Sparkles custom terminal baseline
Last reviewed: September 30, 2026.
The implementation under investigation is /home/petar/code/repos/mine/sparkles-nix-on-droid, revision 24f3e533987f6e48f260fce0b6fa3870dcb19634. It is a separate checkout from this documentation branch. Relevant exact sources are preserved in the ledger because that local revision was not publicly resolvable when inspected.
Existing capabilities
| Capability | Evidence | Consequence for backend work |
|---|---|---|
NativeActivity, hasCode=false | Manifest snapshot | No own DEX; framework JNI remains possible |
| Native PTY with plain shell / nix-on-droid login | Session implementation | PRoot can fit existing transport |
| Bootstrap staging, archive checks, symlink/executable manifests | Session implementation | Reuse transaction; verify failure/recovery cases |
| Own package identity and environment | Session implementation | Configurable app ID; no hard dependency on com.termux.nix |
| Attached JNI worker | Android host implementation | Required when calling ART outside the native event fiber |
| Minimum API 29; target API 28 | Manifest | Runtime API availability differs from executable-files policy target |
| App-private data and configuration | Android implementation notes | Uninstall and UID changes affect persistent store ownership |
What was observed on physical devices
The user reports an initial version working on a physical device. This research additionally installed and launched the existing no-DEX APK on the Pad 8 Pro and ran a real session child there. The earlier Snapdragon 888 phone had the custom terminal installed. On that phone, its plain shell/app home was observed, while PRoot processes belonged to the separate com.termux.nix UID. That does not independently prove a completed PRoot bootstrap in the custom app on that device.
The original sibling Android specification snapshot contains earlier emulator-oriented validation notes. User-reported physical progress and this research's app-domain evidence are recorded separately rather than silently rewriting that source snapshot.
Gaps relevant to the research
The current local session transport cannot launch a VM simply by substituting a host executable path. A VM needs an owner, image/configuration lifecycle, guest PTY/control service and failure/reconnect model. Background durability also needs a defined Android owner/helper lifecycle; partial wake locks alone do not provide it.
The APK does not establish MANAGE_VIRTUAL_MACHINE / USE_CUSTOM_VIRTUAL_MACHINE access, hidden-API compatibility, guest image boot or no-DEX VM ownership. AVF describes the JNI hypothesis and explicit helper alternative. Native NNS entry needs a provisioned external stack; neither stock Xiaomi device supplies its namespace requirements.