How to Access a PHP Web Server Running on Termux

Running a PHP server on Termux and accessing it from your laptop can be a convenient way to develop and test web applications. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process, from installation to accessing the server from your laptop. Follow these steps to get your Termux PHP server up and running.

Step 1: Install Required Packages in Termux

To begin, you’ll need to ensure that all necessary packages are installed on Termux.

Update and Upgrade Termux:

First, update and upgrade your Termux environment:

$ pkg update && pkg upgrade

Install PHP: Next, install PHP to enable the web server functionality:bashCopy codepkg install php

Install net-tools for Network Configuration: The ifconfig command, which is part of the net-tools package, will help you find your device’s IP address:

$ pkg install net-tools

Learn more about the net-tools package, which includes ifconfig and other essential network utilities.

Step 2: Find Your Android Device’s IP Address

To access the PHP server from your laptop, you need to know your Android device’s IP address.

Use ifconfig to Get the IP Address: Run the following command:

$ ifconfig

Look for the wlan0 section, which represents your Wi-Fi connection. The IP address will be listed under inet or inet addr. It will look something like 192.168.1.x.

Step 3: Start the PHP Web Server with a Custom Document Root

Navigate to Your Project Directory: Change to the directory where your PHP files are stored:

$ cd /data/data/com.termux/files/home/my_website

Start the PHP Server: Start the server using the following command, setting your desired document root:

$ php -S 0.0.0.0:8080 -t /data/data/com.termux/files/home/my_website

• 0.0.0.0 allows the server to accept connections from any IP address.
• 8080 is the port number; you can change it if needed.
• The -t option specifies the document root.

Step 4: Access the PHP Server from Your Laptop

1. Ensure both your Android device and laptop are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Open a web browser on your laptop.
3. Enter the IP address of your Android device followed by the port number:

$ lynx http://192.168.1.x:8080

Replace 192.168.1.x with your actual IP address.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can easily access a PHP server running on Termux from your laptop. This setup is particularly useful for local development and testing. Make sure to bookmark this guide for future reference whenever you need to set up a Termux PHP server.