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What you are actually installing
The setup is layered: Android runs Termux; Termux runs an Ubuntu userland through PRoot; ROS 2 runs inside Ubuntu.
Android
└── Termux
└── Ubuntu 24.04 through proot-distro
└── ROS 2 JazzyThis distinction matters. Native Termux packages are built for Android’s Bionic environment, not Ubuntu’s usual glibc-based system and filesystem layout. Standard ROS packages are therefore not normally installed with Termux’s pkg command. Install them inside the Ubuntu userland instead. Termux explains its execution environment and filesystem differences in its execution environment documentation and filesystem layout guide.
PRoot supplies a Linux-style userland without root access, but it does not replace Android’s kernel with an Ubuntu kernel. That is why software expecting conventional Linux privileges, kernel features, or direct device access may fail. See the proot-distro project.
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What is realistic on a phone?
| Task | What to expect |
|---|---|
| ROS 2 command-line tools and basic nodes | Reasonable for learning and experimentation on a suitable 64-bit device. |
| Python or C++ nodes and small workspaces | Possible, though compilation may be slow and dependencies can expose PRoot or architecture limitations. |
| ROS 2 networking with a PC or robot | Useful when both devices can communicate on the network and DDS discovery is permitted. |
| RViz and other graphical tools | May be possible through Termux:X11, but display forwarding does not guarantee working 3D acceleration. |
| Gazebo and substantial simulation | Usually a poor fit because of resource demands, graphics compatibility, and PRoot limitations. |
| USB serial, cameras, LiDAR, CAN, GPIO, or robot drivers | Unreliable without device-specific Android access and permissions; installing ROS does not provide Linux device drivers. |
| Real-time motor control | Not a dependable use case for Android and PRoot. |
ROS 1 is a legacy path with old mainstream Ubuntu targets, so this guide focuses on ROS 2. Jazzy is the sensible default for an Ubuntu 24.04 setup; Kilted is another option for readers who specifically need that release, but the Android/Termux arrangement remains unofficial. ROS identifies its supported platforms and releases in its getting-started overview. Current binary package support is for selected Linux platforms, not Android or Termux, as the ROS 2 installation documentation makes clear.
Check your device and Termux installation
- Architecture: Prefer 64-bit ARM. In Termux, run
uname -m;aarch64is the expected result. A 32-bit ARM device is a poor candidate for current Ubuntu 24.04 ROS binaries. - Android version: Current Termux app support is for Android 7 or newer. Termux:X11 requires Android 8 or newer.
- Storage and memory: Leave several gigabytes free, especially if you plan to compile packages or install desktop tools. The required space depends on what you install.
- App source: Install Termux and any add-ons from the same signing source. Mixing builds from different sources can cause signature conflicts. Check the Termux app project for current distribution guidance.
- Background operation: Android may suspend or kill Termux processes. Disable battery optimization for Termux if you need a node to run for an extended session; this still does not make the phone suitable for unattended control.
Install Ubuntu 24.04 in Termux
In the Termux host shell, update packages and install the Ubuntu userland:
pkg updatepkg upgradepkg install proot-distroproot-distro install ubuntuproot-distro login ubuntu
Inside Ubuntu, confirm the release and architecture before adding ROS packages:
cat /etc/os-release
dpkg --print-architecture
uname -mThe ROS binary instructions below are for Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble) on a supported 64-bit architecture. If the image is a different Ubuntu release, or reports an unexpected architecture, do not assume the same package installation will work.
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Most ordinary proot-distro Ubuntu sessions identify the user as root within that userland. Check with id. If it reports root, run apt directly; you do not need to add sudo.
Install ROS 2 Jazzy
The steps follow the official Ubuntu package route, adapted to the Ubuntu userland inside PRoot. Start by installing the prerequisites and setting a UTF-8 locale, which ROS requires:
apt update
apt upgrade -y
apt install -y locales curl software-properties-common
python3-pip python3-rosdep python3-colcon-common-extensions
build-essential git
locale-gen en_US en_US.UTF-8
update-locale LANG=en_US.UTF-8 LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8
export LANG=en_US.UTF-8Configure the ROS apt repository using its maintained release package:
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export ROS_APT_SOURCE_VERSION=$(
curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/ros-infrastructure/ros-apt-source/releases/latest |
grep -F "tag_name" |
awk -F" '{print $4}'
)
curl -L -o /tmp/ros2-apt-source.deb
"https://github.com/ros-infrastructure/ros-apt-source/releases/download/${ROS_APT_SOURCE_VERSION}/ros2-apt-source_${ROS_APT_SOURCE_VERSION}.$(
. /etc/os-release && echo ${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-${VERSION_CODENAME}}
)_all.deb"
dpkg -i /tmp/ros2-apt-source.deb
apt updateFor a phone, begin with the smaller command-line-oriented installation:
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apt install -y ros-jazzy-desktopROS’s Jazzy Ubuntu installation guide covers locale and repository setup; package variants are described in the Jazzy package installation page. A package being available for Ubuntu does not guarantee every dependency will behave under Android’s shared kernel and PRoot.
Initialize rosdep and add ROS to the shell environment:
rosdep init
rosdep update
echo 'source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrcIf rosdep init says it is already initialized, run rosdep update instead of repeating initialization.
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Verify the installation
Open two Termux sessions. In the first, enter Ubuntu and start a publisher:
proot-distro login ubuntu
source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash
ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp talkerIn the second session, run a listener:
proot-distro login ubuntu
source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash
ros2 run demo_nodes_py listenerThe listener should print messages published by the talker. If either demo package is missing, install it inside Ubuntu:
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apt install -y ros-jazzy-demo-nodes-cpp ros-jazzy-demo-nodes-pyUseful checks include:
ros2 doctor
ros2 topic list
ros2 node listBuild a workspace
A small workspace can be created and built with colcon:
mkdir -p ~/ros2_ws/src
cd ~/ros2_ws
colcon build
source install/setup.bashFor a source package, clone its repository into src, install declared dependencies, and build:
cd ~/ros2_ws/src
git clone <package-repository>
cd ..
rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -r -y
colcon build --symlink-install
source install/setup.bashReplace <package-repository> with the package’s actual Git URL. Builds may take longer under PRoot than on a PC. They can also fail when a dependency assumes systemd, privileged namespaces, a device file, a package unavailable for Ubuntu ARM64, or a normal Linux kernel.
Optional: try a graphical display with Termux:X11
ROS command-line tools do not need a display. To try desktop applications, Termux:X11 requires both its Android app and companion Termux package, and the project documents using shared temporary storage with PRoot. This is an experimental route for ROS graphics, not a promise that RViz or a simulator will render correctly. See the Termux:X11 documentation.
In Termux, install the companion package and start the display server:
pkg install x11-repo
pkg install termux-x11-nightly
termux-x11 :1 &Then enter Ubuntu with shared temporary storage and set the display:
proot-distro login ubuntu --shared-tmp
export DISPLAY=:1For an XFCE desktop starting point inside Ubuntu:
apt install -y xfce4 dbus-x11
dbus-launch --exit-with-session xfce4-sessionPackage availability and speed vary. RViz also depends on graphics drivers and OpenGL support, so a visible X11 window does not ensure usable 3D rendering. If you see a black screen or color problems, the project documents these launch options:
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One of the stronger use cases is to run a lightweight node on Android while a Linux PC or robot computer handles simulation and hardware. Both machines need a working network path, and DDS discovery must be able to reach them. Check the domain and network interface:
echo "$ROS_DOMAIN_ID"
echo "$RMW_IMPLEMENTATION"
ip addrROS 2 nodes that should discover one another need matching ROS_DOMAIN_ID values. On the phone, start the demo talker; on the Linux machine, try:
ros2 topic list
ros2 topic echo /chatterDiscovery is not guaranteed on every Wi-Fi network. Client isolation, blocked multicast, Android firewall behavior, VPN routing, and mobile-network NAT can prevent nodes from finding each other. First test ordinary IP connectivity, such as ping <other-machine-ip>, then examine DDS configuration and network restrictions. A successful ping alone does not prove DDS discovery will work.
Why local robot hardware is the weak point
Android’s app sandbox and device-permission model are not equivalent to a conventional Ubuntu installation. A USB-OTG adapter may connect a device physically, but it does not ensure that a ROS node inside PRoot can open it through the usual Linux interface, such as /dev/ttyUSB0. USB serial, cameras, LiDAR, CAN, GPIO, udev rules, and privileged network configuration all need device-specific validation.
Termux:API exposes selected Android APIs to command-line tools; it is not a general substitute for kernel drivers, Linux device files, or udev. Android may be able to communicate with a particular USB device, but that does not mean ROS 2 inside Termux can use the device through its normal Linux driver.
For dependable hardware access, keep drivers and control nodes on a Linux robot computer, Raspberry Pi, Jetson, or Ubuntu PC. Use the phone for a dashboard, terminal, sensor publisher, or network client instead.
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ROS packages do not appear in apt
Check the Ubuntu release, architecture, and package repository configuration:
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cat /etc/os-release
dpkg --print-architecture
uname -m
apt policy ros-jazzy-ros-baseThe binary path described here targets Ubuntu 24.04 Noble on a supported architecture. A stale package index, unsupported image, or missing repository setup can make apt unable to find the package.
The ros2 command is not found
Source the environment and check the command path:
source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash
command -v ros2
ros2 --helpIf that fixes it, ensure the source line is in ~/.bashrc for future Ubuntu sessions.
rosdep initialization fails
If the command is missing, install python3-rosdep. If initialization reports an existing setup, run rosdep update and inspect /etc/ros/rosdep/sources.list.d/ rather than repeatedly running rosdep init.
Android stops a running node
Disable Termux battery optimization and keep the phone awake for sessions that need to persist. tmux can preserve a shell session across terminal detachment, but it cannot prevent Android from killing the app.
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Try the documented Termux:X11 rendering flags above. If that does not help, use ros-base without GUI tools or run RViz on a remote Linux machine.
A driver cannot open a device file
An error opening /dev/ttyUSB0 or a similar path is generally a device visibility or Android permission problem, not evidence that a ROS package is missing. Move the hardware driver to a Linux robot computer and communicate over ROS 2 networking.
When to use another setup
| Approach | Best fit | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Native Termux | Android command-line tools and lightweight utilities | Standard Ubuntu ROS packages are not designed for its environment. |
| Termux with PRoot Ubuntu | ROS 2 CLI learning, simple nodes, and experimentation without root | Slower and constrained by Android’s kernel, permissions, and background management. |
| Rooted Android with chroot | Users who knowingly need a more conventional Linux userland | Requires root and brings device-specific maintenance and security risk. |
| Ubuntu PC or mini PC | Reliable development, graphics, and hardware drivers | Requires another computer. |
| Robot computer plus Android client | Keeping drivers and control near the robot while using a phone for monitoring | Requires a separate robot computer and network configuration. |
| Remote workstation or cloud VM | Compilation, development, or simulation from an Android terminal | Needs a network connection; cloud use can incur charges and does not solve local hardware access. |
A community project also offers scripts for ROS 2 Humble and related Android setups. It is not an official ROS or Termux distribution, and its defaults may differ from the Jazzy-on-Noble path here. If you choose it, inspect the scripts and pin a release or commit rather than executing an unknown remote script directly: ros2_android on GitHub.
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