Tutorial: Run TriliumNext Server in Termux on Android

[Nriver]

Hi, it’s Nate again! :)

Exactly one year ago, I wrote a tutorial on how to run the original Trilium on Android. You can check it out here. Today, I'm back with a new guide for TriliumNext. Enjoy!

If you're looking to run TriliumNext on an arm64 pc, you can skip ahead and start directly from Step 5.

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Tutorial: Run TriliumNext Server in Termux on Android

1. Install Termux

Download and install Termux from the official website.

2. Install PRoot Distro

Open Termux and install PRoot Distro, a tool for managing Linux distributions.

PRoot isn’t a virtual machine—learn more about it here.

Run the following command:

pkg install proot-distro

3. Install a Base System

I recommend using Manjaro. You can list available distributions with proot-distro list. To install Manjaro:

proot-distro install manjaro

4. Log in to Manjaro

Log into the newly installed Manjaro distribution:

proot-distro login manjaro

5. Install Node.js

By default, Termux installs the latest version of Node.js, but it's generally better to use a specific, tested version for stability and compatibility. We’ll use nvm(Node Version Manager) to install a fixed version.

First, install the necessary packages:

pacman -S nodejs npm base-devel curl git

Then, install nvm:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash
export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"

Install Node.js, here I use v20.17.0:

nvm install v20.17.0
nvm use v20.17.0
node -v

6. Get TriliumNext Source Code

Unlike the original Trilium, TriliumNext cannot be installed via a release file and npm install. If you try this, you'll encounter an error, which is explained in the discussion here. Instead, you need to clone the source code directly:

git clone https://github.com/TriliumNext/Notes trilium
cd trilium

7. Install Global Packages

Install the necessary global packages:

npm install -g nodemon cross-env

8. Install Dependencies

This step can be tricky. You might encounter errors, so be prepared to retry the command or use a proxy. Run the following:

npm install
npm run switch-server

9. Start TriliumNext Server

Launch the TriliumNext server with the following command:

TRILIUM_ENV=dev nodemon src/main.ts

10. Access TriliumNext

• On your phone’s browser: http://127.0.0.1:8080
• On your computer: http://your_phone_ip:8080

11. Quick Startup with a Script

To start TriliumNext quickly, create a .sh script.

1. Log into Manjaro:

   proot-distro login manjaro

2. Create the script:

   vim /root/run-trilium.sh

3. Add the following content:

   export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
   [ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
   nvm use v20.17.0
   cd /root/trilium
   TRILIUM_ENV=dev nodemon src/main.ts

4. Save and exit the editor, then make the script executable:

   chmod +x /root/run-trilium.sh
   exit

5. Now, to start Trilium quickly, run:

   proot-distro login manjaro -- /bin/sh /root/run-trilium.sh

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Additional Notes

Using a Proxy

If you face internet connectivity issues (e.g., during curl, npm install, or git clone), you can use a proxy with proxychains. Here’s how:

1. Install proxychains:

   pacman -S proxychains

2. Modify the proxy settings:

   vim /etc/proxychains.conf
   # Example proxy: http 127.0.0.1 1080

3. Use proxychains to run commands:

   proxychains npm install
   proxychains npm run switch-server

Clearing Cache

If npm install keeps failing, try clearing the npm cache and node_modules:

rm -rf node_modules
rm -rf ~/.npm/_cacache

Why is it Slow?

If you find TriliumNext is running slowly, try these solutions:

• Disable power-saving mode on your phone.
• Ensure that Termux has permission to run in the background.

[Nriver]

[tucoawa]

Just awesome. Thank you