Is there no way to get scripts to run in Android? Since Android is Linux at its base, I logically think it should be possible to run a script on Android, like a Python script or PHP script (with executable bit obviously).

If not conventionally, is there any way to do so?
Python/PHP specific
If you are asking specifically for Python and PHP scripts, SL4A probably is your best choice (though there are other Python
supporting apps in the playstore, like e.g. QPython Lite). And if you want to automate things, you might want to take a look at the SL4A Script Launcher (in connection with TaskBomb task scheduler) as well.
Shell Scripts
But talking about &quot;Linux&quot; and &quot;scripts in general&quot;, the first coming to my mind are Shell Scripts. These can be run directly from the command line using any terminal emulator (e.g. Android Terminal Emulator, Terminal IDE) -- or, if you prefer some &quot;graphical help&quot;, using specific launcher apps like SH Script Runner, ScriptMe, or Script Manager.