Getting Started

Getting Started with NØNOS

Welcome to NØNOS. This guide will help you get the operating system running in under 15 minutes.

What You Need

Hardware Requirements:

Software Requirements:

• A computer that can boot from USB
• Another computer to create the boot media (or use QEMU)

Quick Start Options

Option 1: Build from Source (Recommended)

Building from source ensures you have the exact code you'll be running:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/NON-OS/nonos-kernel
cd nonos-kernel

# Build everything
make all

# Create bootable ISO
make iso

Output: target/nonos.iso (~375 MB)

Then write to USB and boot. See the Full Installation Guide for detailed steps.

Option 2: Run in QEMU (Testing)

Test NØNOS without touching your actual hardware:

# After building
make run

# Or with specific options
qemu-system-x86_64 \
  -m 2G \
  -drive format=raw,file=fat:rw:target/esp \
  -drive if=pflash,format=raw,file=firmware/OVMF.fd \
  -serial mon:stdio

Option 3: Download Pre-built ISO

When releases are available, download from the releases page.

First Boot

When NØNOS boots, you'll see:

1. Boot screen — Cryptographic verification progress
2. Desktop — Full graphical environment with dock and menu bar

Using the Desktop

• Click dock icons to launch applications
• Click settings gear (menu bar) for system settings
• Terminal provides shell access with 100+ commands

Using the Shell

Common commands to try:

# System information
uname -a

# List files
ls -la

# Network status
ifconfig

# Check capabilities
capabilities

# Launch built-in editor
vi filename.txt

For the complete command reference, see Shell Commands.

Understanding ZeroState

NØNOS is different from other operating systems. By default:

• Everything is in RAM — Files exist only while power is on
• No persistent storage — Shutdown means data is gone
• This is intentional — It's a privacy feature, not a bug

What This Means

If You Need to Save Files

For files you want to keep:

1. Plug in a USB drive
2. Mount it: mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/usb
3. Copy files: cp file.txt /mnt/usb/
4. Safely eject: sync && umount /mnt/usb

Files on external drives persist. Files in RAM don't.

Troubleshooting

Won't Boot

• Ensure UEFI is enabled (not Legacy/CSM)
• Disable Secure Boot initially
• Check that the USB was written correctly

Black Screen

• Connect to serial port for diagnostics
• Try different graphics settings in UEFI
• Test in QEMU first

Kernel Panic

• Check hardware compatibility
• Ensure all verification passed during boot
• Report issues on GitHub

Next Steps

• Full Installation Guide — Detailed instructions
• Shell Commands — Command reference
• Desktop Environment — GUI and applications
• Technical Specification — Deep dive

Getting Help

• GitHub Issues: github.com/NON-OS/nonos-kernel/issues
• Documentation: This site covers everything

This is alpha software. Expect rough edges. Report bugs.