wiki/deploy/prepare.md

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title description published date tags editor dateCreated
Preparation true 2021-11-17T22:13:28.351Z markdown 2021-11-15T15:39:49.074Z

Section under construction {.is-warning}

Prepare the host computer

Requirements

These instructions are valid for x86-64 computers that do ship with Linux or Windows.

Phyllome OS targets x86 systems with hardware-assisted virtualization, with a strong preference for those providing IOMMU as well.

It is expected that Phyllome OS will consume approximately 1 CPU core and 1 GB of RAM, which should be enough to accommodate a few virtual machines. For instance, on a system with a CPU with 4 cores and 8 GB of RAM, a guest virtual machine will be able to be assigned up to 3 cores and 7 GB of RAM.

Minimum requirements for Phyllome OS Desktop

  • x86 computer that supports the first generation of hardware-assisted virtualization extensions
    • For AMD-based configurations, it means that AMD V is available and enabled
    • For Intel-based configurations, it means that Intel VT-x is available and enabled
  • 2-core processor
  • 8 GB of RAM
  • SSD-based storage device to store disk images and Phyllome OS
  • Any graphics card (Linux or macOS guests only)
  • x86 computer that supports the second generation of hardware-assisted virtualization extensions
    • For AMD-based configurations, it means that AMD Vi is available and enabled
    • For Intel-based configurations, it means that Intel VT-d is available and enabled
  • 8-core processor
  • 16 GB of RAM
  • NVME-based storage device to store disk images and Phyllome OS
  • Two graphics cards or a graphics card that supports vfio-mdev or SR-IOV

Enable hardware-assisted virtualization

Access the firmware

uefi_tianocore_first-screen.png

The Open Virtual Machine Firmware (OVMF), which is based on the TianoCore firmware, is the default firmware for EFI-based virtual machines. It can be accessed using the Esc key.

  • Since Windows 8: command-line instructions

Press the Win and X keys simultaneously to make a context menu appears. Then press Shift and a to politely ask Windows to open Powershell using elevated privileges, and click on the Yes button to bypass the User Account Control pop-up. Finally, input the following command inside the command prompt and press enter.

shutdown /fw /r
  • Since Windows 8: a visual walk-through

  • Open the start-up menu and write start-up, then select Change advanced start-up options

screenshot_win10pro_2021-11-17_223413.png

  • Under the Advanced start-up section, click on Restart now

screenshot_win10pro_2021-11-17_220109.png

  • Select Troubleshoot

screenshot_win10pro_2021-11-17_224620.png

  • Then select Advanced options

screenshot_win10pro_2021-11-17_225032.png

  • Select UEFI Firmware Settings

screenshot_win10pro_2021-11-17_220153.png

  • Hit Restart

screenshot_win10pro_2021-11-17_220200.png

  • macOS-based computers

Hardware-assisted virtualization is a hit or miss on Apple computers, as there is no way to access the firmware on these computers. Apple users can jump to the section Make sure that hardware-assisted virtualization is enabled to check whether this feature is activated or not on their particular model.

  • Other computers

Make sure the targeted computer is shut down.

During the POST phase, you need to press a certain key to access the firmware configuration tool for your motherboard, which is part of your BIOS or UEFI.

Just after pressing the power-on, press one the following common keystrokes are F2 or Del, depending on your model.

Do not hesitate to repeatedly press the key to make sure it is registered {is.info}

Hardware manufacturers could not agree on a common keystroke to access the firmware configuration tool, so, if the given keys do not work out for you, please have a look at the documentation provided by the manufacturer of your computer. {is.info}

Modify the firmware configuration

to be done

Make sure that hardware-assisted virtualization is enabled

to be done

  • Windows

  • macOS

  • Linux

Failing to activate hardware-assisted virtualization will make running virtual machines extremly slow, if possible at all. If, for some reasons, it cannot be activated on your computer, you would be better off picking a Linux distribution which doesn't require it, such as Debian.
{.is-warning}


If the activation is successful, you can go to the next section to prepare an installation medium.