used for seven years until it couldn't get updates and I "needed" some apps that wouldn't run on the old android version (I don't remember what they were at this point or if there was a way around it).
It's been sitting on my desk for the past 5 years waiting for a purpose. The battery is shot but it still "works". Maybe this is that purpose because I was specifically looking for something like this a few months back ...because I thought it would be funny to have that phone as a server.
Just an FYI, changing a battery in a phone with a glued back cover is fairly trivial. A hair dryer Is usually enough, tons of youtube tutorials, and you can get plastic back covers to replace the shitty glass ones from aliexpress for peanuts
This one is old enough that the back is easily removable and battery easily replaceable. I went through three in it's life of daily usage. It was the lack of updates that made it unusable day to day. It was crazy "slow" too but a factory reset helped a lot.
I popped fdroid on it yesterday but there was no version of termux there that will run on Android 5.0.1.
I found another terminal emulator that seems to work. Don't recall the name offhand but I'd never heard of it.
...fdroid wasn't trivial because the phone has certs so old that it couldn't communicate with the repos until I manually downloaded and installed a newer cert.
39 Comments
mEEGal@lemmy.world · 50 pts · 116d
Very cool ! Finally something to do with my old phones lying around
(but who commits their .DS_Store file tho ? 🙈)
NotAnArdvark@lemmy.ca · 30 pts · 116d
I'm convinced Mac users just become blind to the file. I see it all over repos at work.
Liketearsinrain@lemmy.ml · 22 pts · 116d
Anivia@feddit.org · 3 pts · 115d
Don't even get me started on MacOS archive bits. At least the DS_store files are only annoying and don't break functionality when using the drive on other devices 😑
DisgruntledGorillaGang@reddthat.com · 11 pts · 116d
Over the last 15 years, I went from Mac, to Windows, to Linux. I'm still finding old .DS_Store files and deleting them.
pastermil@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 116d
Because adding to the .gitignore would threaten their existence.
yogthos@lemmy.ml · 11 pts · 116d
rookie mistake 🤣
Sunny@slrpnk.net · 5 pts · 115d
Never used mac before, whats this. DS_Store file for?
trk@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 115d
Nintendogs save file I think
Sunny@slrpnk.net · 5 pts · 115d
Ah yeah of course 😅
mecen@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 116d
There is also "local desktop" app which automates most of steps to make system.
https://localdesktop.github.io/
dessalines@lemmy.ml · 19 pts · 116d
Incredible things are happening with termux.
RedMari@reddthat.com · 15 pts · 116d
Are phones with 3gb of ram considered "old" already?
non_burglar@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 116d
We've had octo-core CPUs in phones for 13 years....
InnerScientist@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 116d
Yes
elucubra@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 115d
My 5 year old Xiaomi has 8G
Anivia@feddit.org · 2 pts · 115d
We have had android phones with 6gb ram since 2016, which was 10 years ago. 3gb is absolutely ancient when it comes to android phones
hexagonwin@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 116d
sadly yeah. mine still has 2gb.. lolz
WhiteOakBayou@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 116d
This doesn't look like another alpine vm. But maybe I misread the install script. I see it uses apt so some sort of Debian base? If so, no root, GPU accelerated, not virtualized, Linux on Android is quite the accomplishment.
pelya@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 116d
It's an installer for Termux packages. You can do the same thing manually in Termux shell, if you know the names of packages you are installing.
And yes, Termux uses Debian apt package manager.
WhiteOakBayou@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 116d
Thanks, that was definitely the missing piece in my understanding.
T4V0@lemmy.pt · 2 pts · 116d
Though they recommend to use their pkg wrapper instead right?
TruePe4rl@lemmy.ml · 10 pts · 116d
Just to put it out here. Termux has
proot-distrothat allows you to run qite a few distros as containers. Technically not a VM afaik. I find it useful, because it is sometimes simpler to wipe that instead of reinstalling Termux.beyond@linkage.ds8.zone · 7 pts · 116d
You never needed a VM to run Linux apps on Android. Android can run Linux apps because it is already a Linux operating system. This is like referring to a docker container as "running Linux on Debian" or whatever.
umbrella@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 116d
beyond@linkage.ds8.zone · 1 pts · 115d
If by Linux you mean "literally everything except Linux" though, then sure. But I prefer to say what I mean and mean what I say
umbrella@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 115d
beyond@linkage.ds8.zone · 1 pts · 115d
Linux, the kernel, is the thing that containers run on top of. The container does not actually contain an instance of Linux, it shares it with the host.
umbrella@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 115d
fard@lemmy.ml · 8 pts · 116d
Is it possible to have a no-graphical session ? Boot on tmux directly for example ? That's could be great!
yogthos@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 116d
I would imagine so.
Ascend910@lemmy.ml · 6 pts · 115d
we really need a user friendly gui app tgat can finish tge whole setup into a linux environment quickly and easily. think of it like carlimaries installer for linux on Android
elucubra@sopuli.xyz · 4 pts · 115d
This, apart from the home assistant use, may be a great solution for an all in one klipper setup for 3d printers (I currently use a RasPi, and a tablet as a touchscreen), or installed inside a chunky keyboard, paired with one of these USB C all in one hubs as a PC in a keyboard build,. Neat.
ICastFist@programming.dev · 2 pts · 115d
Any way to hook old phones to an external screen without wifi? Because that'd make this even better
herseycokguzelolacak@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 116d
Is Termux an operating system by itself?
yogthos@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 116d
It's not, it is a terminal emulator application for Android that creates a Linux-like environment.
Ooops@feddit.org · 0 pts · 116d
What I ask myself here is why I should have unused phones lying around in the first place?
If I somehow think constantly wasting money on a new model just because there is a new number written on its packaging is worth it, I would not actually think in terms of reusing old hardware.
If I am however thinking about using hardware instead of just throwing it away while still functional why wouldn't I use a phone as anyone else as a phone?
Dultas@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 116d
Could be a number of things. Battery life has significantly decreased. Can't run recent Android versions, no longer getting security updates, or even software not running because the Android version is no longer supported. I've had 3 phones in the last 15 years or so (still on the 3rd) and I still have the other two and they run, but not for long without being plugged in.
LostWon@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 116d
There isn't only one reason for that to happen. I have two old smartphones around. Both are no longer usable with any worthwhile mobile service in Canada. The first (and oldest - originally mine before becoming a hand-me-down to a relative) went out of use after the elderly person who was using it had it active for a year or two but then stopped bothering with it due to his illness keeping him at home and preference for larger screens in general. The other I'd still be using (still use it for some things!) if I could. I have always used my computers, phones, etc. as long as I could get away with but for #2, I had to get a newer (but used) phone to keep service after the end of 3G in Canada. The new phone is definitely nicer in some ways but I wouldn't have changed phones if I had a choice. 🤷🏾♀️
umbrella@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 116d
sakuraba@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 116d
Well you answered your own question, you should not have unused phones lying around because you use them till they die, good.
Now if for any other reason you end up with unused phones that nobody else wants to use here is something you can do with them!
This is my case, I get phones handed down to me, if it's any better than anything I use I migrate to it and keep the old one in case something happens to the new one.
clif@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 115d
I still have my previous phone... S5 that I used for seven years until it couldn't get updates and I "needed" some apps that wouldn't run on the old android version (I don't remember what they were at this point or if there was a way around it).
It's been sitting on my desk for the past 5 years waiting for a purpose. The battery is shot but it still "works". Maybe this is that purpose because I was specifically looking for something like this a few months back ...because I thought it would be funny to have that phone as a server.
elucubra@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 115d
Just an FYI, changing a battery in a phone with a glued back cover is fairly trivial. A hair dryer Is usually enough, tons of youtube tutorials, and you can get plastic back covers to replace the shitty glass ones from aliexpress for peanuts
clif@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 113d
This one is old enough that the back is easily removable and battery easily replaceable. I went through three in it's life of daily usage. It was the lack of updates that made it unusable day to day. It was crazy "slow" too but a factory reset helped a lot.
I popped fdroid on it yesterday but there was no version of termux there that will run on Android 5.0.1.
I found another terminal emulator that seems to work. Don't recall the name offhand but I'd never heard of it.
...fdroid wasn't trivial because the phone has certs so old that it couldn't communicate with the repos until I manually downloaded and installed a newer cert.