# 🥾 Linux on Windows — no USB stick, one click

**URL:** <https://onehack.st/t/linux-on-windows-no-usb-stick-one-click/327076>\
**Category:** Tutorials & Methods\
**Tags:** tools, operating-system, windows\
**Created:** [November 7, 2026, 1:11pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/linux-on-windows-no-usb-stick-one-click/327076 "2026-11-07T13:11:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Astrid](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/astrid/32/180787_2.png) [@Astrid](https://onehack.st/u/Astrid)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 1:11pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/linux-on-windows-no-usb-stick-one-click/327076/1 "2026-11-07T13:11:02Z")

</div>

![Linux on Windows — no USB stick](https://onehack.st/uploads/default/original/3X/e/3/e3ea9dead6a59ae2438687c04a212f240585ace4.jpeg)

Linux on Windows — no USB stick, one click

&nbsp;

### No USB? No problem.

One free app puts Linux beside Windows — the USB stick was never the point.

&nbsp;

digraph G { rankdir=TB; node [shape=box, style="rounded,filled", fontcolor="#2b2b2b", fontname="Arial"]; box1 [label="🔌 a bootable USB\n= installer files\n+ a boot entry", fillcolor="#a8d8ea"]; box2 [label="🥾 hop builds both\non the disk already inside", fillcolor="#fdf6e9"]; box3 [label="🐧 one restart,\nthe Linux installer opens", fillcolor="#d9f2e4"]; box1 -\> box2 [label="🚫 no USB", color="#ff7a59", fontcolor="#ff7a59"]; box2 -\> box3 [label="🖱️ 1 click", color="#ff7a59", fontcolor="#ff7a59"]; }

### Five no-USB doors, all free

| door | what it does | get it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 🥾 hop | one-click Linux beside Windows | [github.com/Arjun-Ingole/hop](https://github.com/Arjun-Ingole/hop) |
| 🌐 netboot.xyz | every installer streams over the internet, no USB, no download | [netboot.xyz/](https://netboot.xyz/) |
| 📀 Grub2Win | boot a Linux .iso straight from C:, no copy, no partition | [grub2win.com/](https://grub2win.com/) |
| 🗂 WubiUEFI | Ubuntu lives inside ONE file, zero repartition | [github.com/hakuna-m/wubiuefi](https://github.com/hakuna-m/wubiuefi) |
| 🐧 WSL2 | real Linux inside Windows, zero reboot | [learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install) |

> **The full no-USB kit — 20 free tools**
>
> **hop** — [github.com/Arjun-Ingole/hop](https://github.com/Arjun-Ingole/hop) · one-click Linux beside Windows  
> **Libertix** — [github.com/ekimiateam/libertix](https://github.com/ekimiateam/libertix) · free distro, installs from inside Windows  
> **Tunic** — [github.com/mikeslattery/tunic](https://github.com/mikeslattery/tunic) · drop-in Windows app, boots ISO from disk  
> **ULLI** — [github.com/rltvty2/ulli](https://github.com/rltvty2/ulli) · lightweight live Linux, runs from Windows  
> **WubiUEFI** — [github.com/hakuna-m/wubiuefi](https://github.com/hakuna-m/wubiuefi) · Ubuntu inside one file, zero repartition  
> **LICK** — [github.com/noryb009/lick](https://github.com/noryb009/lick) · install Puppy from Windows with a click  
> **netboot.xyz** — [netboot.xyz/](https://netboot.xyz/) · every installer streams over the internet  
> **Grub2Win** — [grub2win.com/](https://grub2win.com/) · boot a Linux ISO straight from C:  
> **pxehost** — [pxehost.com/](https://pxehost.com/) · netboot host, one menu for all installers  
> **iVentoy** — [www.iventoy.com/en/](https://www.iventoy.com/en/) · network boot ISOs across the LAN  
> **WSL2** — [learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install) · real Linux inside Windows, zero reboot  
> **Multipass** — [canonical.com/multipass](https://canonical.com/multipass) · Ubuntu VMs in seconds  
> **MiniTool** — [www.minitool.com/partition-manager/partition-wizard-home.html](https://www.minitool.com/partition-manager/partition-wizard-home.html) · shrink C: to make room for Linux  
> **GParted** — [gparted.org/livehd.php](https://gparted.org/livehd.php) · partition editor that boots live  
> **rEFInd** — [www.rodsbooks.com/refind/](https://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/) · boot manager that finds every OS  
> **Debian netinst** — [www.debian.org/distrib/netinst](https://www.debian.org/distrib/netinst) · tiny installer, downloads the rest  
> **Arch archinstall** — [github.com/archlinux/archinstall](https://github.com/archlinux/archinstall) · guided Arch installer, no manual steps  
> **Tiny Core** — [www.tinycorelinux.net/downloads.html](http://www.tinycorelinux.net/downloads.html) · Linux in megabytes, boots anywhere  
> **Porteus** — [www.porteus.org/](https://www.porteus.org/) · portable Linux, runs from any drive  
> **Puppy** — [puppylinux-woof-ce.github.io/](https://puppylinux-woof-ce.github.io/) · tiny distro, installs beside Windows

Windows stays. Linux joins. No USB, ever.