Android 16 Linux Terminal fails on CMF Phone 2 Pro – Protected VM not supported

Niad

I tried enabling and installing the built-in Linux Terminal feature introduced in Android 16 on my CMF Phone 2 Pro (Recieved Nothing OS 4.0 Update lately), but it consistently fails with an unrecoverable error.

The exact error shown is:

<java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException: Non-protected VMs are not supported on this device>

From investigation, this is not a user error or corrupted install. Android 16’s Linux Terminal relies on the Android Virtualization Framework (AVF) and now requires Protected Virtual Machines (pVM).

I think the Dimensity 7300 Pro / current firmware on the CMF Phone 2 Pro appears not to support protected VMs at the hardware or firmware level, so Android refuses to launch the terminal.

Wiping Linux Terminal data or using the “Recovery” option does not fix it

This cannot be solved via settings, reinstall, or root

This might be a platform / firmware limitation, not a bug in the Terminal app

Termux / proot-based Linux still works as an alternative

Don’t know whether Nothing or MediaTek plans to enable pVM support on this device, or if the Linux Terminal feature is simply unsupported on CMF Phone 2 Pro.

If anyone with the same device has different results, please share.

Nothing OS CMF Phone 2 Pro

Womey

Niad

They also locked-down from the OS level the ability to increase frame rate from 60hz to 120hz in gaming applications. This is consistent across CMF1, CMF2P, and 3(a) for me running NOS 4.0. Any registered input indicates 60hz, idle it jumps to 120, but true inputs indicate 60hz. This is repeatable in 2 games I play DeadCells and Old School RuneScape (OSRS).

Niad Edit: found a fix for this? Or gotten anywhere with support?

Til21

Niad I know that some people are really intelligent and have a great overview when it comes to such technical topics. I have to admit that I am not one of these people so please allow my question: What is wrong with using your phone as it should be used? What are the advantages of your use-case?

My question is really serious, it should not provoke anyone, I am just curious 🙂 Thanks in advance!

AshmitRoy

same with 3A

Niad

AshmitRoy I guess Nothing Developers intentionally disabled this. They want NOS4 to be a Functional OS, not a bunch of feature-filled bloat OS

insanepotato

Niad Funny you mention bloat OS 🙂

dreAd

Niad please do not spread misinformation. This feature needs to implemented by the chip manufacturer, mediatek in this case. Nothing or no other phone company does not play any role in this. You can see even flagship samsung devices having latest qcom chips will run into the same error.
A single google search would have answered the question, same with the OP. You can find posts on samsung subreddit explaining this in detail.

TirtharajKarmakar

Using CMF 2 pro. Installed Nothing OS v4.0, got Android 16. From developer options turned on the Linux shell and in the terminal app when I’m downloading and installing this is shown.

According to chatGPT

This error basically means your phone doesn’t support the type of Virtual Machine that Android 16 “Linux Terminal” needs.

What the message is saying

Non-protected VMs are not supported on this device

Android’s new Linux Terminal runs inside Android’s Virtualization Framework (AVF).

On many devices it requires Protected VM (pVM) support (hardware + kernel feature). If the device/ROM doesn’t support it properly, Linux Terminal crashes with this exact error.

So on your Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro, it’s not your fault — it’s a device/ROM capability issue.

Please developers fix it.

Womey

TirtharajKarmakar

Thank you for bringing this forward more. I have escalated and reported this with the response, “Our teams have investigated and this is normal behavior. We will take this as an enhancement suggestion for our teams.”

They don’t care 😭

TirtharajKarmakar

Womey It doesn’t make any sense!! 🥲
Their Custom ROM says Debian’s VM is an Unauthorised VM!!!

RapidZapper

Womey it’s actually a CPU feature and most Qualcomm CPU doesn’t support it

Not sure about Mediatek but that’s clearly something made for custom effort by Google with Tensor

RapidZapper

Womey Please check the title of this thread, this isn’t the topic at all

Womey

RapidZapper

Sounds good I’ll form a post and tag you so you can address. Thanks!

RapidZapper

Til21 Essentially this feature allow you to have a desktop OS on your mobile and be able to run a lot of apps that aren’t available on mobile while keeping your sessions on the compact platform that’s your mobile.

Main advantage would certainly be paired to desktop mode if it was available on Nothing as you could really just have a PC on your phone just like Dex with a proper PC OS

Til21

RapidZapper That was a perfect summary considering my technical background in this area. Thank you! 🙂

mentalkan

Hi,

I noticed that the CMF Phone 1 uses the MediaTek Dimensity 7300, which has ARMv8‑A virtualization extensions. It seems like the hardware supports virtualization.

Could you enable this feature in the kernel/ROM so we can run virtual machines from the new Linux terminal app on Android?