Skip to content
Calypso IDE

Troubleshooting

Solutions to the errors people actually hit. Most Termux issues come from skipping a step in the setup guide.

Termux

”Termux refused the command” / SecurityException

Calypso dispatched a command but Termux rejected it. Two common causes:

  1. allow-external-apps is not enabled. In Termux:

    Terminal window
    echo "allow-external-apps=true" >> ~/.termux/termux.properties
    termux-reload-settings

  2. RUN_COMMAND permission is not granted at runtime. This permission is dangerous-level on Android, so having it in the manifest is not enough. Open Calypso’s Termux setup screen, tap Grant RUN_COMMAND permission, then tap Allow.

Also make sure you installed the F-Droid Termux, not the Play Store build. The Play Store build disables RUN_COMMAND.

Your Termux packages are out of sync. Upgrade everything, then reinstall Node:

Terminal window
pkg upgrade -y
pkg install nodejs

This is why the setup guide upgrades packages before installing tools.

Some Android/Termux project locations do not behave like a normal Linux filesystem for npm command shims. The one-tap Install toolchain button sets the conservative npm compatibility setting for you, but if you set up Termux by hand, run:

Terminal window
npm config set bin-links false

npm install then succeeds. Libraries you import or require() work fine. Only command-line bins may need Calypso’s wrapper flow or direct node node_modules/... commands.

npm create vite@latest fails with create-vite: not found

This can happen when npm command shims are unavailable. npm create vite@latest downloads the package, then tries to run the package CLI named create-vite. If npm did not create that command shim, the shell prints:

sh: 1: create-vite: not found

Use Calypso’s New Project flow for React, Vue, Svelte, and Angular projects. It calls the underlying tools in a Termux-safe way and installs dependencies for you.

For manual experiments, install the package first and run its JavaScript entry directly:

Terminal window
npm install create-vite@latest
node node_modules/create-vite/index.js .

After installing dependencies, if npm run dev says vite: not found, run Vite directly:

Terminal window
node node_modules/vite/bin/vite.js --host 127.0.0.1

I made a folder/project in Termux but Calypso can’t see it

Create Termux-backed projects under Calypso’s Termux workspace:

Terminal window
cd ~/CalypsoProjects
mkdir myapp && cd myapp

If you created the folder somewhere else, move it into that workspace:

Terminal window
mv ~/myapp ~/CalypsoProjects/

Easiest of all: create projects from Calypso with New Project. See Termux setup -> Where your projects live.

New files, such as node_modules, don’t show up in the explorer

Termux writes files out-of-process, so the explorer needs to re-read from disk. Calypso auto-refreshes the tree when a Termux run finishes. If something still looks stale, refresh the explorer or reopen the project.

Output isn’t streaming into Calypso

  • Make sure you used Run Active File in Termux or Run Command in Termux.
  • Confirm the Termux setup checks are green, especially permissions and toolchain verification.
  • For an interactive session instead of streamed output, use the Terminal.

On-device sandbox

”This needs a native package / a real shell” hint appears

You have hit the sandbox ceiling: for example a native Python package, Node’s require / fs / process, or an esm.sh import that failed. The on-device runner cannot do these. Use Termux for that project.

A Python import can’t be found

The on-device runner only fetches pure-Python wheels via micropip. Some packages also have a different import name than their PyPI name. If it cannot be resolved on-device, use Termux with real pip.

IntelliSense

The IntelliSense chip is grey / nothing autocompletes

Grey means IntelliSense is off or not set up. Tap the chip. The panel tells you what is missing and offers the fix: install Termux, install the language servers, or enable IntelliSense. See IntelliSense.

The chip is red

Calypso could not reach the language server. Tap the chip and Retry. If it keeps failing, reinstall the language servers from the Termux setup screen.

It’s slow the first time

The language server cold starts on the first file of a session, then stays warm. If it feels stuck, open the chip panel and restart the language servers.

Git

Push/pull rejected: authentication failed

Use a personal access token, not your account password. GitHub and most hosts no longer accept passwords for Git. The token needs repo access.

Pull won’t apply: needs a merge

Your branch and the remote both have new commits, so it is not a fast-forward. Calypso shows a merge preview. Complete the merge, resolving any conflicts, to finish. See Git workflow -> merges.