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Installing GoldenDog Linux

Installing GoldenDog is a straightforward process, whether you are installing it on a physical computer or a virtual machine.

Before You Start​

You can install GoldenDog on:

  • Physical Hardware: See the Media Creation Guide to prepare your USB drive.
  • Virtual Machines: For a quick and easy test, you can use Alexia's Spin VM. It creates an instant VM with a 20GB virtual disk, which is perfect for testing GoldenDog.
Supported Architecture

GoldenDog Linux currently only supports amd64 (64-bit Intel/AMD) architectures. It does not support Raspberry Pi or RISC-V. If you need those, check the Debian Ports or Raspberry Pi images.

Installation Steps​

1. Language & Region​

Selecting your language and region correctly is vital for your system's date, time, and locale settings.

  • You can select a language different from your region (e.g., English language with Argentina region).
  • If your country is not listed under your chosen language, select "Other" to find your specific location.

2. Network Configuration​

The installer will scan for network devices.

  • Laptops: The installer usually detects WiFi cards (often named wlp*).
  • WiFi Setup: Select your wireless card, choose your network, and provide the password (usually WPA/PSK).

3. Hostname & Domain​

  • Hostname: This is the "name" of your machine on the network. The default is goldendog, but you can change it to anything you like.
  • Domain Name: This is for identification within a network. If you're not sure, you can use any name or leave it at the default.

4. User & Root Accounts​

You will be asked to set up two types of accounts:

  • Root Account: The system administrator. It is highly recommended to choose a different password than your personal user account.
    • Tip: If you leave the root password blank, the root account will be disabled for direct login, but your user will be granted administrator rights via sudo.
  • User Account: This will be your primary account. This first account created is automatically added to the sudo group.

5. Disk Partitioning​

  • New Users: Select "Guided - use entire disk" and "All files in one partition". This is the safest and easiest option for laptops or testing.
  • Advanced Users: Only use LVM (Logical Volume Manager) if you are deploying a server or have multiple hard drives and are familiar with how it works.
important

You must select "Write changes to disk" to commit the partitioning and proceed.

6. System Configuration​

  • Proxy Settings: Most users should leave this field blank. Only enter information here if you are in a corporate or office environment that requires a proxy (e.g., user:pass@proxy:port).
  • Popularity Contest: This helps the Debian project (which GoldenDog supports 100%) by anonymously reporting which packages are most used. You can safely select "No" if you prefer privacy.

7. Installing GRUB​

GRUB is the bootloader that allows your computer to start Linux.

  • The installer will automatically detect where to install it (usually the Master Boot Record / MBR). Select the suggested drive to complete the installation.

First Boot​

Once finished, the system will reboot into GoldenDog. The first boot might take a few extra seconds as the system runs post-installation cleanup and sanitization tasks.

Video Drivers​

  • Intel / AMD: GoldenDog will try to automatically install the correct drivers for you.
  • NVIDIA: If you have an NVIDIA card, please refer to our NVIDIA Driver Guide for installation instructions.