Turn Termux into a full Debian Trixie desktop — one command, zero config, no root.
- One-command installation — run a single
curl | bashand walk away - Full Debian Trixie — latest packages, not stale Bookworm
- XFCE4 desktop — lightweight, fast, familiar
- Auto-launch Termux-X11 — run
debian-guiand the app opens automatically - PulseAudio — sound out of the box
- Firefox ESR — web browser included
- Self-healing — interrupted? Re-run. It skips completed steps.
- No root required — everything runs user-space via proot
Termux (Android)
└─ proot-distro (user-space chroot)
└─ Debian Trixie
├─ CLI: debian
└─ GUI: debian-gui → termux-x11 + XFCE4
No kernel modifications, no system partitions, no bootloaders. Just a proot container running a full Debian environment with X11 forwarding to the Termux-X11 Android app.
| App | Details |
|---|---|
| Termux | Install from F-Droid only — the Play Store version is outdated |
| Termux-X11 APK | Download from the releases page and install as a normal Android app |
Both APKs (ARM64) are also bundled in the v1.0 release assets for convenience.
Requirements: Android 7.0+, ARM64 recommended, 4 GB+ free storage.
Open Termux and paste this command:
curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/highoncomputers/termux-debian-auto/main/install.sh | bashThe installer handles everything automatically. Sit back and relax while it runs through 9 steps:
| Step | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | Checks architecture and available storage |
| 2 | Installs Termux packages: proot-distro, termux-x11, pulseaudio, wget |
| 3 | Creates debian and debian-gui launcher commands |
| 4 | Downloads Debian (tarball) and upgrades it to Trixie |
| 5 | Installs XFCE4, Firefox ESR, PulseAudio, sudo, and more |
| 6 | Configures XFCE4 theme, terminal, and desktop settings |
| 7 | Configures PulseAudio for audio forwarding |
| 8 | Verifies the installation |
| 9 | Prints completion summary |
Interrupted? Just run the same command again. Completed steps are skipped automatically. No cleanup needed.
debianOpens a root shell inside Debian Trixie. Use sudo apt install <package> to add software.
debian-guiThis single command does everything automatically:
- Starts the X11 server in the background
- Opens the Termux-X11 Android app (no manual tapping needed)
- Waits 5 seconds for initialization
- Logs into Debian Trixie
- Launches the XFCE4 desktop with PulseAudio and display forwarding
Pro tip: swipe from the left edge of the Termux-X11 screen to see the full desktop with panels and window manager.
| Aspect | termux-debian-auto | Manual proot-distro | UserLAnd | Andronix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup time | ~5 min (automated) | 20-30 min (manual) | ~10 min | ~10 min |
| Desktop quality | Full XFCE4 | You configure it | Laggy | Requires subscription |
| Audio | PulseAudio included | Manual setup | Limited | Limited |
| Auto X11 launch | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Self-healing | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Cost | Free (GPL-3.0) | Free | Free tier limited | Paid mods |
| Debian version | Trixie (testing) | Bookworm (stable) | Bookworm | Varies |
Do I need root? No. Everything runs in user-space via proot.
Why Trixie instead of Bookworm? Debian Trixie (testing, will become stable) has significantly newer packages — newer kernels, browsers, development tools, and libraries.
Can I install more packages? Yes. Inside the CLI: sudo apt install <package>. Or from the GUI: open a terminal and run the same command.
Is re-running safe? Yes. State markers in ~/.termux-debian-auto/ track each completed step. Re-running only executes unfinished steps.
Does audio work? Yes. PulseAudio is configured to forward audio from the proot to your Android device.
Can I access Android files? Yes. Inside the proot, your Termux home is accessible and Android storage can be accessed via /sdcard.
Why not Docker? Docker requires root and a custom kernel — neither is available on stock Android. proot provides the same isolation without those requirements.
What if the installer fails? Re-run the same curl | bash command. It resumes from where it left off.
Stay updated on new tools and updates:
GNU General Public License v3.0 — see LICENSE.