From 380e7b43b9494bd603a17f142d6b27dbf70dd8c8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Andrew David Wong Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2021 12:22:46 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] Fix and improve installation guide (#1172) - Improve language - Fix image links - Explain BIOS and UEFI, provide links - Fill in missing steps and information gaps - Standardize grammar and punctuation - Improve formatting - Clarify instructions and explanations --- .../installation-guide.md | 121 +++++++++++------- 1 file changed, 74 insertions(+), 47 deletions(-) diff --git a/user/downloading-installing-upgrading/installation-guide.md b/user/downloading-installing-upgrading/installation-guide.md index a6b73271..f86d8ea7 100644 --- a/user/downloading-installing-upgrading/installation-guide.md +++ b/user/downloading-installing-upgrading/installation-guide.md @@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ functional and secure. Warning: Qubes has no control over what happens on your computer before you install it. No software can provide security if it is installed on compromised hardware. Do not install Qubes on a computer you don't trust. - See installation security for more information. + See installation security for more + information. Qubes OS has very specific [system requirements](/doc/system-requirements/). To @@ -44,16 +45,17 @@ significant troubleshooting. You may also find it helpful to consult the Even on supported hardware, you must ensure that [IOMMU-based virtualization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Input%E2%80%93output_memory_management_unit#Virtualization) -is activated in the BIOS/UEFI. Without it, Qubes OS won't be able to enforce +is activated in the BIOS or UEFI. Without it, Qubes OS won't be able to enforce isolation. For Intel-based boards, this setting is called Intel Virtualization for Directed I/O (**Intel VT-d**) and for AMD-based boards, it is called AMD I/O Virtualization Technology (or simply **AMD-Vi**). This parameter should be -activated in your computer's BIOS/UEFI, alongside the standard Virtualization -(**Intel VT-x**) and AMD Virtualization (**AMD-V**) extensions. This [external +activated in your computer's BIOS or UEFI, alongside the standard +Virtualization (**Intel VT-x**) and AMD Virtualization (**AMD-V**) extensions. +This [external guide](https://web.archive.org/web/20200112220913/https://www.intel.in/content/www/in/en/support/articles/000007139/server-products.html) -made for Intel-based boards can help you figure out how to enter your BIOS/UEFI to -locate and activate those settings. If those settings are not nested under the -Advanced tab, you might find them under the Security tab. +made for Intel-based boards can help you figure out how to enter your BIOS or +UEFI to locate and activate those settings. If those settings are not nested +under the Advanced tab, you might find them under the Security tab. -![Rufus menu](/attachment/doc/rufus-menu.png) +[![Rufus menu](/attachment/doc/rufus-menu.png)](/attachment/doc/rufus-menu.png) -![Rufus DD image mode](/attachment/doc/rufus-dd-image-mode.png) +[![Rufus DD image mode](/attachment/doc/rufus-dd-image-mode.png)](/attachment/doc/rufus-dd-image-mode.png) If you are an advanced user, and you would like to customize your installation, please see [custom installation](/doc/custom-install/). Otherwise, follow the @@ -132,34 +134,59 @@ settings. ### Getting to the boot screen -Booting is the process of starting your computer. In this case instead of -booting the computer normally, we'll want to tell it to boot from the USB -drive to which you just burned the Qubes installer. So just plug the USB -drive into a USB port and follow the next steps. +"Booting" is the process of starting your computer. When a computer boots up, +it first runs low-level software before the main operating system. Depending on +the computer, this low-level software is may be called the +["BIOS"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BIOS) or +["UEFI"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface). -Then you'll need to power on the computer and immediately press a specific key to -enter a special menu of your computer called the "BIOS" or "UEFI" -(depending on your computer model). +Since you're installing Qubes OS, you'll need to access your computer's BIOS or +UEFI menu so that you can tell it to boot from the USB drive to which you just +copied the Qubes installer ISO. -The key to press varies from brand to brand. `Esc`, `Del` and `F10` are -common ones. If you're not sure about the key to press you'll have to view in the -machine's user guide or serch the web for `accessing BIOS/UEFI ` -(replacing with your specific computer model). +To begin, power off your computer and plug the USB drive into a USB port, but +don't press the power button yet. Right after you press the power button, +you'll have to immediately press a specific key to enter the BIOS or UEFI menu. +The key to press varies from brand to brand. `Esc`, `Del`, and `F10` are common +ones. If you're not sure, you can search the web for ` BIOS +key` or ` UEFI key` (replacing `` with your +specific computer model) or look it up in your computer's manual. -The menu will look something like this: +Once you know the key to press, press your computer's power button, then +repeatedly press that key until you've entered your computer's BIOS or UEFI +menu. To give you and idea of what you should be looking for, we've provided a +couple of example photos below. -| BIOS (older systems) | UEFI (modern systems) | -|----------------------|-----------------------| -| ![picture of BIOS image of Thinkpad T430](/attachment/doc/Thinkpad-t430-bios-main.jpg) | ![UEFI menu picure](/attachment/doc/uefi.jpeg)| +Here's an example of what the BIOS menu looks like on a ThinkPad T430: +[![picture of BIOS image of ThinkPad T430](/attachment/doc/Thinkpad-t430-bios-main.jpg)](/attachment/doc/Thinkpad-t430-bios-main.jpg) -Within this you'll have to navigate to the boot menu. It can be of two types: -* (a) **a list of devices to boot (starting) from** - in this case you select your USB drive (if you have multiple USB-looking devices, try them all until one works) -* (b) **a list of devices in order** - here you order the boot devices in such a way that the USB drive is the first one. +And here's an example of what a UEFI menu looks like: -Then save the configurations and restart your computer. If you're successful in this step after a few seconds you'll be presented with the installer screen: +[![UEFI menu picure](/attachment/doc/uefi.jpeg)](/attachment/doc/uefi.jpeg) -![Boot screen](/attachment/doc/boot-screen.png) +Once you access your computer's BIOS or UEFI menu, you'll want to go to the +"boot menu," which is where you tell your computer which devices to boot from. +The goal is to tell the computer to boot from your USB drive so that you can +run the Qubes installer. If your boot menu lets you select which device to boot +from first, simply select your USB drive. (If you have multiple entries that +all look similar to your USB drive, and you're not sure which one is correct, +one option is just to try each one until it works.) If, on the other hand, your +boot menu presents you with a list of boot devices in order, then you'll want +to move your USB drive to the top so that the Qubes installer runs before +anything else. + +Once you're done on the boot menu, save your changes. How you do this depends +on your BIOS or UEFI, but the instructions should be displayed right there on +the screen or in a nearby tab. (If you're not sure whether you've saved your +changes correctly, you can always reboot your computer and go back into the +boot menu to check whether it still reflects your changes.) Once your BIOS or +UEFI is configured the way you want it, reboot your computer. This time, don't +press any special keys. Instead, let the BIOS or UEFI load and let your +computer boot from your USB drive. If you're successful in this step, after a +few seconds you'll be presented with the Qubes installer screen: + +[![Boot screen](/attachment/doc/boot-screen.png)](/attachment/doc/boot-screen.png)