wiki/deploy/prepare.md

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title description published date tags editor dateCreated
Preparation true 2021-11-18T11:54:29.386Z 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

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.

uefi_tianocore_first-screen.png

  • 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 button, hit the right key to access the firmware configuration tool, usually F2 or Del, but it depends 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.