Install a Linux Distro in Termux With proot-distro

Need apt, a fuller userland, or a familiar distro shell without leaving the phone? The Termux wiki’s PRoot page points to proot-distro: install a userspace Linux distribution inside Termux. No rooting, no bootloader unlock, no exploits—just a packaged rootfs managed by the official tool.

What You Need

Install proot-distro → Debian → login

1. 01

   Step 1: Install proot-distro

   Wiki command:

   pkg update
   pkg install proot-distro
   proot-distro help | head

2. 02

   Step 2: List supported distros

   proot-distro list

   Aliases change over time (Alpine, Arch, Debian, Ubuntu, …). Pick one marked supported for your CPU. This guide uses debian—the wiki’s example.

3. 03

   Step 3: Install Debian

   proot-distro install debian

   Stay on Wi‑Fi until it finishes. Re-run proot-distro list afterward—debian should show as installed.

4. 04

   Step 4: Login to a shell

   proot-distro login debian

   You’re in the distro’s root shell (userspace). Try uname -a, cat /etc/os-release, then exit to return to Termux. Inside Debian you can use that distro’s package manager for software that isn’t packaged for Termux—still only for legitimate learning/admin of your own environment.

5. 05

   Step 5: Manage installs

   Useful wiki commands:

   proot-distro reset debian    # reinstall rootfs
   proot-distro remove debian   # delete when finished

   Only remove when you no longer need the data inside that rootfs.