TL;DR
- Google has added a tabbed interface to the Terminal app in Android 16 Beta 3.
- The Terminal app lets you run Linux apps in a virtual machine on your Android device.
- Adding tabs makes it easier to multitask, as you can issue commands without having to wait for a process to complete.
Ahem termux had this feature for ages
Which feature?
Tabs
Sure but this can do things that Termux can’t. E.g. running a desktop, Docker or whatever else a full Debian OS can run. Plus you can do tabs in Byobu or whatever.
It is also possible to run GUI desktops in Termux since ages, for example take a look at:
AnLinux (Run Linux On Android Without Root Access) https://f-droid.org/packages/exa.lnx.a/
It was also possible to run a “full Debian” using PRoot etc
Sure but according to the AnLinux project docs you can’t really run everything Debian can. For example it says it can’t run some DEs. For me this isn’t about whether Termux can do things a Debian VM can. I know it can. It’s about can Termux do everything a Debian VM can and as far as I know, it cannot.
And then there’s the work the Termux team has to do to get programs to work on Android. With a Debian VM, there’s no additional work needed. Whatever the Debian team packages would just work.