DEV Community: Hishantik Sarkar

Setting Up Termux for Web Development: A Complete Guide

Hishantik Sarkar — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 12:43:36 +0000

Termux is a powerful terminal emulator for Android that allows you to
run a Linux environment without root. With the right setup, you can
turn Termux into a fully functional web development environment with
Oh My Zsh, Oh My Posh, Git, Neovim/LunarVim, and Node.js (Live Server).

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

✅ Install and configure Termux

✅ Set up a powerful shell with Oh My Zsh and Oh My Posh

✅ Install Git for version control

✅ Configure Neovim/LunarVim for coding

✅ Set up Node.js with a Live Server for web development

1. Installing Termux & Required Packages

Step 1: Install Termux

Download and install Termux from F-Droid (recommended) or from GitHub (Termux GitHub).

⚠️ DO NOT install Termux from the Play Store as it’s outdated!

Step 2: Update Termux and Install Basic Packages

Open Termux and run:

pkg update && pkg upgrade -y
pkg install termux-api x11-repo tur-repo
pkg install zsh git neovim nodejs python wget curl unzip -y

Step 3: Create a Symlink to an External SD Card for Easy Access

If your device has an external SD card, you can create a symbolic link (symlink) to access it easily from your home directory.

Step 1: Find the Name of Your External SD Card.

The system assigns a unique name to your SD card, usually in the format /XXXX-XXXX (e.g., /3454-3377). To find the name of your SD card, open a terminal and type:

df

The output would be somewhat similar to this :

Filesystem	1K-blocks	Used	Available	Use%	Mounted on
/dev/root	305248512	12345678	292902834	5%	/
devtmpfs	4000000	0	4000000	0%	/dev
tmpfs	4023456	456	4023000	1%	/dev/shm
tmpfs	4023456	1234	4022222	1%	/run
tmpfs	4023456	0	4023456	0%	/sys/fs/cgroup
/dev/mmcblk1p1	6233392	2123456	4109936	35%	/boot
/dev/sda1	976762584	234567890	742194694	25%	/mnt/data
/dev/mmcblk0p1	6233392	3123456	3109936	50%	/storage/3454-3377
tmpfs	4023456	12	4023444	1%	/run/user/1000
/storage/3454-3377	3488388	3	36637727	6%	/mnt

Look at the last line of the output—it typically contains the mount point of your SD card.

In this example, the external SD card is mounted at:

/storage/3454-3377

This is the value you need to use when creating the symlink.

Step 2: Create a Symlink to the SD Card

Once you have the SD card name, create a symlink to it using the following command (replace 3454-3377 with the actual name of your SD card):

ln -s /storage/3454-3377 ~/sdcard

This command creates a symbolic link (~/sdcard) in your home directory, allowing you to access your SD card easily without navigating through long directory paths.

2. Setting Up a Powerful Shell (Oh My Zsh & Oh My Posh)

Step 1: Install and Configure Oh My Zsh

pkg install zsh -y
chsh -s zsh

Restart Termux, then install Oh My Zsh:

sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

Install the Powerlevel10k theme for a better experience:

git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git ~/.oh-my-zsh/custom/themes/powerlevel10k

Set the theme in ~/.zshrc:

nano ~/.zshrc

Change the line:

ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k"

Save and exit (CTRL + X, then Y, then ENTER).

Restart Termux:

source ~/.zshrc

Step 2: Install and Configure Oh My Posh (Optional)

pkg install oh-my-posh -y
oh-my-posh font install

To use Oh My Posh, add this to ~/.zshrc:

eval "$(oh-my-posh init zsh --config ~/.config/oh-my-posh/theme.json)"

3. Installing Git for Version Control

Git is essential for managing your code and collaborating with others.

pkg install git -y

Replace "YourName" and "your@email.com" with your preferred Git username and email address.

git config --global user.name "YourName"
git config --global user.email "your@email.com"

To check if Git is working:

git --version

4. Setting Up Neovim and configure it with LunarVim for Coding

Step: Install Neovim

pkg install neovim -y

To check whether neovim have installed properly:

nvim --version

step 2: Install LunarVim

pkg install python rust nodejs ripgrep make fd -y

Resolve EACCES permissions when installing packages globally to avoid error when installing packages with npm.

To minimize the chance of permissions errors, you can configure npm to use a different directory. In this example, you will create and use hidden directory in your home directory.

On the command line, in your home directory, create a directory for global installations:

    mkdir -p ~/.npm-global/lib

Configure npm to use the new directory path:

npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'

In your preferred text editor, open ~/.zshrc file and add this line:

export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH

On the command line, update your system variables:

source ~/.zshrc

To test your new configuration, install a package globally without using sudo:

npm install -g jshint

Now, run the below command in the terminal to install lunarvim :

LV_BRANCH='release-1.4/neovim-0.9' bash <(curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/LunarVim/LunarVim/release-1.4/neovim-0.9/utils/installer/install.sh)

Type yes whenever prompted during installation.

Run LunarVim:

lvim

For plugins, edit ~/.config/lvim/config.lua :

lvim ~/.config/lvim/config.lua

Essential Plugins for Web Development

Add these to your LunarVim config (~/.config/lvim/config.lua):

lvim.plugins = {
  {"neoclide/coc.nvim", branch = "release"},
  {"preservim/nerdtree"},
  {"tpope/vim-fugitive"},
  {"vim-airline/vim-airline"},
}

Now to save and restart LunarVim, type:

:lvimreload

To make lunarvim your default editor:

export EDITOR=lvim
echo 'export EDITOR=lvim' >> ~/.zshrc

5. Setting Up a Live Server for wev-development.

Install Live Server and configure it : add the following lines in "/.config/lvim/config.lua" inside lvim.plugins{...}

{
    'barrett-ruth/live-server.nvim',
    build = 'pnpm add -g live-server',
    cmd = { 'LiveServerStart', 'LiveServerStop' },
    config = true
}

To start a live server in your project folder through lunarvim, type:

:LiveServerStart

Then, it will automatically open project at http://localhost:8080 in a default browser (using a browser that supports local networking, like Firefox,chrome,etc).

6. Additional Tweaks for a Better Experience

Enable Clipboard Support

Install termux-api if not already installed:

pkg install termux-api -y

To copy to clipboard:

echo "Hello, Termux!" | termux-clipboard-set

To paste:

termux-clipboard-get

Enable Storage Access

Run the following command to allow Termux to access your phone's storage:

 termux-setup-storage

Your internal storage will be available in:

/storage/emulated/0/

Enable X11 Support for GUI Apps

If you want to run GUI applications (e.g., a browser, VS Code alternative), install a VNC server:

pkg install tigervnc
vncserver

Then, connect using a VNC client.

7. Running a Complete Web Development Workflow

Step 1: Clone a Web Project

git clone https://github.com/your-username/your-project.git
cd your-project

Step 2: Start Neovim/LunarVim

lvim index.html

Step 3: Run the Live Server from inside lunarvim

:LiveServerStart

Opens http://localhost:8080 on a default browser.

Final Thoughts

With this setup, your Android phone can become a powerful web development machine! You now have:

✅ Oh My Zsh & Oh My Posh for a great shell experience

✅ Git for version control

✅ Neovim/LunarVim for advanced coding

✅ Node.js with a Live Server for real-time development

Gaming on Linux Using Wine/Proton with DXVK & Lutris: A Complete Guide

Hishantik Sarkar — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 04:35:31 +0000

Overview

Linux gaming has improved dramatically in recent years, thanks to Wine, Proton, DXVK, and Lutris. Whether you're trying to play AAA titles, indie games, or older Windows-only games, these technologies provide an excellent gaming experience.

In this guide, we’ll explore:

How Wine, Proton, DXVK, and Lutris work together
Setting up your Linux system for gaming
Running Windows games using Wine, Proton, or Lutris
Optimizing performance for the best gaming experience

1. Understanding Wine, Proton, DXVK, and Lutris

Before setting things up, let's break down these key technologies:

Wine

Wine (Wine Is Not an Emulator) allows you to run Windows applications on Linux without a virtual machine.
It translates Windows API calls into POSIX-compatible calls in real time.
Many Windows games work on Wine, but some need additional tweaks.

Proton

Developed by Valve, Proton is a compatibility layer built on Wine but optimized for gaming.
Comes bundled with Steam Play, allowing you to play many Windows games directly from Steam.
Uses DXVK and VKD3D to improve DirectX performance on Linux.

DXVK

DXVK translates DirectX 9, 10, and 11 calls into Vulkan API calls.
Significantly improves performance for DirectX-based games on Linux.
Works with both Wine and Proton.

Lutris

Lutris is a game manager that helps you install and run Windows games using Wine, DXVK, and Proton.
Supports GOG, Epic Games, Battle.net, Ubisoft Connect, Origin, and more.
Makes Wine gaming easier by providing community-made install scripts.

2. Setting Up Your Linux System for Gaming

Step 1: Install Graphics Drivers

Before anything, ensure your GPU drivers are up to date.

For Arch based system

AMD (Mesa Drivers)

pacman -S mesa lib32-mesa libva-mesa-driver lib32-libva-mesa-driver mesa-vdpau lib32-mesa-vdpau libva-vdpau-driver lib32-libva-vdpau-driver vulkan-radeon lib32-vulkan-radeon vulkan-icd-loader lib32-vulkan-icd-loader

NVIDIA

pacman -S mesa lib32-mesa vulkan-icd-loader lib32-vulkan-icd-loader nvidia nvidia-utils lib32-nvidia-utils libvdpau lib32-libvdpau

INTEL

pacman -S vulkan-intel

Step 2: Install Wine

On Arch-based systems, install Wine and dependencies:

sudo pacman -S wine wine-staging winetricks

For Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install wine winetricks

Step 3: Install Steam with Proton

If you're using Steam, install it first:

sudo pacman -S steam

Enable Steam Play in Steam settings:

Open Steam > Settings > Steam Play

Enable Steam Play for all titles

Select the latest Proton version

Step 4: Install DXVK (for non-Steam Games)

For Wine users who want to run non-Steam games, manually install DXVK:

wget https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/releases/latest/download/dxvk.tar.gz
tar -xvf dxvk.tar.gz
cd dxvk-x.x
./setup_dxvk.sh install

3. Running Windows Games with Wine/Proton

For Steam Games

Just install the game via Steam.

If it doesn't work out of the box, force Proton:

Right-click the game > Properties > Compatibility

Enable "Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool"

Choose the latest Proton version

For Non-Steam Games (Using Wine)

1. Create a Wine Prefix

WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-game WINEARCH=win64 winecfg

2. Install Game Dependencies (if needed)

WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-game winetricks corefonts vcrun2019 dxvk

3. Run the Game

WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-game wine game.exe

4. Optimizing Performance

Enable Fsync & Esync

Fsync and Esync improve performance in some games.

Add this to the launch options in Steam:

PROTON_NO_ESYNC=1 %command%

PROTON_NO_FSYNC=1 %command%

Use Game-Specific Proton Versions (Proton-GE)

Proton-GE is a community-built Proton version that often includes patches for better performance.

Install ProtonUp-Qt:

sudo pacman -S protonup-qt

Run ProtonUp-Qt and install the latest Proton-GE version.

Enable AMD FSR (For Low-End GPUs)

You can use FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) to upscale resolution and boost FPS:

1. Add this to launch options in Steam:

WINE_FULLSCREEN_FSR=1 %command%

2. Works best in fullscreen mode

Enable DXVK in Lutris

Open Lutris

Select the game > Configure

Under Runner Options, enable DXVK

5. Checking Game Compatibility

Before installing a game, check its compatibility on ProtonDB and Lutris.net:

🔗 https://www.protondb.com

🔗 https://lutris.net

ProtonDB provides reports on how well games work with Proton.

Lutris.net offers Wine installation scripts for many Windows games.

Final Thoughts

With Wine, Proton, DXVK, and Lutris, gaming on Linux is more accessible than ever.

Use Proton for Steam games.

Use Lutris for non-Steam games like Epic, GOG, Battle.net, etc.

Enable DXVK and tweak settings for the best performance.

Have you tried gaming on Linux? What are your experiences? Let me know in the comments!