Everything You Need to Know About Termux (Simple Guide)

Did you know that you can use Linux tools and packages on an Android device? If you don’t know, then let me tell you that yes, you can use Linux tools and packages on your Android device with the help of the Termux application.

In this blog post, I will explain to you what Termux is, some of its key features, and what you can do with it. I will explain these in a simple way so that you can easily understand Termux and use it efficiently.

What is Termux

Termux is a free and open-source terminal Android application that can run Linux tools and packages. Termux is capable of unlocking the full potential of Android devices through its massive collection of Linux tools and packages that you can directly use on your Android device, just like you did in Linux terminals.

Termux is a free-to-use application that doesn’t need root access to run a Linux environment on your Android device. It can transfer your Android device to a mini portable Linux machine that will be ready to use anywhere at anytime.

Key Features of Termux

Termux has many key features that make it a powerful application for Android devices. Some of its important key features are mentioned below:

• Package Management: Termux uses the APT package manager, the same one used by Debian and Ubuntu, which is a powerful package manager for installing and managing packages. 
• Shell Access: Termux provides Linux shells on Android devices, where you can run all types of Linux shells, like bash, zsh, or fish, for scripting and customizing.
• Development: In Termux, you can install compilers and interpreters for programming languages like Python, Ruby, Node.JS, and more. 
• Text Editing: Nano and Vim are some popular Linux text editors that you can also use on your Android device with the help of Termux to edit, code, and configure files.
• Networking Tools: Termux has a huge collection of networking tools. Some of the popular ones that you can use in Termux are curl, wget, nmap, and ping.
• Customization: You can fully customize the Termux terminal interface by installing different types of themes, fonts, and banners.

These are some of its key features, but Termux is a multipurpose application that has more features and capabilities, which you can discover by using and practicing Termux frequently.

What can you do with Termux

Termux provides a Linux environment on Android devices where you can do almost all Linux work. It gives a platform for learning Linux, coding, ethical hacking, and more. Here I have mentioned some important things that you can do with Termux.

• Learning: Termux is good for learning Linux commands, shell scripting, and new things. You can practice coding and gain knowledge about the Linux environment.
• Programming: You can easily install programming languages like Python. Javascript, Ruby, and more, along with their compilers and interpreters, allow you to easily create, run, and develop programs on your Android device with Termux.
• Test Network Security: Termux has multiple tools and packages to test network security. Tools like Nmap, Metasploit, Hydra, and John are some popular tools that you can use in Termux to scan, test, and monitor network security.
• Computer Tasks: You can do many computer-related tasks on your Android device with the help of Termux, like programming, scripting, remote access, server management, and more.
• Use Linux Tools: You can install and use almost all Linux tools with PKG package manager.
• File Editing: Nano is a simple text editor that comes with Termux, and you can use it to edit and configure files in a simple and easy way.
• Create Tools: As it supports popular programing languages and interpreter, you can create your own tools and script.
• Cybersecurity: You can use Termux for learning cybersecurity. It will also teach you how hackers operate and how to protect yourself from them.

Basically, Termux will be the best platform for Android users who want to learn Linux and want to use Linux tools and packages on their mobile phone. It will help to learn Linux, coding, and protecting yourself from hackers, and you will be able to understand the concepts of cybersecurity, ethical hacking, and Linux.

How to install and use Termux

Firs of all you need to download and install Termux latest version app from official sources like GitHub or F-droid, not from Google Play Store because the version that is available on the Play Store is outdated and no longer receives any further updates because of some Play Store policies.

Here are the steps to download and install the latest version of Termux from trusted sources:

• Download and install the latest version of Termux from F-droid or from GitHub.
• After download and installation, open it. 
• Now type the first command to update and upgrade Termux inbuilt packages.

apt update && apt upgrade -y

Now you are ready to use Termux.

Install Packages

You can install any packages like Git, Python and more just by typing pkg install command, for example:

pkg install python

This command will install python on your Termux and can install any specific package by typing the package name after pkg install command.

Clone GitHub

Install Git package to clone any GitHub repository in Termux.

pkg install git -y

Type pkg install git to install Git package, After that you can clone any GitHub repository by using git clone and url of the repository. For example:

git clone https://github.com/Achik-Ahmed/B-PACK

Replace the URL of the repository you want to clone in Termux.

Create Scripts

You can create your own shell or Python scripts in Termux using a text editor like nano.

To create a shell/bash script type:

nano myscript.sh

To create a python script type:

nano myscript.py

The nano {filename} command opens a simple text editor in Termux. You can write your script, then press CTRL + X, press Y, and hit Enter to save and exit.

For example, a simple bash/shell script:

#!/bin/bash<br>echo "Hello from Termux!"

Run Scripts

After creating your script, you can run it with this command:

To run a bash/shell type:

bash myscript.sh

To run python script type:

python myscript.py

This will execute any Python script you’ve written or downloaded.

Conclusion

Termux is a powerful hidden Android application that increases the capabilities of Android devices. You can do various types of Linux tasks in Termux, from coding to ethical hacking and learning Linux to using Linux tools on an Android device. 

In this post, I have explained in simple language what Termux is and what you can do with it. I hope this post was helpful for you to know a lot more about Termux.