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Installing Redox

Redox OS provides an installer to facilitate installation from Redox OS itself or Linux. Please back up your system before attempting to install. Note that at this time (Release 0.9.0), you can't install onto a USB device or use a USB device for your Redox filesystem, but you can install from it.

Starting the Installer from Redox OS Livedisk

The installer is usually pre-installed on Redox OS. After starting your Redox OS livedisk system from a USB device or CD/DVD, log in as the user named user with an empty password, click on the Redox OS icon in the Orbital bottom bar to open the app menu, then open the "System" app category and click on the "Redox Installer" app.

Or, if you want to launch it from the terminal, run the following command:

sudo redox_installer_gui

If you are using the server variant or want to use the TUI interface, open a terminal window and type:

sudo redox_installer_tui

At the moment, the GUI installer is more capable than the TUI version, but the TUI one will be updated.

In the TUI version, if Redox recognizes your device, it will prompt you to select a device to install on. Choose carefully, as it will erase all the data on that device. Note that if your device is not recognized, it may offer you the option to install on disk/live (the in-memory livedisk). Don't do this, as it will crash Redox.

The TUI version also prompts for a redoxfs password. This is for an encrypted filesystem. Leave the password empty and press Enter if you don't need filesystem encryption.

Starting the Installer from Linux

At the moment, the GUI installer is capable of installation from Linux. However, the binary is not distributed; you need to compile and install it using cargo:

cargo install --git https://gitlab.redox-os.org/redox-os/installer redox_installer_gui --locked

The GUI installer is using libcosmic, so it will only work using Wayland. After compiling it, launch it from terminal:

redox_installer_gui

Depending on how you will install Redox OS, you might want to run it with sudo.

GUI Installer Options

The GUI installer is capable of many installation modes. This section explains each step option and its implications in detail:

1. Where do you want to install Redox OS?

This section asks about the general scenario where you want to install Redox OS:

  • Whole Drive

    Use the whole storage device for Redox OS. It will erase all data on that device. The next section is #2.

  • Specific Partition

    Use a storage device partition for Redox OS. It will erase all data in that partition, but leave every other partition intact. It is the option that you should use if you want to dual-boot with your current Linux installation. The next section is #3.

  • Image File

    Write to a new image file. This option will create an image disk file similar to the one that's hosted on the Redox OS download page. The next section is #4.

2. Choose a drive

This section lets you choose which storage device you want to install into. When chosen, the disk will be erased, then formatted as GPT with three partitions:

  • First, a BIOS boot partition for boot using legacy BIOS.
  • Second, a 2MB FAT filesystem for UEFI bootloader.
  • Last, a RedoxFS partition that occupies the rest of the disk.

This layout is not configurable. If you wish to do so, format your disk using GParted or a similar tool, then go back and choose Specific Partition.

Never choose the disk that's currently active.

3. Choose a main partition

This section lets you choose which partition you want to use as the main RedoxFS partition for Redox OS. This will erase the data for that partition but leave everything else untouched.

The installer is not capable of doing partitioning. If you want to do so, use another tool such as GParted and set up an empty partition for RedoxFS, then click Reload on this page after you're done partitioning.

Note that installing just for RedoxFS partition will not make it bootable; hence, there's a second option to choose where to install the bootloader:

  • Do not write

    This will not write any bootloader and leave the installed Redox OS in that partition unbootable, because Redox OS requires a custom bootloader and cannot be loaded by common bootloaders such as GRUB, systemd-boot, etc.

  • Dual-boot (systemd-boot)

    If /boot/efi is detected to contain systemd-boot, this option will be visible. This option is not visible for Linux that boots using other than systemd-boot such as GRUB.

When chosen, it will write the UEFI bootloader to these paths:

  • /boot/efi/EFI/redox/*.efi : The bootloader EFI file
  • /boot/efi/loader/entries/redox.conf : The bootloader entry in `systemd-boot menu

In some Linux distributions, the systemd-boot menu is not visible, and to make it appear, the timeout option in /boot/efi/loader/loader.conf file. See systemd-boot loader.conf man page for more information.

If you choose any partition, make sure it's not mounted. Never choose the partition that's currently mounted.

  • Any partition in /dev/*

This option will format the partition with the FAT filesystem containing UEFI bootloader for Redox OS. The bootloader does not have to be on the same disk as RedoxFS, as the bootloader will look to all drives that contain a RedoxFS partition with the help of UEFI services.

This option is meant for installation to an external storage device, or for chainloading to any bootloader that supports it, such as GRUB. In some machines, the bootloader can also be directly bootable from BIOS boot device menu or boot priority on firmware setup.

Note that this option only installs the UEFI bootloader. If your machine only supports booting via BIOS, then your only option is to go back and choose the Whole Drive option.

If you do not see the Next button, try to maximize the window.

4. Configure Image File

This section contain options for installing Redox OS into a image file. This section is particularly useful for emulating Redox in a virtual machine, or for advanced installation methods later on.

  • Image Path

This asks where to install the image file. In Linux, the Browse button is visible to open a file dialog where the file will be saved.

You can also specify a path to a directory, and it will just install Redox OS files in that directory, but this behavior is not recommended to be used.

  • Image Size

Specify the image file size, which will also be the size of the main RedoxFS partition for Redox OS.

  • Skip Partition?

Checking this box will prevent the image file from being formatted as GPT device; rather, it will become a raw RedoxFS partition (written directly to storage device sectors). This is useful if you wanted only the RedoxFS format, which can then be used for dd into /dev/partition for example, or boot via the -cdrom option in QEMU.

  • Write Bootloader EFI

This asks where to install the bootloader file. The EFI file is needed to boot the Redox OS disk later on. It is a PE executable that is usually placed in /EFI/BOOT/*.EFI of a boot partition.

5. Select System Profile

After entering options from either Section 2, 3, or 4, this is the last section before the actual install is performed.

  • Desktop

    This option chooses the Redox OS to be installed with desktop and server components. The installation usually takes around 3 minutes (200 seconds).

  • Server

    This option chooses the Redox OS to be installed with only server components. Its installation usually takes around 1 minute and half (90 seconds).

  • Clone

    This option is only visible if you boot Redox OS to a live disk. It will install an identical copy from the current Redox OS live disk memory.

  • Install as Live Disk

This option will make the bootloader install with live disk mode being chosen as the default.

  • Enable disk encryption password

You can enter a password for main RedoxFS partition encryption. It is whole-disk encryption; the bootloader will ask for the password later to boot Redox.

6. Installation Progress

The installation is then performed and usually will finish within minutes. Unfortunately, for the GUI installer, the progress is in the terminal where it was launched, instead of being reported in the GUI.

Once the installation completes, you can restart your computer to boot into Redox!