STEEL OS Help

Installing Steel OS

From download to desktop in about 30 minutes, with no terminal.

What you need

1. Download

On steel-os.org/download, click Download. To check the file, open Command Prompt in your Downloads folder and type certutil -hashfile steel-os-preview-x86_64.iso SHA256. The long number must match the SHA-256 checksum link on the website.

2. Make the USB stick with Rufus (Windows)

On Windows, download Rufus from rufus.ie and open it. (On Steel OS, Linux or a Mac, see Fedora Media Writer below.)

  1. Device: pick your USB stick. Check the drive letter and size: everything on it will be erased, so copy off anything you need first.
  2. Boot selection: click SELECT and choose the Steel OS file you downloaded.
  3. A box says ISOHybrid image detected. This is normal: click OK. (If Rufus asks instead, choose Write in DD Image mode, then OK.)
  4. Leave everything else as it is. Partition scheme GPT and Target system UEFI are right; the greyed-out settings below them are not used.
  5. Click START, then OK when Rufus warns that the stick will be erased. Writing takes a few minutes.
  6. When the status bar says READY again, click CLOSE and take out the stick.

Afterwards Windows may say the stick needs formatting, or show it almost empty. That is normal: Windows can't read it, but the PC can start from it. Don't format it. To use the stick for files again later, format it in Rufus or Windows.

Installing in a virtual machine instead? Attach the downloaded file as its CD drive (UEFI firmware on, 8 GB of memory, a 64 GB disk; in VirtualBox, 3D acceleration off) and skip to step 4.

Make the USB stick on Steel OS, Linux or a Mac

Rufus only runs on Windows. Everywhere else, use Fedora Media Writer; it works on Windows too. On Steel OS it is one click: Steel OS Portal, Steel Apps tab, Everyday, Fedora Media Writer. On a Mac or another Linux, get it from flathub.org or its download page.

  1. Plug in the USB stick (16 GB or more; everything on it will be erased) and open Fedora Media Writer.
  2. Choose Select .iso file and click Next.
  3. Click Select and choose the Steel OS file you downloaded (usually in your Downloads folder).
  4. Under USB Drive, pick your stick. Check the name and size.
  5. Click Write. Type your password when asked: writing to a USB stick needs it.
  6. When it says Finished, click Finish and take out the stick.

Fedora Media Writer always writes the file exactly as it is, so there are no settings to choose.

3. Start the PC from the USB stick

  1. Plug the stick into the PC you are installing to and turn it on.
  2. Straight away, press the boot menu key, usually F12, F11, F8 or Esc. The start-up screen often says which.
  3. Pick the USB stick from the list.

Windows starts instead? Restart and press the key again. Some PCs need Fast Boot turned off in their firmware settings before they show the stick.

4. Install

  1. Steel OS starts from the stick. Nothing on the PC has changed yet. Click Install Steel OS (or try it first; the installer is also on the desktop).
  2. Pick your language, then the disk. Use entire disk is already selected: check it is the right disk.
  3. Optional: disk encryption protects your files if the PC is stolen. You type its password at every start, and nobody can recover it if you forget it.
  4. Create your account, check the summary and click Install. It takes 10 to 20 minutes.
  5. Click Finish. A window says Steel OS is installed: remove the USB stick and click Restart now.

With Secure Boot on, one blue screen appears at this first restart. The Restart now window lists the steps, and so does Something went wrong: choose Enroll MOK, Continue, Yes, type steelos, then Reboot.

5. First start

Log in, and Steel OS Setup walks you through updates, apps, your printer and security questions; every page has Skip. Leave the PC online for a few minutes while Firefox, LibreOffice and the other default apps install themselves. Next: Getting started.