Home / Tools Apps / GNURoot on Windows Pc

GNURoot on Windows Pc

Developed By: Corbin Champion

License: Free

Rating: 3,3/5 - 1.124 votes

Last Updated: December 24, 2023

Compatible with Windows 10/11 PC & Laptop

App Details

Version	0.1.5
Size	534.2 KB
Release Date	July 24, 15
Category	Tools Apps
App Permissions: Allows applications to open network sockets. [see more (4)]
What's New: Direct people to new version of GNURoot (called GNURoot Debian com.gnuroot.debian), which will take the place of GNURoot wheezy very soon and wheezyX shortly... [see more]
Description from Developer: GNURoot provides a method for you to install and use GNU/Linux distributions and their associated applications/packages alongside Android. This does NOT require root. A regular u... [read more]

App preview ([see all 7 screenshots])

About this app

On this page you can download GNURoot and install on Windows PC. GNURoot is free Tools app, developed by Corbin Champion. Latest version of GNURoot is 0.1.5, was released on 2015-07-24 (updated on 2023-12-24). Estimated number of the downloads is more than 100,000. Overall rating of GNURoot is 3,3. Generally most of the top apps on Android Store have rating of 4+. This app had been rated by 1,124 users, 350 users had rated it 5*, 505 users had rated it 1*.

How to install GNURoot on Windows?

Instruction on how to install GNURoot on Windows 10 Windows 11 PC & Laptop

In this post, I am going to show you how to install GNURoot on Windows PC by using Android App Player such as BlueStacks, LDPlayer, Nox, KOPlayer, ...

Before you start, you will need to download the APK/XAPK installer file, you can find download button on top of this page. Save it to easy-to-find location.

[Note] You can also download older versions of this app on bottom of this page.

Below you will find a detailed step-by-step guide, but I want to give you a fast overview of how it works. All you need is an emulator that will emulate an Android device on your Windows PC and then you can install applications and use it - you see you're playing it on Android, but this runs not on a smartphone or tablet, it runs on a PC.

If this doesn't work on your PC, or you cannot install, comment here and we will help you!

Install using BlueStacks
Install using NoxPlayer

Step By Step Guide To Install GNURoot using BlueStacks

Download and Install BlueStacks at: https://www.bluestacks.com. The installation procedure is quite simple. After successful installation, open the Bluestacks emulator. It may take some time to load the Bluestacks app initially. Once it is opened, you should be able to see the Home screen of Bluestacks.
Open the APK/XAPK file: Double-click the APK/XAPK file to launch BlueStacks and install the application. If your APK/XAPK file doesn't automatically open BlueStacks, right-click on it and select Open with... Browse to the BlueStacks. You can also drag-and-drop the APK/XAPK file onto the BlueStacks home screen
Once installed, click "GNURoot" icon on the home screen to start using, it'll work like a charm :D

[Note 1] For better performance and compatibility, choose BlueStacks 5 Nougat 64-bit read more

[Note 2] about Bluetooth: At the moment, support for Bluetooth is not available on BlueStacks. Hence, apps that require control of Bluetooth may not work on BlueStacks.

How to install GNURoot on Windows PC using NoxPlayer

Download & Install NoxPlayer at: https://www.bignox.com. The installation is easy to carry out.
Drag the APK/XAPK file to the NoxPlayer interface and drop it to install
The installation process will take place quickly. After successful installation, you can find "GNURoot" on the home screen of NoxPlayer, just click to open it.

Discussion

(*) is required

Download older versions

Other versions available: 0.1.5.

Download GNURoot 0.1.5 on Windows PC – 534.2 KB

GNURoot provides a method for you to install and use GNU/Linux distributions and their associated applications/packages alongside Android.

This does NOT require root.
A regular uninstall fully cleans up after this application.
This is expandable and you will be able to install your own applciations/packages.

Inside GNURoot, you can create a root file system), launch into it, or delete it.

Read the description of the GNURoot Wheezy, Gentoo, Fedora or Aboriginal apps in the Play Store to get some hints on how to get started using them.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=champion.gnuroot.wheezy
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=champion.gnuroot.gentoo
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=champion.gnuroot.fedora
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=champion.gnuroot.aboriginal

The moto is: "This ain't done, until everything* will run"
*everything == all linux, user space applications, without having to root your device. Some things (a small number of things), that actually require root will not work (like inserting a kernel module).

Key goals:
Choice or GNU/Linux rootfs to start with:
Currently two choices, many more to come.
All applications that don't absolutely require root should function as normal:
apt-get now working.
Following step is to get a graphical interface for the desktop, terminal and applications. Currently, only launches an Android Terminal Emulator. Proof of concept done. Refinement left.
Make this work nicely alongside Android:
Already works like a "normal" application.
Next step is to provide useful intents for users and applications (with permissions) to use.
Provide proper support and bug fixes:
Release a pay-what-you-want model, so more time can be put into this. Now in place. Decide whether it should be mandatory.
Improve performance:
Minimize the performance effect of the tricks used to make this all work. Quite good now.
Reduce Footprint:
Move as much as possible to the sdcard.
Only install what is necessary and let the user grow it from there.
Support multiple architectures:
Only arm supported. No reason why MIPS and x86 cannot be supported too.

The roots mostly contain GPL code, but for this launcher I am the copyright holder and it is not under the GPL, but instead the Apache v2. It contains a modified version of the Android Terminal Emulator, which is also under the Apache v2.

Please: file bugs, feature requests of view code here:
https://github.com/corbinlc/gnuroot

Direct people to new version of GNURoot (called GNURoot Debian com.gnuroot.debian), which will take the place of GNURoot wheezy very soon and wheezyX shortly afterwards.

Allows applications to open network sockets.
Allows an application to write to external storage.
Allows using PowerManager WakeLocks to keep processor from sleeping or screen from dimming.
Allows an application to read from external storage.