NetNIX — Install on Android

// android

Install NetNIX on Android

Run a full virtual UNIX environment on your phone or tablet using Termux.

Android Detected

It looks like you're on an Android device. NetNIX runs on Android through Termux, a powerful terminal emulator. There are two methods below — Option A is the simplest and recommended approach.

Step 1 — Install Termux

Termux is a free, open-source terminal emulator for Android. Install it from F-Droid — the Google Play version is outdated and unsupported.

Recommended Source

Termux on F-Droid

The official, up-to-date distribution of Termux.

> Get Termux from F-Droid

Do Not Use the Play Store Version

The Termux version on Google Play is deprecated and no longer receives updates. Packages will fail to install. Always use the F-Droid version.

// option a — recommended

Native Termux Install

Install .NET directly in Termux, download the release, and run — no extra Linux layer needed.

Step 2 — Install .NET 8 in Termux

Open Termux and install .NET directly from the Termux package manager:

Termux

# Update packages first $ pkg update && pkg upgrade # Install .NET SDK from Termux packages $ pkg install dotnet-sdk-8.0 # Verify it installed $ dotnet --info

Step 3 — Download NetNIX

Download the latest release from GitHub Releases using your browser. The file will typically land in your Downloads folder (the exact location depends on your browser and settings).

Latest Release

NetNIX on GitHub Releases

Download the latest release archive (.zip or .tar.gz).

> Go to GitHub Releases

Once downloaded, grant Termux storage access and copy the file into your Termux home directory:

Termux

# Grant Termux access to device storage (one-time) $ termux-setup-storage # Copy the downloaded file from your Downloads folder # (adjust the path/filename if your browser saves elsewhere) $ cp ~/storage/downloads/NetNIX*.zip ~ # Install unzip if needed, then extract $ pkg install unzip $ cd ~ $ unzip NetNIX*.zip -d NetNIX $ cd NetNIX

Download Location Varies

Most browsers save to ~/storage/downloads/, but some may use ~/storage/shared/Download/ or a custom folder. Check your browser's download settings if the file isn't found.

Step 4 — Run NetNIX

Termux

# Run NetNIX $ dotnet NetNIX.dll # First-time setup will start automatically Welcome to NetNIX First-Time Setup... Creating directory hierarchy... Installing built-in commands... Set root password: **** Setup complete. Welcome to NetNIX. root@netnix:/root#

Optional — Create a Launcher Script

Create a simple .sh script so you can launch NetNIX with a single command:

Termux — create launcher

# Create the launcher script $ cat > ~/netnix.sh <<'EOF' #!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash cd ~/NetNIX dotnet NetNIX.dll "$@" EOF # Make it executable $ chmod +x ~/netnix.sh # Now you can launch NetNIX from anywhere with: $ ~/netnix.sh

You can also add it to your Termux PATH for even easier access:

Termux — add to PATH

$ cp ~/netnix.sh $PREFIX/bin/netnix # Now just type 'netnix' from anywhere: $ netnix Welcome to NetNIX.

Optional — Build from Source in Termux

If you'd rather build from source instead of downloading a release:

Termux — build from source

# Install the full SDK and git $ pkg install dotnet-sdk-8.0 git # Clone and build $ git clone https://github.com/squiblez/NetNIX.git $ cd NetNIX $ dotnet build # Run $ dotnet run --project NetNIX

// option b — alternative

Ubuntu via proot-distro

If native Termux packages aren't available or you prefer a full Linux environment.

Step 2 — Install Ubuntu in Termux

Termux

# Update and install proot-distro $ pkg update && pkg upgrade $ pkg install proot-distro # Install and log into Ubuntu $ proot-distro install ubuntu $ proot-distro login ubuntu

Step 3 — Install .NET 8 in Ubuntu

Termux (inside proot-distro Ubuntu)

root@localhost:~# apt update && apt install -y wget git root@localhost:~# wget https://dot.net/v1/dotnet-install.sh -O dotnet-install.sh root@localhost:~# chmod +x dotnet-install.sh root@localhost:~# ./dotnet-install.sh --channel 8.0 # Add .NET to your PATH root@localhost:~# echo 'export DOTNET_ROOT=$HOME/.dotnet' >> ~/.bashrc root@localhost:~# echo 'export PATH=$PATH:$DOTNET_ROOT' >> ~/.bashrc root@localhost:~# source ~/.bashrc

Step 4 — Clone, Build & Run

Termux (inside proot-distro Ubuntu)

root@localhost:~# git clone https://github.com/squiblez/NetNIX.git root@localhost:~# cd NetNIX root@localhost:~/NetNIX# dotnet build root@localhost:~/NetNIX# dotnet run --project NetNIX Setup complete. Welcome to NetNIX. root@netnix:/root#

To re-enter after closing Termux: proot-distro login ubuntu, then cd NetNIX && dotnet run --project NetNIX.

Tips for Android

Acquire Wake Lock — In Termux, pull down the notification and tap "Acquire wakelock" to prevent Android from killing the process in the background.
Use a Bluetooth keyboard — NetNIX is a terminal-based environment. A physical keyboard makes the experience much better on mobile.
Storage location — The NetNIX rootfs.zip is stored at ~/.config/NetNIX/rootfs.zip (native Termux) or inside the proot environment (Option B).
Performance — Option A (native) is faster since there's no proot overhead. Option B provides a more standard Linux environment but adds some latency.

Looking for the Windows Installer?

If you're looking for the standard Windows installer, visit the downloads page from a desktop device, or grab it directly from GitHub:

& GitHub Releases