NetHunter Terminal (NH-Term) Magisk v26+ Patched Build

NetHunter Terminal is a modern Android terminal emulator (based on NeoTerm) extended by the Kali NetHunter team with support for Kali sessions, Android-su sessions, and bundled in-app assets.

This fork provides a compatibility patch for Magisk v26+, where upstream NH-Term fails to launch due to removal of the legacy su binary from system PATH.

🚨 Why this fork exists

On Magisk v26+, the stock NH-Term launcher (assets/bin/kali) breaks with the error:

line 35: -c: command not found (code 127)

Root cause: Magisk removed the old su wrapper from PATH. NH-Term’s internal launcher tries to call it anyway, resulting in a null command.

Fix: We replaced the bundled launcher with a Magisk-CLI aware shim that calls:

magisk su --mount-master -c bootkali_login

This ensures proper bootstrap into Kali NetHunter sessions without user-side hacks or manual script edits.

✨ Features of this fork

• ✅ Magisk v26+ support (patched launcher using magisk CLI).
• ✅ Fully working Kali chroot sessions in NH-Term.
• ✅ Ready-to-install signed APK in Releases.
• ✅ Build instructions included (apktool + apksigner).
• ✅ Preserves all upstream NH-Term features (fonts, color schemes, asset reset, Android-su sessions, etc.).

📥 Installation

1. Download the signed APK from Releases.
2. Enable Unknown Sources in Android settings.
3. Install the APK on your device.
4. Ensure Magisk v26+ is installed and functional.
5. Launch NetHunter Terminal → select Kali session → enjoy.

🛠️ Build it yourself

Method 1: Docker Build (Recommended - Most Reliable)

This uses the same environment as GitLab CI, ensuring consistent builds:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Dylanmurzello/kali-nethunter-nhterm-magisk-fix.git
cd kali-nethunter-nhterm-magisk-fix

# Build using Docker (includes Android SDK + Java 17)
docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/project -w /project \
  jangrewe/gitlab-ci-android \
  bash -c "apt update && apt -y install openjdk-17-jdk && \
           export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk-amd64 && \
           ./gradlew :nhterm:assembleDebug"

# Your APK will be at:
# nhterm/build/outputs/apk/debug/nhterm-debug.apk

Method 2: Local Build (Alternative)

If you prefer local development:

Prerequisites

# macOS
brew install openjdk@17
export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/openjdk@17/bin:$PATH"

# Linux
sudo apt update
sudo apt install openjdk-17-jdk

Build Steps

# Clone and build
git clone https://gitlab.com/dylanmurzello/nhterm-magisk-cli-patched.git
cd nhterm-magisk-cli-patched

# Build the APK
./gradlew :nhterm:assembleDebug

# Find your APK
ls nhterm/build/outputs/apk/debug/

Method 3: Manual APK Modification (Advanced)(IDK why would you even wanna do this but, you do you)

For those who want to modify existing APKs:

Prerequisites

# Install required tools
brew install apktool          # APK decompilation/recompilation
brew install android-commandlinetools  # Android SDK tools

Manual Build Process

# 1. Get the original APK
# Download from: https://github.com/Dylanmurzello/kali-nethunter-nhterm-magisk-fix/releases

# 2. Decompile
apktool d APK_FILENAME.apk -o decompiled_apk

# 3. Replace kali script
cp kali decompiled_apk/assets/bin/kali

# 4. Clean macOS files (if on macOS)
find decompiled_apk -name "._*" -delete

# 5. Rebuild
apktool b decompiled_apk -o modified.apk --use-aapt1 -f

# 6. Sign (optional - debug builds are auto-signed)
jarsigner -keystore debug.keystore modified.apk androiddebugkey

🔧 Compatibility

• Android: 11 – 15 (tested on 13/14)
• Magisk: v26+
• NH-Term base: Default master

🙌 Credits

• Offensive Security & @re4son for NetHunter.
• Community reports on XDA that flagged the error.
• Patch + rebuild by Dylan Murzello.

📄 License

MIT - this fork only ships a patched launcher for compatibility. All other code/assets remain © their respective owners.