From Dust to Dev Tool: (Part 2)

Source: Dev.to

In Part 1 I talked about curiosity and how Termux turned an old Android tablet into something usable again. If you missed that post, here’s the link: Part 1.

But Termux was never the end goal.
What I really wanted was a real Linux system—the kind that behaves like a server, not a phone. That’s where Debian inside Termux comes in.

🧠 Why I Needed Debian (Not Just Termux)

Termux is powerful, but it still speaks Android first. I wanted:

• apt, not pkg
• A standard Linux filesystem (/etc, /usr, /bin)
• Tools behaving exactly like cloud servers
• Muscle memory that transfers to real infrastructure

Debian gives you that—clean, boring, reliable. And boring Linux is the best Linux.

🧩 How Debian Runs Without Root (The Magic)

This setup does not:

• Root the device ❌
• Replace Android ❌
• Break system security ❌

Instead, it uses PRoot.

Think of it like this:

• 🟢 Termux = Host / Interface
• 🐧 Debian = Guest / Workspace

PRoot creates a fake root filesystem where programs believe they’re running on real Linux. No kernel hacks, no risk—just clean isolation.

🚀 Installing Debian (One‑Time, Persistent Setup)

From inside Termux:

pkg install proot-distro
proot-distro install debian
proot-distro login debian

That’s the moment it clicks. You’re not emulating Linux; you’re living inside it.

To exit the Debian session:

exit

Debian doesn’t disappear; it waits.

💾 Persistence: Why This Feels Like a Real Machine

• ✅ Survives reboots
• ✅ Survives closing Termux
• ✅ Lives inside internal storage
• ❌ Disappears only if Termux is uninstalled

That persistence changes everything. You stop “testing” and start using it daily.

🧬 Architecture Reality Check (32‑bit Truth)

This tablet runs a 32‑bit userspace (armhf / armv7l). That single fact explains a lot.

What it means in practice:

• ❌ 64‑bit binaries won’t run
• ❌ Many modern pre‑built tools silently fail
• ❌ Neovim + LazyVim = nope

Tool Choices Under Constraints

Heavy tools were not an option, so I leaned into:

• CLI‑first workflow
• Lightweight editors
• Zero background bloat

Why I Chose Micro 📝

Micro turned out to be perfect:

• Fast even on 2 GB RAM
• Works on 32‑bit ARM
• Modern features without heaviness (mouse support, plugins, shell commands inside the editor)

🖥️ How Debian Feels on a Tablet

Honestly? Like a tiny server in my hands. No distractions, no notifications—just:

• The shell
• The filesystem
• My thoughts

This environment forced me to:

• Read error messages properly
• Understand architecture limits
• Install only what I truly need
• Learn Linux instead of merely decorating it

*️⃣ Final Take

The entire process of turning an Android tablet into a Linux machine helped me learn a lot about Linux and sparked an interest in system programming. I’ll continue to explore low‑level programming soon ~♾️

📦 Full Setup & Configs

I’ve documented everything—Termux + Debian setup, shell configs, editor choice, fonts, fixes—in my GitHub repo:
👉 Termux‑config