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This guide walks you through enabling developer mode on your Roku, building the channel zip, and sideloading it — from a fresh clone to a running app.
Windows users: The Makefile uses Unix commands (rm, grep, sed). Use Git Bash (which already includes make, zip, and curl) or install the tools with Chocolatey: choco install make zip curl.
1

Enable developer mode on your Roku

On your Roku remote, enter the following sequence:
Home × 3  →  Up × 2  →  Right  Left  Right  Left  Right
A Developer Settings screen appears. Select Enable Installer and Restart. After the device reboots, it shows the developer web interface address (e.g., http://192.168.1.XX). You will be prompted to set a developer password — note it down; you’ll need it as ROKU_PASS.
2

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/GlobalFiberTV/GlobalTV_Roku.git
cd GlobalTV_Roku
3

Install prerequisites

The build requires make, zip, and curl. Install them for your OS:
brew install make zip curl
make and curl are also available via Xcode Command Line Tools:
xcode-select --install
4

Build the channel zip

From the repository root, run:
make zip
This packages manifest, source/, components/, and images/ into:
out/GlobalTV.zip
The manifest file is placed at the root of the zip, which is required by Roku.
5

Sideload to your Roku

Replace x.x.x.x with your Roku’s IP address and xxxx with the developer password you set in step 1:
make install ROKU_IP=x.x.x.x ROKU_PASS=xxxx
This command builds the zip (if not already built) and POSTs it to your Roku’s plugin installer at http://<ROKU_IP>/plugin_install. The terminal prints the HTTP status code and the install result.A successful run looks like:
>>> [install] HTTP 200
>>> [install] Resultado: Install Success
>>> [install] Listo. Revisar el Roku.
6

Verify the install

Check two places after a successful sideload:
  1. Your Roku TV: The GlobalTV channel launches automatically on the device after installation. You should see the splash screen followed by the onboarding or login screen.
  2. out/_install_response.html: Open this file in a browser to read the full HTML response from the Roku installer.
In _install_response.html, search for Install Success to confirm the upload was accepted. If you see Install Failure or Failed, check that the zip is valid (make zip completed without errors), the IP and password are correct, and the Roku is on the same network as your machine. The page also shows a build_version confirmation — increment build_version in the manifest file before each new sideload so the Roku treats it as a fresh install rather than an identical package.

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Next steps

Makefile targets

Explore all available build commands, including make pkg for Channel Store packaging and make screenshot.

Packaging for the Channel Store

Generate a signed .pkg file using genkey and make pkg.

Manifest reference

Understand every field in the manifest file and Roku certification requirements.

Certification checklist

Run make check and review what Roku requires before Channel Store submission.