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Install AxOS

So, you are ready to install AxOS? Great! This guide will help you to install AxOS on your computer.

Prerequisites

Required

ComponentPlasmaCallaSleexTheom
CPU64-bit (x86_64)64-bit (x86_64)64-bit (x86_64)64-bit (x86_64)
RAM4GB2GB4GB2GB
Disk Space10GB10GB10GB10GB
ComponentPlasmaCallaSleexTheom
RAM8GB4GB8GB4GB
Disk Space50GB20GB40GB20GB

AxOS doesn’t support 32 bits and ARM architectures. If you are using a 32 bits or ARM architecture, you won’t be able to install AxOS.

Secure boot is not supported and YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO BOOT WITHOUT UEFI.

Support for virtual machine architectures is partially implemented and the time needed for the installation process may vary. We recommend an actual hardware installation for various reasons. Otherwise, try out the LIVE environment before installing, it is a point in time release using the desktop environment, Sleex.

Create the installation media

The installation media must be a USB drive or an SD card. You must have at least 2GB of free space. This number may change with subsequent releases.

Get the ISO

The ISO (or .iso) is the installation image of AxOS. You can download it from the AxOS release page. Please ensure you have the latest ISO, previous ISOs will often have installation issues with the evolution of the Arch ecosystem.

Flash the ISO to the installation media

There are three ways to create the installation media:

On Linux/MacOS:

Your mileage may vary with different image-writing applications (just as all other distro experience). Ventoy also works at the time of this writing.

You can either use the Balena Etcher app or the dd command.

Terminal window
sudo dd if=/path/to/axos.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress && sync

Be aware that careless application of this command can and will likely eat your hard drive.

Be sure to replace /path/to/axos.iso with the actual path to the ISO file on your system and /dev/sdX with the actual path to the USB drive or SD card on your system. You can find the path to the USB drive or SD card by running lsblk or fdisk -l.

On Windows: You can use the Rufus app or the Balena Etcher app. You can also use the dd command, but it’s not recommended because it’s more difficult to use.

Start the installation

If you have the installation media ready, you can start the installation.

Boot from the installation media

  1. Plug the installation media into your computer while it’s powered off. This may mean inserting it into a slot or attaching via USB.
  2. Access the boot menu of your computer. The key to access the boot menu varies from one computer to another, but it’s usually F2, F10, F12, Delete, Esc, or F1.
  3. Select the installation media as the boot device.

You should now boot to the live AxOS environment. The live environment is a testing environment, so you can try AxOS without having to install it. By default, the live environment is the Sleex desktop environment.

You should now see this screen (or very similar). Grub Boot Menu

Install AxOS

Are you ready to install AxOS? Great! The install app should automatically start, otherwise you can find it in the app menu with the name Install AxOS. This app will guide you through the installation process. Use the super key (Windows key) to activate the search menu if needed. Install App

Step-1: Choosing layout

Choose your preferred keyboard layout.

Select Keyboard

Step-2: Time zone

Select your timezone.

Select timezone

Step-3: Locale and date

Set the system locale and date settings (beware of this issue).

Select locale

Step-4: Creating user account

Create user account with username, password, and admin rights.

Create User

Step-5: Choose your desktop

Choose your desktop between Plasma, Calla, Theom or Sleex. See what they are in the dedicated desktops tab

Select Desktop

Step-6: Kernel

Choose between Linux or Linux-zen kernel. The Linux kernel aims for stability and the zen focuses on the performances, but is less stable.

Select kernel

Step-7: Drivers, Optional packages, Swap

Configure NVidia drivers, optional app packages and your desired swap size(screenshot outdated).

Select Misc

Step-7: Installation disk and partitioning

Choose installation disk and partitioning method.

Select Misc

Step-8: Validation

Verify selections and begin installation.

Take a look at the choices you’ve made, validate everything, and then start the installation. The installer will fetch the latest packages and install them in the selected disk. This process can take a few minutes, depending on the speed of your disk and internet connection.

Conclusion

You have now installed AxOS! You can now reboot your computer and enjoy your new operating system.