Virtual machine (OVA)

LordOS comes as a ready virtual machine for amd64: lordos-<version>-amd64.ova. It is already installed, so there is no installer to run. You open it in your hypervisor, start it and create your account.

What you need#

A 64-bit PC (amd64) with hardware virtualization turned on in its firmware. The OVA doesn't run on computers with an ARM processor: for those, use the arm64 ISO.
VirtualBox 7 (tested on 7.2) or VMware Fusion or Workstation.
Memory and processors for the machine: at least 4 CPUs and 4 GB of memory. 2 CPUs are too few for good performance. With many apps open, 16 GB is the ideal. The computer running it needs that much free on top of its own use.
Disk: the download is about 1.3 GB. The machine's disk is 32 GB and grows as it is used; it starts at a few GB.

All the figures for every image are in System requirements.

1. Download and check it#

Download lordos-<version>-amd64.ova, SHA256SUMS and SHA256SUMS.sig from the latest release. In the folder with the files:

shasum -a 256 -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missing

"OK" next to the file name means it is the file we published. Checking the signature too is explained in Code signing.

2. Import it#

VirtualBox#

File → Import Appliance, choose the .ova and click Finish. Under Settings you can see what the machine brings: 4 CPUs, 4 GB of memory and its display already set.

VMware Fusion#

File → Import, choose the .ova and click Continue. Give the machine a name and a folder, then Save. When the import ends, Finish starts it.

VMware Fusion: the imported machine, 4 CPU cores and 4 GB of memory

The first time it starts, Fusion may ask whether to upgrade the virtual machine. Either answer works; Upgrade is fine unless you also open it with an older version of VMware.

VMware Fusion: Upgrade or Don't Upgrade, both work

On VMware Workstation: File → Open, choose the .ova. If VMware says the file doesn't meet the OVF specification, click Retry.

3. Create your account#

Start the machine. It opens Set up LordOS by itself:

The first start: Set up LordOS opens by itself

Language & region and Keyboard.
User: your name, user name, password and the computer's name.

Summary, then Create account.

Restart. The login screen appears: sign in with the password you chose.

After the restart, the login screen (here in VMware Fusion)

It is the same in VirtualBox and in VMware. Until the account exists, the machine runs a setup session with no password, reachable only from its own screen. Finish this step before leaving the machine running.

Adjusting the machine#

With the machine off, in its settings:

Processors and memory: raise them if the host has room; 16 GB of memory is the ideal with many apps.
Display: on VirtualBox, VBoxSVGA comes set; VMSVGA works too.
Network: VirtualBox sets NAT, enough to browse and update; VMware Fusion picks a bridged connection, which puts the machine on your network. For other computers to reach it (remote desktop, for example), use a bridged adapter.

If something goes wrong#

VirtualBox says VERR_ALREADY_EXISTS when importing: a folder from an earlier machine with the same name is still in VirtualBox VMs. Removing a machine with "Remove only" keeps its files. Change the name on the import screen, or delete that old folder.
A black screen or a small window: check the display controller (above) and give the machine at least 4 GB of memory.
It's slow: check that it has 4 CPUs or more and that hardware virtualization is on in the host's firmware.

For a bug report, run lordos-issue in the machine's Terminal and attach the file it writes to the issue.