Skip to main content
Redox OS can be installed on real hardware, but compatibility varies significantly between systems. Review the hardware compatibility information before attempting installation.
Important Safety NoticeInstalling Redox on real hardware carries risks:
  • Potential data loss on existing systems
  • Boot loader issues may affect existing OS installations
  • Some hardware may not be supported or may cause system instability
  • ACPI and firmware bugs may cause unexpected behavior
Always back up important data and test in a virtual machine first.

​
Before You Begin

1

Check hardware compatibility

Review the Hardware Compatibility page to see if your device has been tested with Redox.Pay special attention to:
  • Boot loader compatibility (BIOS vs UEFI)
  • Graphics support (VESA/GOP required)
  • Network adapter compatibility
  • Input device support (PS/2 recommended)
2

Verify system requirements

Ensure your hardware meets the minimum requirements:
  • x86-64 or i686 processor
  • 1-2 GB RAM
  • 1 GB available storage
  • BIOS or UEFI firmware
3

Test in a virtual machine

Before installing on real hardware, test Redox in QEMU or VirtualBox to familiarize yourself with the system.
4

Prepare installation media

Build or download a Redox ISO image and create bootable USB media.
5

Backup your data

Critical: Back up all important data before proceeding. Installation may affect existing partitions and boot configurations.

​
Supported Hardware

Best Compatibility

Recommended systems:
  • Lenovo IdeaPad Y510P (x86-64)
  • System76 Galago Pro (galp5)
  • System76 Lemur Pro (lemp9)
These systems boot to Orbital desktop with full or near-full functionality.
For a complete list of tested hardware, see the Hardware Compatibility page.

​
Known Limitations

Be aware of these limitations when running on real hardware:
  • ACPI support is incomplete
  • Some systems may have hardcoded kernel configurations
  • Power management features may be limited
  • Some devices may not boot due to ACPI issues
  • Only BIOS VESA and UEFI GOP are supported
  • No native drivers for AMD, NVIDIA, or ARM GPUs
  • Limited resolution options on some hardware
  • Firmware bugs may affect available video modes
  • I2C devices not supported (most laptop trackpads won’t work)
  • USB support varies by device
  • PS/2 keyboard and mouse recommended for best compatibility
  • Touchscreens not supported
  • NVMe driver may livelock on some Dell XPS models
  • Some SATA controllers may not be recognized
  • USB storage support is experimental
  • Wi-Fi not supported
  • Ethernet adapters: Intel e1000 family works best
  • Some Realtek adapters supported
  • Laptop wireless cards will not work
  • Intel HDA (High Definition Audio) supported
  • AC’97 supported on older systems
  • Some systems may not detect audio output pins

​
Creating Installation Media

​
Build the ISO Image

After building Redox, create a bootable ISO: 
make live=yes
This creates: build/<arch>/redox-live.iso

​
Write to USB Drive

This will erase all data on the USB drive. Double-check the device name!
# Find your USB device (e.g., /dev/sdb)
lsblk

# Write the ISO to USB
sudo dd if=build/x86_64/redox-live.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress
sudo sync
Replace /dev/sdX with your actual USB device.

​
Booting from USB

1

Insert USB drive

Insert the USB drive containing the Redox ISO into your target computer.
2

Access boot menu

Restart the computer and enter the boot menu:
  • Common keys: F12, F8, F10, ESC, or F2
  • Lenovo: F12 or Fn+F12
  • Dell: F12
  • HP: F9 or ESC then F9
  • ASUS: F8 or ESC
3

Select USB device

Choose the USB drive from the boot menu. You may see two entries:
  • UEFI: USB device name (recommended for modern systems)
  • Legacy/BIOS: USB device name (for older systems)
4

Boot Redox

The Redox bootloader should appear, presenting video resolution options.
If the system doesn’t boot from USB:
  • Check BIOS/UEFI settings
  • Disable Secure Boot (required for Redox)
  • Try both UEFI and Legacy boot modes
  • Verify the USB was written correctly

​
Firmware Compatibility

​
BIOS (Legacy)

Advantages:
  • Works on older hardware
  • Simple boot process
  • Broader compatibility with legacy systems
Disadvantages:
  • Limited video mode selection on some hardware
  • May have memory mapping issues on 32-bit systems
  • Boot loader bugs on specific models (e.g., ASUS ROG g55vw)

​
UEFI

Advantages:
  • Better compatibility with modern hardware
  • GOP provides better graphics support
  • Recommended for new installations
Disadvantages:
  • Requires Secure Boot to be disabled
  • Some systems may have UEFI firmware bugs
  • May fail on systems with incomplete ACPI tables
If you have issues booting with UEFI, try Legacy/BIOS mode, or vice versa.

​
Installation Process

Redox does not yet have an automated installer. The live ISO runs entirely from USB.

​
Live System

The Redox live ISO boots into a temporary system:
  1. Select resolution - Choose from available video modes
  2. Wait for boot - System loads into memory (may take time)
  3. Login - Default user is typically configured
  4. Explore - Orbital desktop environment launches

​
Manual Installation to Hard Drive

Manual installation is for advanced users only and may result in data loss.
To install Redox to a hard drive:
1

Partition the disk

Use the Redox installer tools or bootloader to create partitions.
2

Format with RedoxFS

Format the target partition with the RedoxFS filesystem.
3

Copy system files

Copy the Redox system files from the live image to the hard drive.
4

Install bootloader

Configure the bootloader to boot from the hard drive partition.
Detailed installation instructions are beyond the scope of this guide. Join the Redox Chat for assistance with manual installation.

​
Boot Loader Considerations

Multi-boot systems:Redox’s bootloader does not yet support automatic OS discovery. Installing Redox may affect your ability to boot other operating systems.For multi-boot setups:
  • Use a separate physical drive for Redox
  • Or use UEFI boot menu to select between drives
  • Backup existing bootloader configuration

​
Architecture-Specific Notes

Best Support
  • Primary development platform
  • Full feature set
  • UEFI or BIOS boot
  • Recommended for real hardware testing
Known Issues:
  • Some UEFI implementations may panic
  • NVMe driver issues on Dell XPS 13

​
Troubleshooting Boot Issues

  • Try different video modes
  • Some firmware provides invalid resolution options
  • Use a lower resolution (e.g., 1024x768)
  • Check hardware compatibility list
  • Try different boot mode (UEFI vs BIOS)
  • Disable Secure Boot in UEFI settings
  • Some systems have known bootloader bugs
  • System may have booted but display failed
  • Try different resolution
  • Check for serial output if available
  • GPU may not be supported (only VESA/GOP work)
Common panic causes:
  • ACPI errors: Incomplete ACPI implementation
  • xhcid panics: USB controller issues (ASUS PN41, BEELINK U59)
  • Memory errors: 32-bit mapping issues on i686
Try:
  • Disabling USB in BIOS
  • Using different architecture (x86-64 vs i686)
  • Use PS/2 keyboard/mouse if available
  • USB support varies by device and controller
  • I2C trackpads don’t work (use external USB mouse)
  • Check hardware compatibility for specific model
  • Check if your network adapter is supported
  • Intel e1000 family has best support
  • Wi-Fi is not supported
  • Some Ethernet controllers not recognized

​
Performance Considerations

Real hardware performance varies:
  • Modern systems (2015+): Generally faster than VMs
  • Legacy systems (pre-2010): May have driver or firmware issues
  • SSD vs HDD: SSDs significantly improve boot and load times
  • Multiple cores: Redox supports SMP, but scaling varies

​
Reporting Hardware Results

Help improve Redox hardware support by reporting your results:
1

Document your hardware

  • Vendor and model
  • CPU architecture
  • Firmware type (BIOS/UEFI)
  • Redox version and image date
2

Test functionality

  • Boot process (success/failure)
  • Video output (resolutions, issues)
  • Input devices (keyboard, mouse, trackpad)
  • Network connectivity
  • Audio output
  • Storage access
3

Collect logs

  • Take photos of error messages
  • Note any panic messages
  • Document boot behavior
4

Submit report

Follow the guidelines in the Hardware Compatibility page to submit your results to the HARDWARE.md document.

Join the Community

Need help with hardware installation? Join the Redox Matrix chat for assistance and to share your hardware experiences.

​
Safety Reminders

Before installing on real hardware:
  • ✓ Back up all important data
  • ✓ Test in virtual machine first
  • ✓ Check hardware compatibility list
  • ✓ Understand boot loader limitations
  • ✓ Prepare for potential data loss
  • ✓ Have recovery media for existing OS ready

​
Next Steps

Hardware Compatibility

View detailed compatibility reports

Virtual Machines

Try Redox safely in QEMU or VirtualBox

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us