Programming on my phone is the only reason I am still using an Android phone (with Termux). That and a real filesystem. I actually use so many terminal tools that I can't imagine migrating to a bunch of GUI apps. Like gopass for passwords management, git for syncing my notes, nvim for writing etc.
With Android 15 you even get a full blown Linux VM running on KVM.
I was actually tempted to switch when AAA games like AC got ported to iOS, but then I remembered I love programming more than gaming.
jl6 · 16m ago
My mobile OS dream has always been to have a phone that I can plug into a docking cradle (or maybe just a USB-C cable these days) to connect it to a full size monitor, keyboard and mouse, and then use it as a regular PC, and then unplug it and have the same “data state” available on the mobile OS (albeit perhaps with different apps, reflecting the different input methods and screen size).
Is this any closer to becoming reality with modern Android?
nromiun · 13m ago
Yes, this is possible with Samsung Dex.
However, when I sit in front of a big screen it is just easier to connect a "real" PC to it. Syncing data between my desktop and phones are pretty fast anyway.
fsflover · 1m ago
> to have a phone that I can plug into a docking cradle (or maybe just a USB-C cable these days) to connect it to a full size monitor, keyboard and mouse, and then use it as a regular PC
A friend of mine has been doing that for several years now on his phone. He does it since he's so incredibly mobile for work.
Not sure which model though. So yes, somewhere, somehow this is possible.
rikafurude21 · 11m ago
Thank you for giving me a reason to switch away from iPhones.
znpy · 32m ago
> With Android 15 you even get a full blown Linux VM running on KVM.
With Apple discontinuing the small iPhone se and Android being able to run on folding phones that unfold to have an 8" display... Spending money on an Android phone is interesting again.
eadmund · 45m ago
> Offline folders
> This is like rsync for your phone. In fact I would not be surprised if this is implemented using rsync. Once you configure an offline folder, it will two-way sync that folder while you use the app. The kicker is: on your phone you can now open that folder in another app (like an editor) and make changes. When you switch back to the shellfish app, the changes are uploaded almost instantly.
One can get this killer feature for free with Android and Syncthing. It’s definitely pretty nice!
And of course one can also run Emacs and other free (as in speech or beer) text editors on Android.
IIRC there are a couple of ways to get a full Linux command line environment as well.
I ended up moving away from it just because ‘typing’ with my thumb is painful.
hnlmorg · 1h ago
I’ve explored this idea of portable computing using a mobile form factor for years too. So long that the first devices I tried were PDAs with compact-flash micro drives.
I actually preferred those devices for development work because the stylus is a much better input device than fat fingers when it comes to precision input. However you then lose the one-handed feature that the author is keen on.
These days, MacBook Pros have such long battery lives that I couldn’t imagine wanting to use a phone-form-factor for any serious work. But maybe the new style phones bendable screens that flip open like a book, might tempt me back to using a phone for development work again. Unfortunately such devices are currently Android-only at present.
pjmlp · 1h ago
I keep telling that one scenario I actually would embrace AI glady, is fast enough reckognintion so that I can use a digital pen across all mobile/tablet apps, I rather use that than carry around a 2-1 or detachable keyboard.
On Apple devices it is kind of ok, Android outside Samsung is still pretty much hit-and-miss.
Likewise I don't want AI chat boxes, I want to speak with my computer, in my native language, again still not there yet.
teekert · 1h ago
I've also thought about it a lot, but I just need that big screen.
That does not rule out having your phone as your primary development device of course. I was already pleasantly surprised that when I tried to charge my iPad with the USB-C dangling of my ultrawide, the screen came to life! Sadly with the iPad's own screen ratio. My screen-attached wireless keyboard and mouse did work though!
I still dream of having normal Linux (or GrapheneOS, or PostMarketOS) on something like a Fairphone and being able to plug it in USB-C and just work (I just need a terminal, perhaps an editor, and a browser of course). Ubuntu Phone came so close :'( Maybe it becomes workable on the FairPhone 6... (actually, it seems like it is working? Can it do the desktop thing? It does say "Wired External monitor :check:")
Or you know, at least a Padfone [0] (just kidding, I'm just always looking for an excuse to share this masterpiece of a video).
Some Android handsets can already so think. I think Samsung phones might.
I was pleasantly surprised with my Son relatively budget Samsung phones, when I plugged it into an external monitor. Instead of showing a the phone screen on the monitor (like an iPhone would), it loaded up a different desktop that looked more like Ubuntu than it did like Android.
I can’t remember the specifics but it was definitely designed to be used with a keyboard and mouse.
wisenull · 47m ago
It was probably Samsung DeX.
Samsung is helping Google to develop a similar thing for Android.
You can run the browser without any issues, use ssh with JuiceSSH and have the terminal. Running vim on there might be an option but another editor that is not a TUI might be more troublesome.
teekert · 47m ago
Yeah I heard this too about Samsung phones. Very nice. But I do prefer something more "freedom loving" than Android (with Play services) or iOS.
I will keep dreaming and in the mean time keep my Linux Laptop close.
danieldk · 44m ago
I think Fairphone 6 does not have DP-Alt and only USB 2 data transfer, so there is no way to drive a hi-res screen.
Google Pixel is supposed to ship a more complete desktop in Android 16 QPR1. Also has a Linux VM.
Of course, Samsung has had a pretty complete desktop on phones that support DeX for a while now.
nehal3m · 1h ago
Ubuntu Touch was a little buggy on my FP4 and flashing Calyx back over it required some finagling with the sensor suite. It was pretty slow and the phone was hot to the touch, so I would agree it was not ready for prime time when I tested it 2.5 years ago.
In principle however, it worked.
RS-232 · 9m ago
Pythonista is awesome. Although it hasn’t been updated in 2 years and only supports 3.10, it’s still a beautiful and capable Python IDE.
Now that iOS and Android are Tier 3 platforms, we should be getting closer to the day that we can generate an IPA or APK from our Python project in a single click.
VagabundoP · 7m ago
That would be really cool. I've an iPad pro and keyboard that I've love to use more for adhoc coding and projects and not just reading comics. :D
Martha02 · 1h ago
I miss physical keyboards, like those on BlackBerry devices. Honestly, I think
SSHing into Claude Code from a phone with a physical keyboard would actually be a
decent choice for vibe coding today. But maybe I just want a 12-inch M-chip
MacBook
(obviously flip out phones have a lot of moving parts to get damaged)
Greenpants · 3m ago
I've had this phone as my main device for half a year and now using a Pixel 9 Pro Fold sometimes in "laptop" folded mode. So far, neither of these devices come close in my typing speed to a proper keyboard. The F(x)tec was great though because you do get all special characters in tactile buttons; on the Fold I constantly need to check my keyboard and make sure I'm writing what I think I'm writing. And, it's a shame that the space in between letters on the 'Gboard' keyboard on the Fold remains unused, when it could've been a perfect mouse trackpad.
I think the ideal form factor for a proper development phone would be the Astro Slide (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/astro-slide-5g-transforme...) – I haven't personally used it but I can imagine it's the smallest size possible for proper two-handed typing. The F(x)tec was a two-thumber instead.
pjmlp · 58m ago
It should have a voice controlled way in that case, at least that is my point oof view on towards all clusmy chat bot interfaces, AI usage should be transparent.
iaalm · 57m ago
Tried to develop on mobile too. The only issue is the physical keyboard. At that time, I did think about redesign the keyboard for phone to get a precise input experience
prmoustache · 26m ago
> I am now using a combination of three great apps that allow me to write code in any language using only one hand, holding my son in the other!
With Android 15 you even get a full blown Linux VM running on KVM.
I was actually tempted to switch when AAA games like AC got ported to iOS, but then I remembered I love programming more than gaming.
Is this any closer to becoming reality with modern Android?
However, when I sit in front of a big screen it is just easier to connect a "real" PC to it. Syncing data between my desktop and phones are pretty fast anyway.
This phone exists: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5, and it's my daily driver.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Continuum
Not sure which model though. So yes, somewhere, somehow this is possible.
With Apple discontinuing the small iPhone se and Android being able to run on folding phones that unfold to have an 8" display... Spending money on an Android phone is interesting again.
> This is like rsync for your phone. In fact I would not be surprised if this is implemented using rsync. Once you configure an offline folder, it will two-way sync that folder while you use the app. The kicker is: on your phone you can now open that folder in another app (like an editor) and make changes. When you switch back to the shellfish app, the changes are uploaded almost instantly.
One can get this killer feature for free with Android and Syncthing. It’s definitely pretty nice!
And of course one can also run Emacs and other free (as in speech or beer) text editors on Android.
IIRC there are a couple of ways to get a full Linux command line environment as well.
I ended up moving away from it just because ‘typing’ with my thumb is painful.
I actually preferred those devices for development work because the stylus is a much better input device than fat fingers when it comes to precision input. However you then lose the one-handed feature that the author is keen on.
These days, MacBook Pros have such long battery lives that I couldn’t imagine wanting to use a phone-form-factor for any serious work. But maybe the new style phones bendable screens that flip open like a book, might tempt me back to using a phone for development work again. Unfortunately such devices are currently Android-only at present.
On Apple devices it is kind of ok, Android outside Samsung is still pretty much hit-and-miss.
Likewise I don't want AI chat boxes, I want to speak with my computer, in my native language, again still not there yet.
That does not rule out having your phone as your primary development device of course. I was already pleasantly surprised that when I tried to charge my iPad with the USB-C dangling of my ultrawide, the screen came to life! Sadly with the iPad's own screen ratio. My screen-attached wireless keyboard and mouse did work though!
I still dream of having normal Linux (or GrapheneOS, or PostMarketOS) on something like a Fairphone and being able to plug it in USB-C and just work (I just need a terminal, perhaps an editor, and a browser of course). Ubuntu Phone came so close :'( Maybe it becomes workable on the FairPhone 6... (actually, it seems like it is working? Can it do the desktop thing? It does say "Wired External monitor :check:")
Or you know, at least a Padfone [0] (just kidding, I'm just always looking for an excuse to share this masterpiece of a video).
[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2ANnpHnUrc
I was pleasantly surprised with my Son relatively budget Samsung phones, when I plugged it into an external monitor. Instead of showing a the phone screen on the monitor (like an iPhone would), it loaded up a different desktop that looked more like Ubuntu than it did like Android.
I can’t remember the specifics but it was definitely designed to be used with a keyboard and mouse.
You can run the browser without any issues, use ssh with JuiceSSH and have the terminal. Running vim on there might be an option but another editor that is not a TUI might be more troublesome.
I will keep dreaming and in the mean time keep my Linux Laptop close.
Google Pixel is supposed to ship a more complete desktop in Android 16 QPR1. Also has a Linux VM.
Of course, Samsung has had a pretty complete desktop on phones that support DeX for a while now.
In principle however, it worked.
Now that iOS and Android are Tier 3 platforms, we should be getting closer to the day that we can generate an IPA or APK from our Python project in a single click.
(obviously flip out phones have a lot of moving parts to get damaged)
I think the ideal form factor for a proper development phone would be the Astro Slide (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/astro-slide-5g-transforme...) – I haven't personally used it but I can imagine it's the smallest size possible for proper two-handed typing. The F(x)tec was a two-thumber instead.
The last part is kind of depressing really.