It really isn't, it more like Inferno would have replaced its kernel with the Linux kernel.

It is as close to GNU/Linux as Inferno was to UNIX System V.

Which is why Termux has to work around what is actually available as public APIs on the NDK.

It's still Linux, though, the same way Ubuntu is still Linux despite carrying custom patches and security frameworks.

Termux has to work around security restrictions in a way not dissimilar to how you would need to work around an extremely securely configured SELinux setup on RHEL.

Ubuntu is GNU/Linux, you don't run Afterstep on Android via NDK, unless you rewrite X Windows or Wayland to run on top of OpenGL ES or Vulkan surface that is then hosted inside a AndroidView or JetpackCompose display surface.

Which is what Termux has to do, just like they have to call into specific Android services via JNI, as the NDK only exposes official NDK APIs, alongside the C and C++ standard libraries.

Android uses Linux but it has no consequences for users or developers. So this is practically irrelevant.

See also:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50057296

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50060611

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50060215

You've moved the goalposts from "Android isn't Linux" to "Android uses Linux but it has no consequences for users or developers."

I look forward to "Linux users and/or developers benefit from Android but..."

> from "Android isn't Linux" to "Android uses Linux but it has no consequences for users or developers."

What does "Android is Linux" mean to you? It uses Linux? Why does it matter?

> Why does it matter?

You asserted further up that "Android uses Linux but it has no consequences for users or developers."

That simply isn't true.

What are those consequences?