Old smartphones should be usable as single board computers, just like this one

Original article already high on front page:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35747379

(107 points/7 hours ago/51 comments)

Worth noting that, on an unrooted Android device, most of this stuff is only possible if you run Termux.

Termux may cease to exist from a moment to another, as on every new version of the Android API there are new limitations that make it hard to run it. And, of course, battery optimization can't really be tinkered after some point.

I've been a Termux fan for years, I use it on all of my Android devices, but it's sad to see that the only viable solution to run a user-mode Unix-like environment on Android has to always find a way to work in what's basically a hostile environment.

I've seen videos of people in Africa who have learned to code thanks to a cheap Android phone with Termux. Think how much potential Android could have as a development/headless environment if Termux had it easier. No need to root your phone, install PostmarketOS or Ubuntu Touch, or an alternative ROM like LineageOS (which also comes with many of Android's limitations).

God, as a small-house renter I would love to run little linux servers on old smartphones.

I think at some point those will be a fire hazard because of old batteries