Guide: How to install Termux on the External Storage (Android Adoptable Storage)

[HaruYou27]

Requirement

1. Root access
2. Android shell access (adb shell or terminal emulation app)
3. SD card.

Step by step

1. You need to format your SD card as Internal Storage. Make sure to backup your data on the SD card before doing that.
2. Follow this guide on google support to format your SD card.
3. Go to Settings -> Developer Options and enable Force allow apps on external to forcibly move Termux to SD card.
4. Go to Settings -> Apps -> Termux -> Storage -> Move to SD card or Change storage or whatever similar option.
5. Now use a Root file explorer and go to mnt/expand/
6. You should see a folder here with a name like 60a327d3-d9af-49ca-99af-ff98f7ec86b0, that's where your SD card is mounted. (The name will be different but it's kinda look like that)
7. Go into that folder and locate com.termux folder in user/
8. Finally, you need to create symlink in /data/data/ because Termux is hardcoded to that location.

I use adb shell with root access, but an Android terminal emulator with root access might also works.

9. Plug your phone to your PC, I assume that you know how to setup adb.
10. adb root to get root access
11. adb shell to open Android shell
12. cd /data/data to go to where Termux expected.
13. ln -s <path to your com.termux folder> In my case it's ln -s /mnt/expand/60a327d3-d9af-49ca-99af-ff98f7ec86b0/user/0/com.termux
14. Open your Termux app and see if it's working fine.

[Biswa96]

If anyone is using this method with LineageOS termux may not connect with network after reboot. In that case, go to Settings > Apps > Termux > mobile data & Wi-Fi > toggle 'Unrestricted data usage' on and off. Now termux can connect with network. Follow those above steps after every reboot.

The issue and workaround was reported here https://gitlab.com/LineageOS/issues/android/-/issues/6444

[Musheer360]

I was able to install it on the SD card, but after each reboot Termux get reset, and it installs bootstrap packages again.

[HaruYou27]

I was able to install it on the SD card, but after each reboot Termux get reset, and it installs bootstrap packages again.

Did Termux re-install bootstrap packeges on your internal storage ? Some Android OS check all apps on boot and fix any abnormally.

[shiumano]

Alternatives that do not require root access
#3567 (reply in thread)

[Biswa96]

"but in my environment, the linker gave an error and stopped working." - do you mean it does not work?

[shiumano]

Yes, I don't remember much better now that I don't use this method anymore, but I do remember that there was an error in some binary.
I moved all the /data/data/com.termux/files and created a symbolic link, but it stopped working properly.

It may work fine. Even if it didn't work, it would almost never be a problem with proot.

[kuskebabi]

also root file manager isnt needed. as you can access filesystem from adb shell itself. you just need to cd/ls to the path at sdcard and copy it, then do the command at /data/data

[agnostic-apollo]

You don't need root and its not recommended to create directories under /data/data for apps that don't exist. Have told you this before on matrix.

All you need to do is install a Termux plugin that has same sharedUserId as termux-app, like Termux:Boot and install that plugin app on external storage and Termux app on internal storage. Then run adb shell "pm dump com.termux.boot | grep 'dataDir='" to find dataDir= path of the plugin app from pc using adb. Then open a failsafe session in Termux and run rm -rf "/data/data/com.termux/files" and then ln -s "<data_dir_path_of_plugin/termux/rootfs>" "/data/data/com.termux/files", where <data_dir_path_of_plugin/termux/rootfs> is something like /mnt/expand/VVVVVVVV-VVVV-VVVV-VVVV-VVVVVVVVVVVV/user/0/com.termux.boot/termux/rootfs, and then restart Termux app so that bootstrap gets installed.

You can also find the data directory path of the plugin from in-app Termux settings about page under FILES_DIR heading in v0.119.0-beta.1, and remove the /files suffix, so adb/root isn't needed either. Maybe a plugin that automatically does this can be created too.

[atikattar1104]

Is It Possible To Have The Bootstraped And Functional RootFS Moved To A User Accessible Location (E.g. /storage/emulated/0/Termux_RootFS/, Or Etc.), And Then Create A Symlink At Termux's Hardcoded Location, Pointing To That Moved RootFS Path?

If Possible, The Termux App Itself Would Be Equivalent To A Computer Which Supports Live Booting, And The Moved RootFS Would Be Equivalent To A Portable Live ISO With Persistency.

This Would Also Allow Adding Encryption To The RootFS, Considering A Large Number Of Enthusiasts Have Worked On Creating Vault Apps With Various Encryption Methods And Algorithms Support Like Veracrypt (Apps :- AndroidCrypt, Arcanum, EDS Lite, Etc.), LUKS (Apps :- EDS Lite, Etc.), GoCryptFS And CryFS (Apps :- DroidFS, Etc.), And Various Other Encryption Methods And Algorithms.

If Possible, This Would Make Termux, A Linux Subsystem For Android, That Is Highly Secure And Protected Against Surveillance.

[robertkirkman]

/storage/emulated/0/Termux_RootFS/

unfortunately, this location does not work unless the partition filesystem type of /storage/emulated is changed from sdcardfs to something else, which requires root and probably recompiling the ROM with patches.

[atikattar1104]

Yeah. sdcardfs Is A Restrictive Filesystem, Only Allowing CRUD Ops From File Management Perspective. This Can't Work.

There Are Some Veracrypt Based Vault Creation Softwares That Require The Created Vault To Be Formatted To FAT Or exFAT. I Think Veracrypt Itself Needs These Formats To Work. Would Any Of These Work?

Also, I Found Out That The Filesystem Formats Used In /data Path, Which Are EXT4 For Low End Phones, And F2FS For Modern High End Flagship Phones. Since None Of The Vaults Support A FS Format Like These, Veracrypt Based Approach Would Likely Fail.

BUT, If We Use Apps Like Anemo And Aer, Which Use The Same /data Path To Store Data, Just Without Powerful Encryption Algorithms, But Rather Password And Biometric-Based Storage Location Access, And Use DocumentsUI/SAF's Path For Anemo's And Aer's Mounted Path As Symlink Destination For The Symlink Created At Termux Hardcoded Location /data/data/com.termux/, We Should Be Able To (THEORETICALLY) Boot Termux Environment From This New Path.

[atikattar1104]

NVM, You Cannot Create A Symlink To content:// URI 🫩.

[musty20580-tech]

Thanks for the update