Merlin on Android with Termux

Termux is currently broken

The Termux package does not work right now. A fix is in progress and will ship soon. Until then, the steps below may fail or install a package that does not run.

The Termux package runs Merlin on aarch64 (arm64-v8a) Android devices. Two APT channels are published under https://assets.withmerlin.online/releases/termux/<channel>:

Channel	APT suite	Contents
stable	merlin-stable	Tagged vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH releases that passed the stable release gate
canary	merlin-canary	Prerelease builds from canary tags; versions carry ~canary.<timestamp>

The steps below use stable. To follow prereleases, replace stable with canary and merlin-stable with merlin-canary in steps 2 and 4. Both channels are signed with the same key.

The package includes Python, Node.js, npm, uv, ripgrep, ffmpeg, and their runtime libraries. CI builds the native Python wheels and the TUI before it creates the package. The device does not compile core dependencies or assemble its base Python environment during installation. The package uses Python 3.14 with the bionic interpreter pin; it does not require the same patch version as desktop CPython. The wheel closure is core plus acp, not all desktop extras.

Install

Use the standard Termux application. The package requires its standard prefix, /data/data/com.termux/files/usr. Other architectures and renamed Termux application packages are not supported. The wheels target Android API 24 (android_24_arm64_v8a). Do not use the desktop/server install.sh or a glibc Linux archive on this target.

1. Install the tools for repository setup:

   pkg install curl gnupg

2. Download the public key:

   mkdir -p "$PREFIX/etc/apt/keyrings"
   curl -fsSL \
     https://assets.withmerlin.online/releases/termux/stable/key.asc \
     -o "$PREFIX/etc/apt/keyrings/merlin-agent.asc"

3. Verify its primary fingerprint:

   gpg --show-keys --with-fingerprint "$PREFIX/etc/apt/keyrings/merlin-agent.asc"

   The repository key fingerprint is:

   C572 B5FD D1A2 9CCF A9A9 12B6 840B 0848 E139 156D

   If the fingerprint differs, stop. Do not disable signature verification.

4. Add the repository:

   printf '%s\n' \
     "deb [signed-by=$PREFIX/etc/apt/keyrings/merlin-agent.asc] https://assets.withmerlin.online/releases/termux/stable merlin-stable main" \
     > "$PREFIX/etc/apt/sources.list.d/merlin-agent.list"

5. Install Merlin:

   pkg update
   pkg install merlin-agent

6. Configure a provider, then start the TUI:

   merlin setup
   merlin --tui

The merlin, merlin-agent, and merlin-acp commands use the packaged runtimes. They do not require Termux's python or nodejs packages.

Files and updates

Contents	Location
Package files	$PREFIX/lib/merlin-agent/
Command symlinks	$PREFIX/bin/merlin, $PREFIX/bin/merlin-agent, $PREFIX/bin/merlin-acp
Configuration and user data	~/.merlin/, or the selected MERLIN_HOME

Update through APT:

pkg update
pkg upgrade merlin-agent

merlin update refuses to modify an APT-owned installation. It prints the package-manager command instead. Canary versions contain ~canary.<timestamp> and sort before the corresponding stable version. Each suite only lists its own channel's packages; to move between channels, edit the channel path and suite in merlin-agent.list, then pkg update && pkg upgrade merlin-agent.

Gateway

This APT installation does not use systemd, launchd, or Windows Scheduled Tasks. Run the gateway in a Termux session:

merlin gateway run

For a background process:

mkdir -p "${MERLIN_HOME:-$HOME/.merlin}/logs"
nohup merlin gateway run >> "${MERLIN_HOME:-$HOME/.merlin}/logs/gateway.log" 2>&1 &

Android process limits

Android can suspend or terminate background Termux processes. Battery optimization exemptions and termux-wake-lock can help, but do not guarantee persistent operation.

Limits

The package does not include the nemo-relay exporter. Its vendored build toolchain does not support this target.

The package does not include Electron, local Chromium, or desktop computer-use tools. A local Docker daemon is not part of the Termux environment. Remote services have their own requirements and connectivity limits.

Phone-native Termux:API microphone and clipboard adapters are not provided by this package path. The prebuilt CLI/TUI is not proof of local voice or wake-word support. Optional integrations and third-party plugins can require dependencies that do not support Android.

Python 3.14 on this target reports sys.platform == "android". A dependency or skill gated only to linux is not automatically available on Android.

Uninstall

pkg uninstall merlin-agent

APT removes the package and its command symlinks. It preserves your configuration, sessions, skills, and memories.

Troubleshooting

• Package not found: verify the repository entry, then run pkg update.
• Signature error: verify the public key fingerprint. Do not use an unsigned repository or bypass the error.
• Missing command: verify that $PREFIX/bin is on PATH, or reinstall the package.
• Missing library or TUI bundle: report merlin --version and the complete error. The core package must not require a local rebuild.
• Gateway stops with the screen off: review Android's battery and background-process limits.

For general diagnostics, run merlin doctor.