Programming on my phone (with Termux) is the only reason I am still using an Android phone. That and a real filesystem. I actually use so many terminal tools that I can't imagine migrating to a bunch of GUI apps. Like gopass for passwords management, git for syncing my notes, nvim for writing etc.
With Android 15 you even get a full blown Linux VM running on KVM.
I was actually tempted to switch when AAA games like AC got ported to iOS, but then I remembered I love programming more than gaming.
jl6 2 hours ago [-]
My mobile OS dream has always been to have a phone that I can plug into a docking cradle (or maybe just a USB-C cable these days) to connect it to a full size monitor, keyboard and mouse, and then use it as a regular PC, and then unplug it and have the same “data state” available on the mobile OS (albeit perhaps with different apps, reflecting the different input methods and screen size).
Is this any closer to becoming reality with modern Android?
TowerTall 2 hours ago [-]
It was a reality back when Windows Phone was a thing.
However, when I sit in front of a big screen it is just easier to connect a "real" PC to it. Syncing data between my desktop and phones are pretty fast anyway.
junon 2 hours ago [-]
A friend of mine has been doing that for several years now on his phone. He does it since he's so incredibly mobile for work.
Not sure which model though. So yes, somewhere, somehow this is possible.
kreddor 1 hours ago [-]
It's basically possible with any device that supports DP Alt Mode? Any remaining issues are usually software (lack of proper desktop environment etc) but there are ways around that with Android. Samsung has DeX.
fsflover 1 hours ago [-]
There are very few devices that actually run a desktop OS, which allows to run any ordinary desktop apps.
fsflover 2 hours ago [-]
> to have a phone that I can plug into a docking cradle (or maybe just a USB-C cable these days) to connect it to a full size monitor, keyboard and mouse, and then use it as a regular PC
Can we trust that this isnt a law enforcement or intelligence agency honeypot like previous such devices have been?
fsflover 30 minutes ago [-]
Which previous devices? Can you provide some links?
Librem 5 has open schematics [0] and runs an FSF-endorsed distro [1]. What else do you need for the verification [2]? Otherwise Linux could also be a honeypot, right?
It can — and all the more so since most recent update which adds more features to desktop mode. iPadOS 26 is also prioritising increased convergence with enhanced windowing support. Definitely been a ground shift recently.
fsflover 1 hours ago [-]
With increasingly more obstacles with time and no full ownership of the device.
msgodel 2 hours ago [-]
I prefer a UMPC with an LTE card and "AR" glasses. It's plug and play, works now with no fuss from the manufacturer, it's just normal Linux.
bitexploder 1 hours ago [-]
Aren’t laptops a little more ergonomic and flexible to hack on? I am curious what environments one ends up in where a phone is the tool of choice for writing code and such.
kreddor 1 hours ago [-]
For me personally, it's just the convenience of always having my phone in my pocket. Sometimes when out and about and I have a bit of free time, but haven't brought my laptop, it's nice to be able to just pick up my phone and hack for a bit. I wouldn't do full blown project on it though.
I couple of years back, I really liked replit for having probably the best integrated IDE on a phone. Everything was so smooth and well thought out.
nromiun 1 hours ago [-]
Some places are too crowded for even a small laptop. Also, I have seen so many people saying wish I could do that programming thing but I am on my phone right now. Termux allows me to do all of that.
rs186 50 minutes ago [-]
> With Android 15 you even get a full blown Linux VM running on KVM.
Is there anything more than a proof of principle that people (aka anyone who owns an Android 15 device) can try out?
I didn't find any instructions for actually doing that.
Basically just go to developer options and enable Linux development environment. A Terminal app will be installed.
You just need a non-Snapdragon Android phone. Because Snapdragon uses a different hypervisor than other vendors.
curt15 1 hours ago [-]
Do you bring a bluetooth keyboard with you or program with two thumbs?
nromiun 1 hours ago [-]
I just do it with one finger. People are still shocked at this but remember people do a lot of texting with their thumbs too.
Xss3 48 minutes ago [-]
I don't understand the point youre trying to make with tge second sentence...using a single finger is far more awkward than both thumbs?
nromiun 14 minutes ago [-]
My point is that people do a lot of typing on their touchscreen, with one or two thumbs. Just like most regular people don't need a bluetooth keyboard despite doing a lot of texting.
Also, using two thumbs can be more awkward if you have big hands.
swah 26 minutes ago [-]
Why not both?
rikafurude21 2 hours ago [-]
Thank you for giving me a reason to switch away from iPhones.
znpy 2 hours ago [-]
> With Android 15 you even get a full blown Linux VM running on KVM.
With Apple discontinuing the small iPhone se and Android being able to run on folding phones that unfold to have an 8" display... Spending money on an Android phone is interesting again.
antupis 2 hours ago [-]
Also Gemini and other AI offering is running circles around what Apple is offering.
wiseowise 1 hours ago [-]
Apple doesn’t offer anything. And Gemini is available on iOS.
nunez 26 minutes ago [-]
I tried making my iPad my computer three times. Despite its awesome specs, these remain a huge pain in the rear for actual dev work.
iPadOS and iPhoneOS will remain useless for actual dev work until they unlock hardware virtualization in Virtualization.framework.
Apps on the iPhone and iPad will remain sandboxed, and root isn't possible, so being able to run a VM that _can_ run as root is the next best thing.
I believe this framework on mobile uses software emulation, which is horribly slow and guzzles battery.
Well, this and third-party browser engine support. Mobile Safari is absolutely horrible. This doesn't become apparent until you're using your iPad full time. Death by a trillion cuts. It also burns battery when you start using it with desktop websites.
Until then, the experience is basically you using your iDevice as a dumb terminal (don't mean that as a dig against Termius; great app given its limitations) to some server somewhere where actual work is done. Rendering issues galore if you use vim with color schemes.
eadmund 3 hours ago [-]
> Offline folders
> This is like rsync for your phone. In fact I would not be surprised if this is implemented using rsync. Once you configure an offline folder, it will two-way sync that folder while you use the app. The kicker is: on your phone you can now open that folder in another app (like an editor) and make changes. When you switch back to the shellfish app, the changes are uploaded almost instantly.
One can get this killer feature for free with Android and Syncthing. It’s definitely pretty nice!
And of course one can also run Emacs and other free (as in speech or beer) text editors on Android.
IIRC there are a couple of ways to get a full Linux command line environment as well.
I ended up moving away from it just because ‘typing’ with my thumb is painful.
I’ve explored this idea of portable computing using a mobile form factor for years too. So long that the first devices I tried were PDAs with compact-flash micro drives.
I actually preferred those devices for development work because the stylus is a much better input device than fat fingers when it comes to precision input. However you then lose the one-handed feature that the author is keen on.
These days, MacBook Pros have such long battery lives that I couldn’t imagine wanting to use a phone-form-factor for any serious work. But maybe the new style phones bendable screens that flip open like a book, might tempt me back to using a phone for development work again. Unfortunately such devices are currently Android-only at present.
pjmlp 3 hours ago [-]
I keep telling that one scenario I actually would embrace AI glady, is fast enough reckognintion so that I can use a digital pen across all mobile/tablet apps, I rather use that than carry around a 2-1 or detachable keyboard.
On Apple devices it is kind of ok, Android outside Samsung is still pretty much hit-and-miss.
Likewise I don't want AI chat boxes, I want to speak with my computer, in my native language, again still not there yet.
alwillis 2 hours ago [-]
Wispr Flow is shockingly good at dictation; I use the free version on macOS [1].
I've also thought about it a lot, but I just need that big screen.
That does not rule out having your phone as your primary development device of course. I was already pleasantly surprised that when I tried to charge my iPad with the USB-C dangling of my ultrawide, the screen came to life! Sadly with the iPad's own screen ratio. My screen-attached wireless keyboard and mouse did work though!
I still dream of having normal Linux (or GrapheneOS, or PostMarketOS) on something like a Fairphone and being able to plug it in USB-C and just work (I just need a terminal, perhaps an editor, and a browser of course). Ubuntu Phone came so close :'( Maybe it becomes workable on the FairPhone 6... (actually, it seems like it is working? Can it do the desktop thing? It does say "Wired External monitor :check:")
Or you know, at least a Padfone [0] (just kidding, I'm just always looking for an excuse to share this masterpiece of a video).
I think Fairphone 6 does not have DP-Alt and only USB 2 data transfer, so there is no way to drive a hi-res screen.
Google Pixel is supposed to ship a more complete desktop in Android 16 QPR1. Also has a Linux VM.
Of course, Samsung has had a pretty complete desktop on phones that support DeX for a while now.
hnlmorg 3 hours ago [-]
Some Android handsets can already so think. I think Samsung phones might.
I was pleasantly surprised with my Son relatively budget Samsung phones, when I plugged it into an external monitor. Instead of showing a the phone screen on the monitor (like an iPhone would), it loaded up a different desktop that looked more like Ubuntu than it did like Android.
I can’t remember the specifics but it was definitely designed to be used with a keyboard and mouse.
wisenull 3 hours ago [-]
It was probably Samsung DeX.
Samsung is helping Google to develop a similar thing for Android.
You can run the browser without any issues, use ssh with JuiceSSH and have the terminal. Running vim on there might be an option but another editor that is not a TUI might be more troublesome.
teekert 3 hours ago [-]
Yeah I heard this too about Samsung phones. Very nice. But I do prefer something more "freedom loving" than Android (with Play services) or iOS.
I will keep dreaming and in the mean time keep my Linux Laptop close.
nehal3m 3 hours ago [-]
Ubuntu Touch was a little buggy on my FP4 and flashing Calyx back over it required some finagling with the sensor suite. It was pretty slow and the phone was hot to the touch, so I would agree it was not ready for prime time when I tested it 2.5 years ago.
In principle however, it worked.
richmans 2 hours ago [-]
Author here. Awesome that this post got boosted by my latest post. As i wrote in an earlier post, my reason for wanting to develop on my phone is that i became a dad, and my kids did not want to sleep in a bed, so i spent a lot of time sitting in a rocking chair with trying to get them to sleep. One arm is needed for child support. One arm left to do development…
mystifyingpoi 2 hours ago [-]
I just replied to someone else about this. I had exactly the same challenge with my first newborn. Simply sitting in a chair for hours is really mentally taxing and a huge waste of time. Good for you, that you've found something that doesn't get in a way of helping your child to fall asleep.
ivanmontillam 27 minutes ago [-]
> Simply sitting in a chair for hours is really mentally taxing and a huge waste of time.
How do people that rawdog international flights do it? No phone, no books, no music, maybe just the flight screen with the little aeroplane over the map.
You could just let your thoughts wander. That's a form of meditation, letting the mind unravel on its own.
I wish I did it more, actually.
royletron 32 minutes ago [-]
Baby sling and a standing desk! Get's a little uncomfy in the heat, but I could pretty much do a whole workday - with a couple of feeding breaks, and milk for the baby of course ;).
Ezhik 47 minutes ago [-]
Secure ShellFish is a very nice app, absolutely worth the money. It's really nice to be able to do a bit of scripting. I don't even bother taking my laptop with me when traveling anymore, my phone/iPad and an external keyboard are enough to quickly jot down a proof of concept for any idea that might pop up in my head.
By the way, the dev also works on a Git client for iOS, Working Copy. I used that together with Shortcuts to make my Obsidian vault sync via git in the background.
ngriffiths 1 hours ago [-]
Love this. Sometimes being able to work on a phone is perfect for things that need to percolate a little while you walk around or do something mindless at the same time. I put some effort into finding a good writing and markdown rendering app but didn't realize a whole IDE is possible too.
dbish 2 hours ago [-]
This makes me miss the Nokia N800 I had when I was in college and working part time tech support. Ran a modified Debian and I could whip out a folding Bluetooth keyboard to ssh into a server. Felt like you were part of Hackers, even if the screen was tiny. The physical keyboard made a huge difference for actually getting things done
Martha02 3 hours ago [-]
I miss physical keyboards, like those on BlackBerry devices. Honestly, I think
SSHing into Claude Code from a phone with a physical keyboard would actually be a
decent choice for vibe coding today. But maybe I just want a 12-inch M-chip
MacBook
(obviously flip out phones have a lot of moving parts to get damaged)
Ezhik 44 minutes ago [-]
The Fxtec is so damn cool if you can get your hands on one. It can actually straight up run Debian. I also managed to run VS Code on it natively via Termux.
I also had a Gemini PDA, which is basically the Psion 5mx keyboard glued to a shitty Android smartphone. Such a nice keyboard, but such mediocre and unsupported CPU...
Greenpants 2 hours ago [-]
I've had this phone as my main device for half a year and now using a Pixel 9 Pro Fold sometimes in "laptop" folded mode. So far, neither of these devices come close in my typing speed to a proper keyboard. The F(x)tec was great though because you do get all special characters in tactile buttons; on the Fold I constantly need to check my keyboard and make sure I'm writing what I think I'm writing. And, it's a shame that the space in between letters on the 'Gboard' keyboard on the Fold remains unused, when it could've been a perfect mouse trackpad.
I think the ideal form factor for a proper development phone would be the Astro Slide (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/astro-slide-5g-transforme...) – I haven't personally used it but I can imagine it's the smallest size possible for proper two-handed typing. The F(x)tec was a two-thumber instead.
pjmlp 3 hours ago [-]
It should have a voice controlled way in that case, at least that is my point oof view on towards all clusmy chat bot interfaces, AI usage should be transparent.
fsflover 2 hours ago [-]
Did you try Pinephone with the keyboard?
iaalm 3 hours ago [-]
Tried to develop on mobile too. The only issue is the physical keyboard. At that time, I did think about redesign the keyboard for phone to get a precise input experience
RS-232 2 hours ago [-]
Pythonista is awesome. Although it hasn’t been updated in 2 years and only supports 3.10, it’s still a beautiful and capable Python IDE.
Now that iOS and Android are Tier 3 platforms, we should be getting closer to the day that we can generate an IPA or APK from our Python project in a single click.
Jotalea 56 minutes ago [-]
As far as I know, you can generate an APK from a Python project, using python4android and buildozer. I never got it to work though..
But you can compile an APK from Java/Kotlin source (both your own and 3rd party OSS apps) and install it on your device, the app to do so is called CodeAssist.
VagabundoP 2 hours ago [-]
That would be really cool. I've an iPad pro and keyboard that I've love to use more for adhoc coding and projects and not just reading comics. :D
alwillis 2 hours ago [-]
You can code in Swift and even submit to the App Store using Swift Playground using an iPad [1].
Are there any mobile equivalents of a thin client?
sometimes I'd like to keep my regular phone in my pocket, providing internet and cpu-assistance via bluetooth, but the UI be another device altoghether.
My thought for this was not for a mobile IDE, but a navigation device. iwatch is ok, but still not there.
JanisIO 37 minutes ago [-]
I just wrote my own WebOS for coding on iOS rolling eyes -> jun.is
prmoustache 2 hours ago [-]
> I am now using a combination of three great apps that allow me to write code in any language using only one hand, holding my son in the other!
The last part is kind of depressing really.
mystifyingpoi 2 hours ago [-]
Depends on the age of his son. I spent 2-3 hours daily for 3 months just holding my newborn (because the sneaky one had well tuned bed detector and would just cry forever if not held) and reading AWS docs for the certification on my phone. Not feeling guilty at all.
cheschire 2 hours ago [-]
When did this ridiculous parenting guilt trend start?
You do realize that not every minute you spend with a child is “quality time” right? Like most responsibilities in adulthood, child rearing has many periods where your child simply needs your presence. The child themselves cannot handle full time mental and emotional engagement either.
With Android 15 you even get a full blown Linux VM running on KVM.
I was actually tempted to switch when AAA games like AC got ported to iOS, but then I remembered I love programming more than gaming.
Is this any closer to becoming reality with modern Android?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Continuum
However, when I sit in front of a big screen it is just easier to connect a "real" PC to it. Syncing data between my desktop and phones are pretty fast anyway.
Not sure which model though. So yes, somewhere, somehow this is possible.
This phone exists: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5, and it's my daily driver.
Librem 5 has open schematics [0] and runs an FSF-endorsed distro [1]. What else do you need for the verification [2]? Otherwise Linux could also be a honeypot, right?
[0] https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/l5-schematic
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25504641
[2] https://puri.sm/posts/hidden-operating-systems-in-chips-vs-s...
I couple of years back, I really liked replit for having probably the best integrated IDE on a phone. Everything was so smooth and well thought out.
Is there anything more than a proof of principle that people (aka anyone who owns an Android 15 device) can try out?
I didn't find any instructions for actually doing that.
https://deepakness.com/blog/android-linux-terminal/
Basically just go to developer options and enable Linux development environment. A Terminal app will be installed.
You just need a non-Snapdragon Android phone. Because Snapdragon uses a different hypervisor than other vendors.
Also, using two thumbs can be more awkward if you have big hands.
With Apple discontinuing the small iPhone se and Android being able to run on folding phones that unfold to have an 8" display... Spending money on an Android phone is interesting again.
iPadOS and iPhoneOS will remain useless for actual dev work until they unlock hardware virtualization in Virtualization.framework.
Apps on the iPhone and iPad will remain sandboxed, and root isn't possible, so being able to run a VM that _can_ run as root is the next best thing.
I believe this framework on mobile uses software emulation, which is horribly slow and guzzles battery.
Well, this and third-party browser engine support. Mobile Safari is absolutely horrible. This doesn't become apparent until you're using your iPad full time. Death by a trillion cuts. It also burns battery when you start using it with desktop websites.
Until then, the experience is basically you using your iDevice as a dumb terminal (don't mean that as a dig against Termius; great app given its limitations) to some server somewhere where actual work is done. Rendering issues galore if you use vim with color schemes.
> This is like rsync for your phone. In fact I would not be surprised if this is implemented using rsync. Once you configure an offline folder, it will two-way sync that folder while you use the app. The kicker is: on your phone you can now open that folder in another app (like an editor) and make changes. When you switch back to the shellfish app, the changes are uploaded almost instantly.
One can get this killer feature for free with Android and Syncthing. It’s definitely pretty nice!
And of course one can also run Emacs and other free (as in speech or beer) text editors on Android.
IIRC there are a couple of ways to get a full Linux command line environment as well.
I ended up moving away from it just because ‘typing’ with my thumb is painful.
I actually preferred those devices for development work because the stylus is a much better input device than fat fingers when it comes to precision input. However you then lose the one-handed feature that the author is keen on.
These days, MacBook Pros have such long battery lives that I couldn’t imagine wanting to use a phone-form-factor for any serious work. But maybe the new style phones bendable screens that flip open like a book, might tempt me back to using a phone for development work again. Unfortunately such devices are currently Android-only at present.
On Apple devices it is kind of ok, Android outside Samsung is still pretty much hit-and-miss.
Likewise I don't want AI chat boxes, I want to speak with my computer, in my native language, again still not there yet.
[1]: https://wisprflow.ai/use-cases
That does not rule out having your phone as your primary development device of course. I was already pleasantly surprised that when I tried to charge my iPad with the USB-C dangling of my ultrawide, the screen came to life! Sadly with the iPad's own screen ratio. My screen-attached wireless keyboard and mouse did work though!
I still dream of having normal Linux (or GrapheneOS, or PostMarketOS) on something like a Fairphone and being able to plug it in USB-C and just work (I just need a terminal, perhaps an editor, and a browser of course). Ubuntu Phone came so close :'( Maybe it becomes workable on the FairPhone 6... (actually, it seems like it is working? Can it do the desktop thing? It does say "Wired External monitor :check:")
Or you know, at least a Padfone [0] (just kidding, I'm just always looking for an excuse to share this masterpiece of a video).
[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2ANnpHnUrc
Google Pixel is supposed to ship a more complete desktop in Android 16 QPR1. Also has a Linux VM.
Of course, Samsung has had a pretty complete desktop on phones that support DeX for a while now.
I was pleasantly surprised with my Son relatively budget Samsung phones, when I plugged it into an external monitor. Instead of showing a the phone screen on the monitor (like an iPhone would), it loaded up a different desktop that looked more like Ubuntu than it did like Android.
I can’t remember the specifics but it was definitely designed to be used with a keyboard and mouse.
You can run the browser without any issues, use ssh with JuiceSSH and have the terminal. Running vim on there might be an option but another editor that is not a TUI might be more troublesome.
I will keep dreaming and in the mean time keep my Linux Laptop close.
In principle however, it worked.
How do people that rawdog international flights do it? No phone, no books, no music, maybe just the flight screen with the little aeroplane over the map.
You could just let your thoughts wander. That's a form of meditation, letting the mind unravel on its own.
I wish I did it more, actually.
By the way, the dev also works on a Git client for iOS, Working Copy. I used that together with Shortcuts to make my Obsidian vault sync via git in the background.
(obviously flip out phones have a lot of moving parts to get damaged)
I also had a Gemini PDA, which is basically the Psion 5mx keyboard glued to a shitty Android smartphone. Such a nice keyboard, but such mediocre and unsupported CPU...
I think the ideal form factor for a proper development phone would be the Astro Slide (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/astro-slide-5g-transforme...) – I haven't personally used it but I can imagine it's the smallest size possible for proper two-handed typing. The F(x)tec was a two-thumber instead.
Now that iOS and Android are Tier 3 platforms, we should be getting closer to the day that we can generate an IPA or APK from our Python project in a single click.
But you can compile an APK from Java/Kotlin source (both your own and 3rd party OSS apps) and install it on your device, the app to do so is called CodeAssist.
[1]: https://developer.apple.com/swift-playground/
sometimes I'd like to keep my regular phone in my pocket, providing internet and cpu-assistance via bluetooth, but the UI be another device altoghether.
My thought for this was not for a mobile IDE, but a navigation device. iwatch is ok, but still not there.
The last part is kind of depressing really.
You do realize that not every minute you spend with a child is “quality time” right? Like most responsibilities in adulthood, child rearing has many periods where your child simply needs your presence. The child themselves cannot handle full time mental and emotional engagement either.
Relax.