How To Install Beautiful Desktop on Termux Android!

Termux is an Android application that you can use for various purposes in the Linux environment. We can install some Linux applications that run on the Command line just like running it on a Linux terminal.

This time I want to discuss about the Desktop GUI that can be installed in Termux and run using VNC Viewer. This is a bit similar to this blog's previous post about the GUI that comes with Termux when installing and running Ubuntu in this application. But this time, we don't have Ubuntu, Arch or maybe any other linux distro installed. Only termux with its GUI.

So, in this section we are going to try to setup a desktop for Termux itself. OK Let's Get Started! ...

Some applications that need to be installed on Android:

•  Termux
•  Termux API
•  VNC Viewer

You can install all the applications in the list above via the Google Play. For Termux, you can also install it via F-Droid. If all applications are installed, please open termux and install git with the command below:

pkg upgrade && pkg install git

Next, we are going to clone some Termux Desktop files from the Aditya Shakya Github Repository. Please clone Termux Desktop in the repository with the following command:

git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/adi1090x/termux-desktop.git

If the process of downloading the file is complete, please re-open termux and type ls to see the contents of your termux directory. Look for the directory named "termux-desktop", and please move to that directory with the cd termux-desktop command.

If you are already in the termux-desktop directory, you will find the setup.sh file. To install the required files we will run the setup.sh file with the following command:

chmod +x setup.sh (this command gives permission for this file(setup.sh) to be executed).

Next, let's install the application with the command:

./setup.sh --install

In this installation process, it may take some time for all the required applications to be installed. When the process is running, there are several configurations such as setting the VNC server password, which we will use for authentication when opening it in VNC Viewer. So please pay attention.

After everything is installed, you will see Termux change its appearance to be cooler. Please restart Termux and reopen it.

To run the termux desktop, you can type the command startdesktop. Until termux is ready to run the VNC server and give us an address to access its GUI (localhost: 1).

 

Next, please open the VNC Viewer and create a new connection, enter the IP address (in this case we get address on localhost:1 or 127.0.0.1:1). Please add the IP address and name the connection according to your wishes. After that, please connect the vnc viewer. If there is a password question, fill in the password that we configured before. If successful, the display will be like below:

You can explore the features added to Termux desktop on its website here. Basically, this desktop is just window manager with openbox. Hopefully useful and ENJOY!...