KAINAT OS
How To Install
By Kainat Quaderee

How to install

Published on Jun 2, 2025

Prerequisites Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • A computer that supports booting from USB (most UEFI/BIOS‐based systems).
  • A USB flash drive (≥ 4 GB) or blank DVD.
  • An existing operating system (Linux, Windows, or macOS) to create the bootable media.
  • A stable internet connection to download the KainatOS ISO.

1. Download the KainatOS ISO

  1. go to kainat os official website and download the iso file.

  2. (Optional but highly recommended) Verify the SHA256 checksum:

    • In the same release entry, there should be a file named SHA256SUMS (or similar).

    • Download that checksum file as well.

    • Open a terminal (or Command Prompt/PowerShell on Windows) and run:

      # On Linux or macOS:sha256sum KainatOS-<version>-amd64.iso

# On Windows (PowerShell):Get-FileHash .\KainatOS-<version>-amd64.iso -Algorithm SHA256

    • Compare the printed checksum to the one listed in SHA256SUMS. They must match exactly.

2. Create a Bootable USB (or DVD)

You can create a bootable USB stick from Linux, Windows, or macOS. Choose the instructions matching your current OS:

2.1. On Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, KainatOS, etc.)

  1. Using dd (command‐line)

    1. Identify your USB device

      • Plug in the USB stick.

      • Run:

        lsblk

      • Find the entry corresponding to your USB (e.g., /dev/sdb). Double‐check size to avoid overwriting your main disk.

    2. Unmount any mounted partitions

      sudo umount /dev/sdX?*

      Replace sdX with your actual device (e.g., sdb).

    3. Write the ISO

      sudo dd if=~/Downloads/KainatOS-<version>-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync
      • if= should point to where you saved the ISO.
      • of= is the device (without any partition number).
      • bs=4M speeds up the write.
      • status=progress shows progress.
      • oflag=sync ensures data is written fully.

    4. Eject the USB

      sudo eject /dev/sdX

  2. Using a GUI Tool (e.g., Balena Etcher or GNOME Disks)

    • Balena Etcher

      1. Download and install Etcher from balena.io/etcher.
      2. Launch Etcher.
      3. Click “Flash from file,” select the downloaded KainatOS ISO.
      4. Click “Select target,” choose your USB stick.
      5. Click “Flash!” and wait until completion.

    • GNOME Disks (Ubuntu/GNOME)

      1. Open “Disks.”
      2. Select your USB device in the sidebar.
      3. Click on the menu (⋮) and choose “Restore Disk Image.”
      4. Select the KainatOS ISO file and start.

2.2. On Windows

  1. Using Rufus

    1. Download Rufus from rufus.ie.
    2. Launch Rufus (no installation required).
    3. Under “Device,” pick your USB stick.
    4. Under “Boot selection,” click “SELECT” and choose the KainatOS ISO.
    5. Leave “Partition scheme” as GPT for UEFI (or MBR if your hardware is legacy BIOS).
    6. Click “START.” If prompted about “ISOHybrid mode,” choose “Write in ISO Image mode.”
    7. Wait until Rufus finishes, then close.

  2. Using balenaEtcher (same steps as Linux GUI instructions).

2.3. On macOS

  1. Using dd

    1. Insert the USB stick.

    2. Open Terminal.

    3. List disks:

      diskutil list

      Identify the USB’s disk identifier (e.g., /dev/disk2).

    4. Unmount the USB:

      sudo diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskN

      Replace diskN (e.g., disk2).

    5. Use dd to write:

      sudo dd if=~/Downloads/KainatOS-<version>-amd64.iso of=/dev/rdiskN bs=4m
      • Note: Using rdiskN (raw device) is faster.
      • Adjust paths as needed.

    6. Eject when done:

      diskutil eject /dev/diskN

  2. Using balenaEtcher

    • Same as Linux/macOS GUI instructions above.

3. Boot from the USB Stick

  1. Insert the USB stick (or DVD) into the target computer.

  2. Reboot the computer.

  3. Enter the Boot Menu

    • Typically by pressing F2, F12, Esc, or Del immediately after power‐on (the exact key varies by manufacturer).

  4. Select the USB (or DVD) drive from the boot options.

  5. Press Enter and the system should start the KainatOS live environment.

4. Install KainatOS

Once booted into the live environment, you will see the KainatOS desktop (KDE Plasma with our custom theming). Follow these steps:

4.1. Launch the Installer

  • On the desktop, locate and double‐click the “Install KainatOS” icon (this is a Calamares‐based installer with our branding).

    image

4.1.1 if you are in laptop or using wifi, connect to network then click install

image image

4.2. Select Language & Keyboard

  1. Language selection:

    • Choose your preferred language (e.g., English, বাংলা, etc.).

  2. Keyboard layout:

    • Keep the default (usually “US”) or select your own (e.g., “Bangla (Bengali)”).

    image

  3. Click “Next”. image

4.3. Confirm Time Zone

image

  1. A world map appears. Click on your region (e.g., Dhaka, Asia/Dhaka).
  2. Verify that the time zone is correct (Asia/Dhaka).
  3. Click “Next”.

4.4. Partitioning

image You have two main options:

  • Erase disk and install KainatOS (recommended for a clean install on a dedicated disk).
  • Manual partitioning (“Something else”) (for dual‐boot, custom layout, or advanced users).

4.4.1. Erase Entire Disk

  1. Select “Erase disk”.
  2. Click “Next”.
  3. Confirm that you understand all existing data will be lost.
  4. Klik “Install Now” when prompted.

The installer will automatically:

  • Create a GPT partition table (on UEFI systems) or MBR (on legacy BIOS).
  • Allocate a small EFI partition (~512 MB) if UEFI.
  • Allocate a swap partition (size ≈ RAM size).
  • Allocate a root partition (/) with the remaining space, formatted as ext4.

4.4.2. Manual Partitioning (Something Else)

  1. Select “Something else”.

  2. Click “Next”.

  3. In the partition table dialog:

    • EFI partition: If you already have an EFI partition (≥ 512 MB, formatted FAT32), select it, click “Change,” set “Use as” to “EFI system partition.”

    • Root (/) partition:

      1. Select a free block or existing partition to overwrite.
      2. Click “Change.”
      3. Set “Use as” to “ext4 journaling file system.”
      4. Set “Mount point” to /.
      5. Allocate at least 20 GB (more if you plan to install many applications or games).

    • Swap area (optional if you have plenty of RAM, but recommended if ≤ 8 GB RAM):

      1. Select a free block or create a new partition.
      2. Click “Change.”
      3. Set “Use as” to “swap area.”
      4. Allocate size roughly equal to your RAM (e.g., 8 GB).

  4. Verify partitioning layout in the summary.

  5. Ensure that the “Device for bootloader installation” points to the correct drive (e.g., /dev/sda).

  6. Click “Install Now”.

  7. Confirm changes when prompted.

4.5. User Setup

image

  1. Your name: Enter your full name (e.g., “Kainat Quaderee”).
  2. Your computer’s name: Enter a hostname (e.g., kainat-laptop).
  3. Username: Pick a short login name (e.g., kainat).
  4. Password: Enter a strong password and confirm it.
  5. Optionally, check “Log in automatically” (not recommended for laptops).
  6. Click “Next”.

4.6. Wait for Installation to Finish

image

  • The installer copies files, sets up the system, and installs the bootloader (GRUB) to your disk.
  • This may take 10–20 minutes, depending on hardware speed.

4.7. Reboot Into Your New System

  1. When the installer completes, click “Reboot Now.”
  2. Remove the USB stick (or DVD) when prompted.
  3. Your computer should boot into KainatOS’s GRUB menu, and then directly into the new system.

5. Post-Installation Setup

Once you log in for the first time, consider these recommended steps:

5.1. Update & Upgrade

KainatOS is based on a frozen snapshot of Debian Sid (via snapshot.debian.org), but some updates or branding packages may need refreshing. Open a terminal (Konsole) and run:

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade

5.3. Install Latest NVIDIA Drivers (If Applicable)

If your machine has an NVIDIA GPU and you want the latest proprietary driver:

sudo apt install nvidia-driver-kainatos

Reboot after installation:

sudo reboot

GUI WAY:

open discover and search for nvidia-driver-kainatos

5.5. Verify KDE Optimizations

  • KainatOS ships with a pre-tuned kwinrc and compositor settings in /etc/xdg/kdeglobals and /etc/xdg/kwinrc to reduce input lag and improve frame pacing.
  • You can tweak further via System Settings → Display and Monitor → Compositor.

6. Troubleshooting Tips

  • Boot hangs or black screen:

    • Reboot and, at the GRUB menu, press e to edit boot options.
    • Add nomodeset after quiet splash on the linux line.
    • Press F10 to boot. Once in, install the appropriate GPU driver.

  • No Wi-Fi detected:

    • Check if a proprietary firmware package is missing. Run:

      sudo apt install firmware-iwlwifi
sudo modprobe -r iwlwifi && sudo modprobe iwlwifi

  • Installation fails due to disk layout:

    • Double-check that the target drive is unmounted.
    • If using UEFI, ensure an existing EFI partition is formatted as FAT32 and mounted at /boot/efi.

8. Summary

By following this guide, you will have:

  • Downloaded and verified the official KainatOS ISO.
  • Created a bootable USB (or DVD) from Linux, Windows, or macOS.
  • Installed KainatOS onto your target machine, with options for automatic or manual partitioning.
  • Completed post-installation tasks (updates, proprietary drivers, gaming tools).

Enjoy exploring KainatOS—a Debian Sid snapshot distribution optimized for KDE and gaming!