The computer, only if you want it.
Orneos OS is the computer's operating system, for anyone who wants the machine itself to be Orneos. The same account as the rest: mail, files, calendar, search. Without it, the whole ecosystem stays in the browser and the apps.
SHA-256 5640d4ee99b353b708799444177fc28d509deef5b60b1ae072e6c1245f76d50b
How it works
An Orneos account
The same one as the cloud. The computer signs in to it at the first start.
Install from the image
You download the installer on this page and boot it. You choose the language, the disk, then either replace everything or keep the old system beside it. It needs EFI boot without Secure Boot, 4 GB of memory and 40 GB of disk.
The first start
You create the computer account, then Orneos Connect opens the Orneos sign-in, including two-factor authentication.
No reinstall after that
Updates prepare themselves and apply at the next restart. The previous version stays in the boot menu.
x86_64 computers, EFI boot with Secure Boot turned off, 4 GB of memory, 40 GB of disk. Later updates arrive on their own: you do not download this installer again.
Install from a USB stick About 30 minutes, in three stages: prepare the stick, set up the computer, install.
- Prepare the USB stick
- Set up the computer
- Install Orneos OS
1Prepare the USB stick
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What you need
A PC, or a Mac with an Intel processor, with 4 GB of memory and 40 GB free. Macs with Apple chips (M1 to M4) are not compatible.
A USB stick of 8 GB or more. It will be completely erased.
A copy of your documents and photos, if you plan to replace the current system.
Your Orneos account. You only need it at the very end.
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Download the installer
At the top of this page, click "Download the installer". The file is about 4.5 GB: wait for the download to finish before going on.
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Write the installer to the stick
Install Fedora Media Writer (link below) and plug in the stick.
Open it and choose "Select .iso file" (do not download Fedora if it offers to). Pick the orneos-os file, then your stick, and click Write.
Wait until it finishes, then eject the stick. Copying the .iso file to the stick by hand does not work: the computer could not start from it.
Prefer Rufus? Choose "DD Image" when it asks how to write the file: "ISO" mode does not work.
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Check the downloadOptional
To make sure the file is complete: Start menu, type cmd, Enter. Paste these two lines, then Enter.
The code shown must match the one at the top of the page. Otherwise, download again.
cd %USERPROFILE%\Downloads certutil -hashfile orneos-os-44.202610211901-x86_64.iso SHA256
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Write the installer to the stick
Install Fedora Media Writer for Mac (link below) and plug in the stick.
Open it and choose "Select .iso file" (do not download Fedora if it offers to). Pick the orneos-os file, then your stick, and click Write.
Wait until it finishes, then eject the stick. Copying the .iso file to the stick in the Finder does not work.
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Check the downloadOptional
Click the SHA-256 code under the download button: a small .sha256 file is saved next to the installer.
Open Terminal (Cmd+Space, Terminal), paste these two lines, then Enter. The last line must end with OK.
cd ~/Downloads shasum -a 256 -c orneos-os-44.202610211901-x86_64.iso.sha256
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Write the installer to the stick
Plug in the stick and open the Disks app.
On the left, click the stick: tell it by its size, not the computer's disk. Menu ⋮ › "Restore Disk Image…", choose the .iso file, then confirm.
Wait until it finishes before removing the stick.
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Check the downloadOptional
Click the SHA-256 code under the download button to save the small .sha256 file, then run in a terminal, from the downloads folder:
You should read OK.
cd "$(xdg-user-dir DOWNLOAD)" sha256sum -c orneos-os-44.202610211901-x86_64.iso.sha256
2Set up the computer
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Turn off Secure Boot
Orneos OS installs the drivers of the machine itself, including those of NVIDIA graphics cards. These drivers do not pass Secure Boot, so turn it off once and for all.
Turn the computer off, turn it back on and immediately press the settings key several times: F2 or Delete on most PCs, F10 on HP, Esc on some laptops.
In the settings, look for "Secure Boot", often under the Boot or Security tab. Set it to Disabled, then save and exit (often the F10 key).
Keeping Windows with a BitLocker-encrypted disk? Write down your recovery key first at aka.ms/myrecoverykey: Windows will ask for it once, on the first start after this change.
On a recent Intel Mac (T2 chip): start up holding Cmd+R, open Utilities › Startup Security Utility, choose "No Security" and "Allow booting from external media". Older Macs need no change.
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Start from the stick
Plug in the stick, then turn the computer on while pressing the boot menu key several times: F12 on most Dell and Lenovo, F9 on HP, F8 or Esc on Asus. On a Mac, hold the Option (⌥) key.
In the list, pick your stick. If there are two lines, take the one starting with UEFI. On a Mac, choose "EFI Boot".
The old system starts anyway? The stick was not chosen in time: restart and press the key as soon as the computer turns on.
3Install Orneos OS
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Choose the language and the disk
Choose your language, then Continue.
Open "Installation Destination" and click a single disk, the one that will hold the system: the SSD if there is one, never the USB stick. If the computer has several, leave the others unticked: you will add them afterwards as data disks.
Keep automatic partitioning, click Done, then pick one of the two ways.
Replace the old system
The simplest. A window lists what is on the disk: click "Delete all", then "Reclaim space". The whole disk is erased, Windows included.
Keep the old system alongside
You need 40 GB free on the disk. On Windows, make this room before starting from the stick: Disk Management › right-click drive C: › Shrink Volume, by at least 40,000 MB.
In the installer, do not click "Delete all": it uses the free space and leaves the rest alone. At every start, a menu lets you choose between the two systems.
Click "Begin Installation". It takes about ten minutes.
At the end, click Restart and remove the stick as soon as the screen goes dark. Otherwise the installer starts again.
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The first start
A wizard asks for your name, a password and your keyboard. This password opens the session on this computer: it can differ from your Orneos account password.
Orneos Connect opens next. Sign in with your Orneos account, as on the website. Your files, mail and calendar come in by themselves.
NVIDIA graphics card: Orneos OS recognises it, downloads its driver in the background, then offers to restart. Accept: the right resolution and all your screens arrive after that restart.
Features
The same account
Orneos sign-in, files in ~/Orneos, Firefox with Search as the home page.
Automatic updates
Each version prepares in the background and applies at the next restart. You do not reinstall the system.
Rollback
If an update is a problem, the previous version is offered in the boot menu.
Based on Fedora, not a fork
Fedora Kinoite (KDE Plasma), with the Orneos layer. Security fixes stay Fedora's.
Frequently asked questions
Do I reinstall for updates?
No. They prepare on their own and apply at the next restart. Discover shows them too. Apps you add later through Discover update separately.
Who is Orneos OS for?
People comfortable installing an operating system. The Orneos cloud is used from a browser, a phone or an existing computer, without changing the system.
Is this a deeply modified Fedora?
No. It is Fedora Kinoite, with Orneos looks, settings and account sign-in added. It is not a fork: Fedora updates keep coming.
What if an update is not right?
Orneos menu › Check for updates › Advanced › "Go back to this version", then restart. Automatic updates then wait for the next version. The previous version is also in the boot menu.
What if I have an NVIDIA graphics card?
Orneos OS recognises it and installs the right driver, from the GTX 750 to the latest RTX. On the first start, it downloads it in the background, then offers to restart. The driver then follows every update with nothing to do. AMD and Intel cards work right after installation.
My computer has several disks (SSD and hard drive): which ones do I pick?
Only one: the one that will hold the system, the SSD if there is one. If you tick several, the installer spreads the system over all of them and the installation can fail at the very end ("failed to write boot loader configuration"). Add the other disks afterwards, in the Partition Manager, to keep your files on them.