First issue:Pixel9 mobile phone is available! Android's latest feature: native terminal supports full Debian12
Second issue:In-depth analysis of Android 15 native Debian Linux environment: application scenarios, technical background and future prospects
Third issue:Explore Android 15 native Linux, remote control, visual management and application practice｜Google
The playability of Pixel phones always seems to surprise us. Recently, in Android 15 and above, a new feature has been quietly launched, that isNative support for Linux terminalThis undoubtedly opens a new door for developers and technology enthusiasts, and also brings more imagination to the use of mobile phones. Of course, this new feature also puts higher demands on the performance and battery life of mobile phones.
How to open Linux terminal on Pixel phone?
It is very easy to open the native Linux terminal of Android 15. Just follow the steps below:
- Enter settings: Open your Pixel phone's Settings app.
- Select System: In the settings menu, find and tap the “System” option.
- Go to "Developer options": Under the "System" menu, find and select "Developer options".
- How to enable developer options: If you haven't turned on developer options before, go to "About this device", then find "Build number" and tap it 5-7 times until the system prompts that developer options have been turned on.
- Open the Linux Development Environment: In "Developer Options", find and turn on the switch for "Linux Development Environment".
First experience: Download Debian 12 system
After opening "Linux Development Environment", you will see an application icon named "Terminal" (Chinese system) or "Terminal" (English system) in the application drawer of your phone. When you open the application for the first time, you will be prompted to download about 550MB of data via WLAN. This part of data is actually a simplified version of Debian 12 Linux system. Please wait patiently for the download to complete.
Basic functionality of the Linux terminal
After the installation is complete, you have successfully entered the Linux system on your Pixel phone. Currently, the terminal provides three main functions:
- Resize the disk: You can set the maximum disk space that the Linux system can use, and the current upper limit is 16GB. If this function is further enhanced in the future, you may really consider buying a mobile phone with larger storage space.
- Set the port: Allows the user to configure the network ports of a Linux system.
- Revert to the original version: Provides the option to restore your Linux system to its original installation state.
It can be seen that the current functions are still relatively basic, but they have already demonstrated their potential.
Root permissions and system version
It is worth mentioning that the Linux system running on the Pixel phone is root permissionsYou can sudo -i The command easily switches to the root user. By checking the system version, you can see that its core is Linux 6.1 and it is running Debian 12.
Initial experience: Not yet stable, huge potential
According to my initial experience, the biggest problem with this native Linux terminal is Not stable enough, and occasionally crashes. I'm currently using the Chinese system, and I'll try switching to the English system later to see if that helps. But overall, this feature is very exciting.
A portable VPS? The future is bright!
If this function can be continuously optimized and become more stable and powerful, it is actually equivalent to carrying a VPS with us, which can be used for many development and operation-related operations. Later, I will try to install some of my commonly used software into this Linux environment to see how it works.
Summarize
Android 15's native support for Linux terminals on Pixel phones is undoubtedly an exciting new feature. Although the current stability and functionality are relatively basic, the potential it shows is huge. For developers and technology enthusiasts, this undoubtedly provides them with a convenient tool to operate in a Linux environment anytime, anywhere. Let us look forward to the development of this feature in the future!
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