Files
OmniRoute/docs/guides/TERMUX_GUIDE.md
AmirHossein Rezaei df9550fce9 fix(cli): prepare Next.js cache dir on Android/Termux before serve (#8593)
* fix(cli): ensure `~/.cache` is created and `XDG_CACHE_HOME` is set before Next.js loads on Android/Termux to prevent silent HTTP 500 errors due to instrumentation hook failures (#8519)

* chore(quality): ignore XDG_CACHE_HOME in the env/docs contract scanner

XDG_CACHE_HOME is an XDG Base Directory spec variable set by the OS or the
operator, never OmniRoute product config — the same reason XDG_CONFIG_HOME is
already ignored. The Android/Termux cache-dir preparation added here reads it
to honor an operator-set cache location, which made check-env-doc-sync demand
an .env.example/ENVIRONMENT.md entry for a variable we do not own.

Co-authored-by: diegosouzapw <8016841+diegosouzapw@users.noreply.github.com>

* build(pack): require bin/cli/utils/ensureAndroidCacheDir.mjs in the tarball

bin/omniroute.mjs imports this module at startup to prepare the Next.js cache
dir before serve on Android/Termux. bin/cli/ is only an allowlist PREFIX, so a
file missing from the tarball would not fail the unexpected-paths check — it
would ship a CLI that throws ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND on the very platform this
change targets. Registering it makes the absence loud, same guard class as
storageKeyProvision.mjs and versionFastPath.mjs.

Caught by tests/unit/pack-artifact-entrypoint-closures.test.ts in the v3.8.49
merge-train.

Co-authored-by: diegosouzapw <8016841+diegosouzapw@users.noreply.github.com>

---------

Co-authored-by: diegosouzapw <diegosouzapw@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: diegosouzapw <8016841+diegosouzapw@users.noreply.github.com>
2026-07-27 19:07:19 -03:00

192 lines
5.3 KiB
Markdown

---
title: "Termux Headless Setup"
version: 3.8.49
lastUpdated: 2026-07-25
---
# Termux Headless Setup
OmniRoute can run as a headless server on Android through Termux. The Electron desktop app is not supported in Termux, but the web dashboard and OpenAI-compatible API work from the local browser or from other devices on the same network.
## Prerequisites
Install Termux from F-Droid or GitHub releases, then update packages and install the build tools required by native dependencies such as `better-sqlite3`.
```bash
pkg update
pkg upgrade
pkg install nodejs python build-essential git
```
> **Node.js version:** OmniRoute requires Node `>=22.22.2 <23 || >=24.0.0 <27` (matches `engines` in `package.json` / `SUPPORTED_NODE_RANGE`). Termux's `nodejs-lts` typically ships Node 20 LTS, which is **no longer supported** — install `pkg install nodejs` (current) instead and verify `node --version` reports a 22.x/24.x+ line.
If native package compilation fails, rerun the `pkg install` command above and then retry the OmniRoute install.
## Install
Run the latest published package directly:
```bash
npx -y omniroute@latest
```
You can also install it globally:
```bash
npm install -g omniroute
omniroute
```
## Run
Start OmniRoute in headless server mode:
```bash
omniroute
```
or:
```bash
npx omniroute
```
The dashboard listens on:
```text
http://localhost:20128
```
Open that URL in the Android browser. If you run clients inside Termux, use the same host and port as the OpenAI-compatible base URL.
## Background Execution
For a simple background process:
```bash
nohup omniroute > omniroute.log 2>&1 &
```
To stop it:
```bash
pkill -f omniroute
```
For automatic startup after device boot, install the Termux:Boot add-on and create a boot script:
```bash
mkdir -p ~/.termux/boot
cat > ~/.termux/boot/omniroute.sh <<'EOF'
#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/sh
cd "$HOME"
nohup omniroute > "$HOME/omniroute.log" 2>&1 &
EOF
chmod +x ~/.termux/boot/omniroute.sh
```
Android battery optimization can stop long-running background processes. Disable battery optimization for Termux if the server is expected to stay online.
## Access From Other Devices
Find the phone IP address on the WiFi network:
```bash
ip addr show wlan0
```
Then open the dashboard from another device:
```text
http://PHONE_IP:20128
```
For example:
```text
http://192.168.1.50:20128
```
Keep the phone and client on the same trusted network. If you expose OmniRoute outside the phone, enable API keys and dashboard authentication.
## Data Directory
By default OmniRoute stores data under the Termux home directory, following the same server-side data path behavior used on Linux. To place the database somewhere explicit:
```bash
export DATA_DIR="$HOME/.omniroute"
omniroute
```
## Limitations
- Electron does not run in Termux.
- There is no system tray or desktop integration.
- This setup is server-only: use the browser dashboard.
- Native dependencies may need local compilation.
- Low-memory Android devices may need fewer concurrent requests.
- MITM/system certificate features may require Android-level trust-store work outside Termux.
## Troubleshooting
### Unsupported platform: android (every request returns HTTP 500)
**Symptom:** `omniroute` / `omniroute serve` prints `✔ OmniRoute is running!`, but every dashboard or API request returns a bare `500 Internal Server Error`. `~/.omniroute/logs/application/app.log` stays empty, `APP_LOG_LEVEL=debug` prints nothing useful, and the response body is plain text (`Internal Server Error`) with no JSON detail.
**Cause:** Some Termux/Node builds report `process.platform === "android"`. Next.js `getCacheDirectory()` does not handle that platform: it requires `~/.cache` (or a generic tmp dir) to _already_ exist, otherwise it fails while loading the instrumentation hook with:
```text
Error: An error occurred while loading instrumentation hook: Unsupported platform: android
```
Because the hook never loads, logging never starts — the 500 looks completely undiagnosable. OmniRoute creates `~/.cache` (and sets `XDG_CACHE_HOME` when unset) in the CLI entrypoint before Next.js starts so this probe succeeds on Android/Termux.
**Supported resolution (no package patching):**
```bash
mkdir -p ~/.cache
omniroute serve
```
On current OmniRoute builds the CLI does this automatically on Android/Termux — a fresh `npx -y omniroute@latest` / global install should not require the manual step. If you still see the error after upgrading, create `~/.cache` once as above and restart.
**Do not** patch `dist/server.js` to force `process.platform = "linux"`. That kind of package patch is overwritten on every reinstall/upgrade and is unnecessary once the cache directory exists.
### better-sqlite3 Build Errors
Install the Termux build toolchain:
```bash
pkg install nodejs python build-essential
```
Then rerun:
```bash
npx -y omniroute@latest
```
### Port Already In Use
Check what is listening on the default port:
```bash
ss -ltnp | grep 20128
```
Stop the old process:
```bash
pkill -f omniroute
```
### Dashboard Not Reachable From Another Device
Verify both devices are on the same WiFi network, then test from Termux:
```bash
curl http://localhost:20128
```
If local access works but LAN access does not, check Android hotspot/WiFi isolation and any firewall or VPN profile on the phone.