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Nix-on-droid: Nix-enabled environment for your Android device (termux-based)

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Re: Nix-on-droid: Nix-enabled environment for your Android device (termux-based)

#31

Post by MacsHeadroom »

hyperthesis wrote: post #24
MacsHeadroom wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a fork of Termux with all the same restrictions as far as I can tell. The difference is that it uses Nix OS instead of the Termux repos, which has more software available.

OK, so it's a normal unix release, and uses proot for a virtual directory structure. It says it only uses the terminal emulator from termux. termux doesn't use proot - its distribution has all paths rewritten (usually in source) to cope with the android filesystem (and other changes). I'm always surprised that this hackery works so well! Therefore, I'd expect identical programs to be slower in nix-on-droid.

>I'd expect identical programs to be slower in nix-on-droid.

Probably. But modern phones are well beyond the power needed to run linux programs at useful speeds. Termux first came out over a decade ago, IIRC. Back then phones were much less powerful.

Re: Nix-on-droid: Nix-enabled environment for your Android device (termux-based)

#32

Post by slim »

pulpfictional wrote: post #25
AvImd wrote: post #5

It seems F-droid version tries to download bootstrap-arm.zip from a folder which only contains bootstrap-aarch64.zip ( https://nix-on-droid.unboiled.info/bootstrap-release-22.11 )

F-droid should be avoided when you can get an apk release directly from the developer or the Google Play Store. Obtanium is great for managing this. https://github.com/ImranR98/Obtainium https://privsec.dev/posts/android/f-droid-security-issues/

not sure why you are saying this. if it's about security, it depends on your threat model

Re: Nix-on-droid: Nix-enabled environment for your Android device (termux-based)

#33

Post by pulpfictional »

slim wrote: post #32
pulpfictional wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

F-droid should be avoided when you can get an apk release directly from the developer or the Google Play Store. Obtanium is great for managing this. https://github.com/ImranR98/Obtainium https://privsec.dev/posts/android/f-droid-security-issues/

not sure why you are saying this. if it's about security, it depends on your threat model

Your "threat model" requiring the option shown to be least safe doesn't make its vulnerabilities less so. To develop a "threat model" one must first ascertain the system's intrinsic risk before leveraging one's specific needs. If the outcome is the least secure option, then only your risk increases, the security of each option remains unchanged.

Re: Nix-on-droid: Nix-enabled environment for your Android device (termux-based)

#34

Post by pluijzer »

skhm wrote: post #20
pluijzer wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you tell me which phone this is? I am very curious to try it out myself. Thanks

the unihertz titan pocket. I can’t recommend it in good faith, it mostly gathers dust. I was trying to be a bit more considered about my phone use and thought a downgrade daily carry would help but it pissed me off and now I use my iPhone even more than before. A very “me” problem though, you might love it!

Thank you, If I see one cheap somewhere might get it anyway and have some fun with it for a weekend.

Re: Nix-on-droid: Nix-enabled environment for your Android device (termux-based)

#35

Post by hyperthesis »

MacsHeadroom wrote: post #31
hyperthesis wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OK, so it's a normal unix release, and uses proot for a virtual directory structure. It says it only uses the terminal emulator from termux. termux doesn't use proot - its distribution has all paths rewritten (usually in source) to cope with the android filesystem (and other changes). I'm always surprised that this hackery works so well! Therefore, I'd expect identical programs to be slower in nix-on-droid.

>I'd expect identical programs to be slower in nix-on-droid. Probably. But modern phones are well beyond the power needed to run linux programs at useful speeds. Termux first came out over a decade ago, IIRC. Back then phones were much less powerful.

Very true, though for compilation, perceptively-instant is nice rather than a few seconds.

Re: Nix-on-droid: Nix-enabled environment for your Android device (termux-based)

#36

Post by slim »

pulpfictional wrote: post #33
slim wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

not sure why you are saying this. if it's about security, it depends on your threat model

Your "threat model" requiring the option shown to be least safe doesn't make its vulnerabilities less so. To develop a "threat model" one must first ascertain the system's intrinsic risk before leveraging one's specific needs. If the outcome is the least secure option, then only your risk increases, the security of each option remains unchanged.

I don't think there is an "intrinsic risk" in anything. I personally trust F-Droid more than Obtainium and even more than most original developers themselves, because

1) F-droid has been around for a long time and it's proven to be well governed.

2) F-droid tells me if the software is still maintained, if it's a fork of another project, if the opensource software is using non open service as a backend, etc..

Re: Nix-on-droid: Nix-enabled environment for your Android device (termux-based)

#37

Post by user_7832 »

unstuck3958 wrote: post #19
user_7832 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you know if there is a performance penalty compared to native? Does the cpu/GPU hardware acceleration work properly or does it emulate things?

It runs using a compaitibility layer (rather than emulation) so I don't imagine the performance to take a huge hit.

Thanks!

Re: Nix-on-droid: Nix-enabled environment for your Android device (termux-based)

#38

Post by skhm »

pluijzer wrote: post #34
skhm wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the unihertz titan pocket. I can’t recommend it in good faith, it mostly gathers dust. I was trying to be a bit more considered about my phone use and thought a downgrade daily carry would help but it pissed me off and now I use my iPhone even more than before. A very “me” problem though, you might love it!

Thank you, If I see one cheap somewhere might get it anyway and have some fun with it for a weekend.

tbf I can't imagine a phone with as much functionality being as cheap as the base price - even in the UK, 250 GBP ish for a semi-decent android with a physical keeb is weirdly low for the nice in which it lives. i'm sure ebay has cheaper but i daren't look.

in fact you could have mine for 100 GBP - I've realised how little I use it - harry @ skh . am if you are interested.

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