Before You Start

Important: Installing an operating system will modify your computer's storage. Make sure to backup your important data before proceeding.

What You'll Need

  • A USB drive with at least 8GB capacity (16GB recommended)
  • Stable internet connection for updates
  • At least 1 hour of free time
  • Access to another computer if creating installation media

System Requirements

Tyron (XFCE)

Minimum Requirements:

  • Processor: Dual core 2.0 GHz
  • RAM: 2 GB
  • Storage: 20 GB available space
  • Graphics: OpenGL 2.0 compatible

Recommended:

  • Processor: Quad core 2.4 GHz
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Storage: 30 GB SSD
  • Graphics: Dedicated 1GB VRAM

Tyson (Plasma)

Minimum Requirements:

  • Processor: Dual core 2.4 GHz
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Storage: 35 GB available space
  • Graphics: OpenGL 3.3 compatible

Recommended:

  • Processor: Quad core 3.0 GHz
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • Storage: 50 GB NVMe SSD
  • Graphics: Dedicated 4GB VRAM

Boro (GNOME)

Minimum Requirements:

  • Processor: Dual core 2.4 GHz
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Storage: 35 GB available space
  • Graphics: OpenGL 3.3 compatible

Recommended:

  • Processor: Quad core 3.0 GHz
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • Storage: 50 GB NVMe SSD
  • Graphics: Dedicated 4GB VRAM

Download Soplos Linux

Choose your preferred desktop environment:

Tyron (XFCE)

Lightweight and efficient desktop environment, perfect for older hardware or users who prefer simplicity.

~3.7 GB ISO SHA256: 298e86a6f2e8a6e2dd8ea0853995615fd0cd5e981e05a4d2594e7e0b69331587
Download Tyron

Tyson (Plasma)

Modern and feature-rich desktop environment with beautiful animations and advanced customization.

~4.3 GB ISO SHA256: b05ac99e2c0738b989c91ef7c91462192cb57f6368118147649e6162fc51e3e0
Download Tyson

Boro (GNOME)

The definitive GNOME experience. Modern, workflow-centric, and polished for productivity.

~3.9 GB ISO SHA256: 3cfaa92fb326bbfc59c30739dfcad204fdeb10df80ec81000b2b86a9e04c3d0f
Download Boro
Tip: Not sure which to choose? Tyron is lighter and faster, while Tyson offers more features and visual effects.

Create Installation Media

Ventoy (Recommended for multiboot): Ventoy lets you copy multiple ISO files to a single USB drive without reflashing. Just drop the ISO into the Ventoy USB and boot. Available for Windows and Linux.

Recommended Tools

Windows

  • Ventoy (Recommended, multiboot)
  • Rufus
  • Balena Etcher

Linux

  • Ventoy (Recommended, multiboot)
  • Balena Etcher
  • dd command (Advanced users)

macOS

  • Balena Etcher (Recommended)
  • dd command (Terminal)
  • UNetbootin

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Insert your USB drive
    Make sure it has at least 8GB capacity and backup any important data.
  2. Download and install Rufus (Windows) or Balena Etcher (All platforms)
    These are the most reliable tools for creating installation media.
  3. Select the Soplos Linux ISO file
    Browse to the location where you downloaded the ISO file.
  4. Select your USB drive
    Make sure you select the correct drive to avoid data loss.
  5. Write the image
    Click "Start" and wait for the process to complete (usually 5-10 minutes).
Warning: This process will erase all data on the USB drive. Make sure to backup any important files first.

Boot & Installation Process

Soplos Welcome Live: The live system includes a specialized welcome application that provides language configuration, installation launcher, and system recovery tools.

Installation Steps

1

Boot from USB

Restart your computer and boot from the USB drive. You may need to change boot order in BIOS/UEFI settings.

2

Live System Loads

The Soplos Linux live system will boot and automatically log in to the desktop environment.

3

Soplos Welcome Live Opens

The Soplos Welcome Live application automatically launches on startup, providing a centralized interface for system configuration and installation.

4

Configure System Language

Select your preferred language from the dropdown menu. This will:

  • Change the live system interface language
  • Set keyboard layout automatically
  • Update XDG directories (Desktop, Documents, etc.)
  • Configure regional settings
5

Launch Calamares Installer

Click the "Install System" button to launch the Calamares installer with your configured language settings.

6

Installation Wizard

Calamares will guide you through:

  • Location: Timezone and region settings
  • Keyboard: Keyboard layout (pre-configured from language selection)
  • Partitions: Disk partitioning and installation target
  • Users: Create your user account and set passwords
7

Partitioning Options

Choose your preferred installation method:

  • Erase disk: Simple installation, uses entire disk
  • Manual partitioning: Advanced users can create custom partition layouts
  • Alongside existing OS: Dual-boot configuration (if applicable)
  • Encrypt disk: Full-disk encryption with LUKS — you will be prompted for a passphrase on every boot
8

Installation Progress

Soplos Linux installation is remarkably fast:

  • Soplos Tyron (XFCE): Approximately 4 minutes
  • Soplos Tyson (Plasma): Approximately 6-8 minutes
  • Soplos Boro (GNOME): Approximately 5-6 minutes

These times are based on testing with 14-year-old hardware, so installation on modern systems will likely be even faster.

Installation speed may vary depending on your hardware specifications, storage type (SSD vs HDD), and system load.

BTRFS recommended: When using manual partitioning, selecting BTRFS as the filesystem for the root partition enables Timeshift snapshots and grub-btrfs integration — allowing the system to boot directly from a snapshot via GRUB if something goes wrong.
Additional Tools: Soplos Welcome Live also provides system recovery tools (ChRoot environment) and GParted integration for advanced users.

Virtual Machines

Soplos Linux runs well in virtual machines for testing or development. Note that 3D acceleration and GPU-intensive applications will have limited performance inside a VM.

VirtualBox

  • RAM: 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
  • Video memory: 128 MB, enable 3D acceleration
  • Storage: VDI dynamically allocated, 40 GB+
  • Install VirtualBox Guest Additions from Soplos Welcome (Drivers tab) for clipboard sharing and auto-resize

VMware

  • RAM: 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
  • Enable 3D graphics acceleration in VM settings
  • Install VMware Tools from Soplos Welcome (Drivers tab) for best integration
  • Use UEFI firmware for best compatibility

QEMU/KVM

  • Recommended for advanced users on Linux hosts
  • Use virtio drivers for best disk and network performance
  • Install QEMU Guest Agent from Soplos Welcome (Drivers tab)
  • Virt-Manager provides a graphical interface for VM management

Proxmox VE

  • Create a new VM with UEFI firmware (OVMF) and VirtIO SCSI controller
  • RAM: 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
  • Use VirtIO drivers for disk and network for best performance
  • Install QEMU Guest Agent from Soplos Welcome (Drivers tab) for Proxmox integration
3D Performance: GPU-accelerated applications, compositing effects, and gaming will have limited performance inside a virtual machine. For full performance install on real hardware.

Dual Boot Guide

Installing Soplos Linux alongside Windows is fully supported. Follow these specific steps for a successful dual boot setup:

1. Prepare Windows

  • Disable Fast Startup: In Windows Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do → Uncheck "Turn on fast startup".
  • Disable Secure Boot: In your BIOS/UEFI settings (optional but recommended if you face issues).
  • Free up Space: Use Windows Disk Management to shrink your C: drive and create at least 30GB of "Unallocated Space".

2. Installation

  • Boot Soplos Linux USB.
  • Launch the installer.
  • At the Partitions step, select "Install alongside".
  • The installer will automatically detect the unallocated space and install Soplos there.
  • Alternatively, choose "Manual partitioning" to create partitions yourself in the free space.
BitLocker: If your Windows drive is encrypted with BitLocker, you must disable it or provide the recovery key to mount the drive in Linux.

First Boot

Congratulations. You have successfully installed Soplos Linux. Here is what to do next:

Restart Your Computer

Remove the USB drive and restart your computer. Soplos Linux should boot automatically.

Log in

Use the username and password you created during installation to log in.

Welcome Screen

The Soplos Welcome application opens automatically on first boot and guides you through initial setup.

System Updates

Run system updates before anything else. Open a terminal and run sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade, or use the Update button in Soplos Welcome.

Install Timeshift First

Before making any major changes, go to the Security tab in Soplos Welcome and install Timeshift. This creates system snapshots so you can roll back if something goes wrong.

Soplos Welcome Tabs

Soplos Welcome organizes everything you need into dedicated tabs:

  • Software — Browse and install applications by category: Browsers, Communication, Development, Graphics, Multimedia, Office, Gaming, Utilities
  • Recommended — Curated app selections tailored for your desktop environment
  • Drivers — Hardware detection and driver installation for NVIDIA, AMD, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, printers and VM tools
  • Kernels — Install and manage alternative kernels via soplos-kernel-installer
  • Security — Timeshift snapshots, grub-btrfs and BTRFS Assistant for system backup and recovery
  • Customization — soplos-theme-manager, soplos-grub-editor and soplos-plymouth-manager
  • Gaming — GameMode, Performance Mode, MangoHud, GPU optimization and CPU power profiles

New in RC1

  • zsh as default shell — Soplos ships a custom .zshrc with useful aliases, autocompletion and a clean prompt. Your existing bash knowledge applies; syntax is nearly identical for everyday use.
  • Ghostty as default terminal — A GPU-accelerated terminal with excellent performance and a minimal interface. Launch it from the taskbar or with your keyboard shortcut.
  • zRAM enabled by default — Compressed swap in RAM. This improves responsiveness on systems with limited memory by reducing pressure before the system has to use disk swap.
All set. Check out the First Steps guide for more tips on getting the most out of Soplos Linux.

Troubleshooting

Boot Issues

  • Check if Secure Boot is disabled in BIOS/UEFI
  • Ensure USB is set as first boot device
  • Try different USB ports
  • Recreate the installation media

Network Problems

  • Check if network adapter is recognized
  • Try ethernet connection if Wi-Fi fails
  • Update network drivers after installation
  • Check router compatibility

Display Issues

  • Use safe graphics mode during boot
  • Install proprietary graphics drivers
  • Check monitor connection
  • Try different resolution settings

Storage Problems

  • Ensure sufficient disk space (20GB minimum)
  • Check if hard drive is healthy
  • Try manual partitioning
  • Disable fast startup on Windows (dual boot)

Black Screen (NVIDIA)

  • Boot in recovery mode or safe graphics mode from GRUB
  • Open Soplos Welcome and go to the Drivers tab
  • Use "Scan Hardware" to detect your GPU and install the recommended NVIDIA driver
  • Reboot after driver installation

Wi-Fi Not Detected

  • Connect via Ethernet temporarily
  • Open Soplos Welcome, go to the Drivers tab
  • Use "Scan Hardware" or manually install your Wi-Fi firmware (Intel, Realtek or Broadcom)
  • Use "Repair Wi-Fi" if the adapter was working before but stopped after a reboot

GRUB Not Showing (Dual Boot)

  • Boot from the Soplos Linux USB
  • Open Soplos Welcome Live and use the ChRoot recovery tool
  • From the chroot environment, run grub-install and update-grub
  • On UEFI systems, check that the Soplos entry exists in your firmware boot order

Need More Help?

If you encounter issues not covered here: