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26fc5663d0
This allows for deep-linking directly to the Qubes-certified hardware section.
110 lines
5.4 KiB
Markdown
110 lines
5.4 KiB
Markdown
---
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lang: en
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layout: doc
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permalink: /doc/system-requirements/
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redirect_from:
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- /system-requirements/
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- /en/doc/system-requirements/
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- /doc/SystemRequirements/
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- /wiki/SystemRequirements/
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ref: 142
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title: System requirements
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---
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<div class="alert alert-warning" role="alert">
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<i class="fa fa-exclamation-triangle"></i>
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<b>Notice:</b> The system requirements on this page are <em>necessary, but
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not sufficient,</em> for Qubes compatibility at a minimal or recommended
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level. In other words, just because a computer satisfies these requirements
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doesn't mean that Qubes will successfully install and run on it. We strongly
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recommend consulting the <a href="#choosing-hardware">resources below</a>
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when selecting hardware for Qubes.
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</div>
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## Minimum
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- **CPU:** 64-bit Intel or AMD processor (also known as `x86_64`, `x64`, and `AMD64`)
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- [Intel VT-x](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#Intel_virtualization_.28VT-x.29) with [EPT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Level_Address_Translation#Extended_Page_Tables) or [AMD-V](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#AMD_virtualization_.28AMD-V.29) with [RVI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Level_Address_Translation#Rapid_Virtualization_Indexing)
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- [Intel VT-d](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#Intel-VT-d) or [AMD-Vi (also known as AMD IOMMU)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#I.2FO_MMU_virtualization_.28AMD-Vi_and_Intel_VT-d.29)
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- **Memory:** 6 GB RAM
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- **Storage:** 32 GB free space
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## Recommended
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- **CPU:** 64-bit Intel or AMD processor (also known as `x86_64`, `x64`, and `AMD64`)
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- [Intel VT-x](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#Intel_virtualization_.28VT-x.29) with [EPT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Level_Address_Translation#Extended_Page_Tables) or [AMD-V](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#AMD_virtualization_.28AMD-V.29) with [RVI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Level_Address_Translation#Rapid_Virtualization_Indexing)
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- [Intel VT-d](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#Intel-VT-d) or [AMD-Vi (also known as AMD IOMMU)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization#I.2FO_MMU_virtualization_.28AMD-Vi_and_Intel_VT-d.29)
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- **Memory:** 16 GB RAM
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- **Storage:** 128 GB free space
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- High-speed solid-state drive strongly recommended
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- **Graphics:** Intel integrated graphics processor (IGP) strongly recommended
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- Nvidia GPUs may require significant
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[troubleshooting](/doc/install-nvidia-driver/)
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- AMD GPUs have not been formally tested, but Radeons (especially RX580 and
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earlier) generally work well
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- **Peripherals:** A non-USB keyboard or multiple USB controllers
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- **TPM:** Trusted Platform Module (TPM) with proper BIOS support (required for
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[Anti Evil Maid](/doc/anti-evil-maid/))
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### Qubes-certified hardware
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The following are *required* for [Qubes-certified hardware
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devices](/doc/certified-hardware/) but *merely recommended* for *non-certified*
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hardware (see the [hardware certification
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requirements](/doc/certified-hardware/#hardware-certification-requirements) for
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details).
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- Open-source boot firmware (e.g., [coreboot](https://www.coreboot.org/))
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- Hardware switches for all built-in USB-connected microphones (if any)
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- Either support for non-USB input devices (e.g., via PS/2, which most laptops
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already use internally) or a separate USB controller only for input devices
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## Choosing Hardware
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We recommend consulting these resources when selecting hardware for Qubes OS:
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- [Certified hardware](/doc/certified-hardware/) --- Qubes developer certified,
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officially recommended
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- [Community-recommended hardware](https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/5560)
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--- list curated and maintained by the community, unofficially recommended
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- [Hardware compatibility list (HCL)](/hcl/) --- community test results,
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neither recommended nor disrecommended
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## Important Notes
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- **Installing Qubes in a virtual machine is not recommended, as it uses its
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own bare-metal hypervisor (Xen).**
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- Qubes **can** be installed on many systems that do not meet the recommended
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requirements. Such systems will still offer significant security improvements
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over traditional operating systems, since things like GUI isolation and
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kernel protection do not require special hardware.
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- Qubes **can** be installed on a USB flash drive or external disk, and testing
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has shown that this works very well. A fast USB 3.0 flash drive is
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recommended for this. (As a reminder, its capacity must be at least 32 GiB.)
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Simply plug the flash drive into the computer before booting into the Qubes
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installer from a separate installation medium, choose the flash drive as the
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target installation disk, and proceed with the installation normally. After
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Qubes has been installed on the flash drive, it can then be plugged into
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other computers in order to boot into Qubes. In addition to the convenience
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of having a portable copy of Qubes, this allows users to test for hardware
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compatibility on multiple machines (e.g., at a brick-and-mortar computer
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store) before deciding on which computer to purchase. (See [generating and
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submitting HCL
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reports](/doc/how-to-use-the-hcl/#generating-and-submitting-new-reports) for
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advice on hardware compatibility testing.) Remember to change the devices
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assigned to your NetVM and USB VM if you move between different machines.
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- You can check whether an Intel processor has VT-x and VT-d on
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[ark.intel.com](https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark.html#@Processors).
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