DEV Community: RedVase

AUR-Style Package Manager for Termux (termux app store)

RedVase — Wed, 20 May 2026 14:27:26 +0000

If you've ever used Arch Linux, you know the AUR (Arch User Repository) is one of its killer features. You want a tool? yay -S tool-name. Done. Community-built, source-verified, no gatekeeping.

Then you move to Termux on Android, and suddenly you're back to:

git clone https://github.com/<example>/<example-tool>
cd <example-tool>
chmod +x install.sh
bash install.sh

Every. Single. Tool.

That friction bothered me. So I built something about it.

What is termux-app-store?

termux-app-store is a TUI (Terminal User Interface) and CLI package manager for Termux — built specifically to work the way AUR works for Arch Linux, but adapted natively for Termux on Android.

It lets you:

Browse community tools visually with a touchscreen-friendly TUI
Build and install tools from source using verified build.sh scripts
Manage installed tools — update, upgrade, uninstall — all from one place
Work offline — no cloud dependency, no account, no telemetry

# Install it
pkg install python
pip install termux-app-store

# Open the TUI
termux-app-store

# Or use CLI directly
termux-app-store install <tool-name>
termux-app-store list
termux-app-store upgrade

How is it different from `termux-packages` or TUR?

This comes up a lot, so here's the honest breakdown:

	`termux-packages`	TUR	termux-app-store
Maintained by	Core Termux team	Curated contributors	Open community
Needs approval?	Yes, strict	Yes	No — PR merged, immediately usable
Binary distribution?	Yes	Yes	No — builds from source locally
Good for personal tools?	No	Limited	Yes
SHA256 verified?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Works offline?	No	No	Yes, fully

The key difference: termux-app-store is for tools that are too niche or personal for the official repos. You build locally, you control everything, nothing runs without your explicit command.

Think of it as the community layer on top of Termux — not a replacement for pkg.

The AUR similarity, and where it diverges

AUR packages use PKGBUILD files. termux-app-store uses build.sh files with a similar structure:

TERMUX_PKG_HOMEPAGE="https://github.com/your/tool"
TERMUX_PKG_DESCRIPTION="Your tool description"
TERMUX_PKG_LICENSE="MIT"
TERMUX_PKG_MAINTAINER="@your-github-username"
TERMUX_PKG_VERSION="1.0.0"
TERMUX_PKG_SRCURL="https://github.com/your/tool/archive/refs/tags/v1.0.0.tar.gz"
TERMUX_PKG_SHA256="abc123..."

Submit a PR with your build.sh, and once merged — anyone running termux-app-store can install your tool with one command. No server required. No binary hosting. No approval gate beyond the PR itself.

The TUI — why it matters for Termux specifically

On desktop, you have package manager GUIs. On Termux, you have... a terminal. The TUI fills that gap without needing X11 or a GUI environment.

It's built with Textual, so it works fully on touchscreens — you can tap to install, no keyboard required.

Features:

Real-time search and filter across all packages
Smart badge system: NEW, UPDATE, INSTALLED, UNSUPPORTED
One-tap install via build-package.sh
Auto-detects unsupported Termux dependencies before you waste time building

Installing and trying it

# Option 1: via PyPI (recommended)
pkg install python
pip install termux-app-store
termux-app-store

# Option 2: via curl (minimal download)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/djunekz/termux-app-store/master/tasctl | bash -s install

# Option 3: full clone
git clone https://github.com/djunekz/termux-app-store
cd termux-app-store
bash install.sh

Contributing a package

If you have a Termux tool sitting in a GitHub repo and want others to be able to install it easily:

# 1. Fork the repo
# 2. Create your package folder
mkdir packages/your-tool-name

# 3. Use the scaffold tool
./termux-build create your-tool-name

# 4. Validate before submitting
./termux-build lint packages/your-tool-name

# 5. Submit a Pull Request

The termux-build tool helps you validate, lint, and check PR readiness — it only reads, never modifies or uploads anything.

Why build this instead of just using Tool-X or similar?

Tools like Tool-X are great for installing pre-known hacking tools. termux-app-store is designed for a broader use case:

Any tool, not just security tools
Full source transparency — you see every line before it runs
SHA256 verification on every package
Offline-first — works without stable internet
Community-extensible — anyone can submit a build.sh

Links

GitHub: https://github.com/djunekz/termux-app-store
PyPI: https://pypi.org/project/termux-app-store/
Website: https://termux-app-store.pages.dev

If you've been looking for an AUR-equivalent for Termux — this is it. Try it out, submit a package, or just leave a star if it's useful to you. Feedback and PRs are always welcome.

Built by @djunekz — independent open source developer.

Search terms for discoverability:
termux package manager · AUR for Termux · termux install tools from source · termux TUI · termux community packages · termux alternative package manager · termux offline installer · android terminal package manager

Termux App Store — A TUI Package Manager for Termux

RedVase — Sat, 09 May 2026 17:10:05 +0000

Hey everyone,

I’ve been working on a project called Termux App Store — a terminal-based app store / package manager experience designed specifically for Termux on Android.

The main goal is to make discovering, installing, and even sharing tools easier directly from the terminal without needing a full graphical UI.

Why I made it

Using Termux on mobile is powerful, but sometimes:

remembering package names is annoying
typing long install commands on a phone is tedious
discovering new tools isn’t very user-friendly
sharing personal scripts/tools can feel fragmented

So I wanted to experiment with something that feels more like an “app store” experience while still staying fully inside the terminal.

Features

Modern TUI interface
Browse tools interactively
Search packages quickly
Install tools directly from the UI
Lightweight and mobile-friendly
Works entirely in terminal
Community-driven tool uploads/distribution
Easy navigation without memorizing commands
Designed specifically for the Termux ecosystem

Idea Behind It

Instead of:

pkg install something
git clone something
cd something
bash install.sh

You can browse and manage tools in one place with a cleaner workflow.

The idea is not to replace Termux packages, but to create a more user-friendly layer for discovering and distributing tools/scripts/projects inside the community.

Current Status

Still actively being developed and improved.

I’m experimenting with:

better package management
repository integration
smoother UI/UX
upload/distribution system
plugin-style architecture
performance improvements for low-end devices

Feedback Welcome

I’d love feedback from the Termux community:

What features would you want?
What would make it genuinely useful?
What problems do you face using Termux on mobile?

GitHub:
https://github.com/djunekz/termux-app-store

Demo / Screenshots:
https://github.com/djunekz/termux-app-store

Thanks for reading 🙌

Leveling Up Your Termux Experience: A Lightweight GUI/TUI Alternative Package Manager

RedVase — Wed, 06 May 2026 01:03:13 +0000

Stop Memorizing Package Names: A TUI App Store for Termux

As a Termux user, we all know the routine: you open the terminal, you type pkg install, and then you realize you forgot the exact package name. Or you're just tired of the standard command-line interface and want something more intuitive to browse packages.

That's exactly why I built termux-app-store.

The Problem

Managing packages in Termux can be tedious. Finding new tools or remembering specific commands can slow down your workflow, especially when you just want to get things running quickly on your Android device.

The Solution: A TUI Approach

I wanted to bridge the gap between "I need a tool" and "It's installed." termux-app-store is a Terminal User Interface (TUI) based package manager designed to make your Termux experience smoother, faster, and more visual.

Key Features

Intuitive TUI: Navigate through packages using your keyboard or screen without digging through documentation.
No Root Required: It works seamlessly within the standard Termux environment.
Efficiency: Designed to be lightweight and fast.
Open Source: Built for the community, by the community djunekz.github.io/termux-app-store .

How to Get Started

Getting it running is straightforward. You can clone the repository and run it directly:

git clone [https://github.com/djunekz/termux-app-store](https://github.com/djunekz/termux-app-store)
cd termux-app-store

I tried to simplify installing GitHub tools on Termux (it’s harder than I thought)

RedVase — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:12:35 +0000

The problem

Installing random tools from GitHub on Termux is... messy.

Every repo is different:

some use pip
some are just standalone scripts
others mix bash + Python
some don’t even have a clear entrypoint

Even worse, something that works locally can break after installation.

What I noticed

After trying multiple tools, I kept running into:

missing dependencies
unclear install steps
no releases or versioning
inconsistent project structures

It feels like there’s no standard.

The idea

So I started experimenting with a small tool that tries to:

detect how a repo should be installed
generate a build script automatically
turn it into an installable package on Termux

Basically, something like a lightweight “app store” for GitHub tools.

The challenge

The deeper I go, the more edge cases I find:

repos without releases
projects that rely on relative paths
Python dependencies that don’t map cleanly to system packages
tools that assume a specific folder structure

Open question

Is there a better way to standardize this?

How do you usually handle installing random GitHub tools on Termux?

If you're curious, I've been experimenting with this here:
Repository