Description

Correctly configures LXC so that it works properly in Termux.

What's LXC?

https://www.reddit.com/r/termux/comments/185qynj/where_you_run_desktop_environtment/kb8kad5

Termux provides the lxc package for those with root/custom-kernels, which by far provides the most complete desktop experience possible.

It runs distros at native speeds and supports systemd, snapd, flatpaks and snap packages. Absolutely my goto for running Ubuntu in Termux.

You can toggle services normally (unlike chroot/proot where it's broken), you can install snaps like chromium, firefox, etc., (again, unlike chroot/proot where snaps don't work) and have a full-blown desktop experience.

In fact, the experience gets soo real that you can even run Android emulators in it -

Termux in Waydroid, inside Ubuntu, inside Termux, running in Android

(Here I'm running Ubuntu inside Termux(LXC), and inside that Ubuntu I can even run the Waydroid Android emulator and inside Waydroid I'm running Termux as demo)

(Waydroid also runs native, that means no qemu to slow it down)

https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.termux/

https://github.com/lxc/lxc

Instructions

In Termux -

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/George-Seven/Termux-LXC-Guide ~/Termux-LXC-Guide

bash ~/Termux-LXC-Guide/setup-termux-lxc.sh

And done.

Help text

 Termux LXC configurations completed.

 If you haven't created a container yet, you can
 create a new Ubuntu container using this command -

  sudo lxc-create -t download -n ubuntu -- --no-validate -d ubuntu -r jammy -a arm64


 You can login to the container using -

  sudo lxc-start -F -n ubuntu

 Eg:- username is 'ubuntu' and password is 'password'
      without quotes.

Keep it updated

cd ~/Termux-LXC-Guide; git pull

Useful tips

Create a container -

sudo lxc-create -t download -n ubuntu -- --no-validate -d ubuntu -r jammy -a arm64

Start a container -

sudo lxc-start -F -n ubuntu

Start a container as detached -

sudo lxc-start -d -n ubuntu

Login to a detached container -

sudo lxc-console -n ubuntu

Stop a container -

sudo lxc-stop -k -n ubuntu

Stop a container from inside the container -

sudo shutdown now

Get information of the container -

sudo lxc-info -n ubuntu

Run commands in a running container -

sudo lxc-attach -n ubuntu --clear-env -q -- usr/bin/bash -c "echo Hello World"

Delete a container -

sudo lxc-destroy -n ubuntu

List all commands -

dpkg -L lxc | grep $PREFIX/bin

Check out the configuration comments here.

Sound?

Works out of the box.

Networking?

Wi-Fi and mobile data works out of the box.

Note:- VPN of the phone doesn't work inside the container.

Display?

Many options, I recommend VNC or Termux:X11.

Using VNC

Login to the container.

Install some desktop like XFCE or GNOME.

Eg. -

sudo apt update

sudo apt install -y xfce4 xfce4-session xfce4-terminal tigervnc-standalone-server tigervnc-tools dbus-x11

After that -

export DISPLAY=:1

vncserver -localhost no :1

Use a VNC viewer app like RVNC to view the GUI.

Hint:- Each container has it's own local IP address, ie:- 10.0.4.X

You can check the IP address of the container by -

sudo lxc-info -n ubuntu

And use this IP address in the RVNC viewer app to view it.

ie:- 10.0.4.100:1

Using Termux:11

Same steps, install some desktop like XFCE.

Download Termux:X11.

In Termux -

pkg install -y termux-x11-nightly

termux-x11 :1

Login to the container.

Hint:- To open a new Termux terminal pane, slide slowly from the middle left-most to the right and select new session.

In a new terminal pane run -

CONTAINER="ubuntu"; sudo bash -c "mkdir '${PREFIX}/var/lib/lxc/${CONTAINER}/rootfs/tmp/.X11-unix' 2>/dev/null; umount '${PREFIX}/var/lib/lxc/${CONTAINER}/rootfs/tmp/.X11-unix' 2>/dev/null; mount --bind '${PREFIX}/tmp/.X11-unix' '${PREFIX}/var/lib/lxc/${CONTAINER}/rootfs/tmp/.X11-unix'"

Where ubuntu is the container.

Go back to the container terminal and run -

export DISPLAY=:1

dbus-launch --exit-with-session xfce4-session 2>/dev/null >/dev/null &

The GUI will be running in the Termux:X11 app.

Hardware acceleration

Like how the guide for hardware acceleration in chroot/proot uses virgl server and socket, you can also pass the socket to the container for hardware acceleration.

Follow the steps in that section and in a terminal pane run the command -

CONTAINER="ubuntu"; sudo bash -c "touch '${PREFIX}/var/lib/lxc/${CONTAINER}/rootfs/tmp/.virgl_test'; umount '${PREFIX}/var/lib/lxc/${CONTAINER}/rootfs/tmp/.virgl_test' 2>/dev/null; mount --bind '${PREFIX}/tmp/.virgl_test' '${PREFIX}/var/lib/lxc/${CONTAINER}/rootfs/tmp/.virgl_test'; chmod 777 '${PREFIX}/var/lib/lxc/${CONTAINER}/rootfs/tmp/.virgl_test'"

And then run programs with hardware acceleration enabled as mentioned here.