Quick Start

(A.k.a. get HelenOS up and running in 10 minutes)

This method is recommended for new users. We recommend to use Qemu, which we use for our day to day testing. If you use another emulator, you need to be more careful.

Running HelenOS in Qemu

To try out HelenOS in Qemu, download the latest IA-32 ISO image from the ​download page. Install ​QEMU. In the directory where you downloaded the ISO image run

qemu -m 32 -cdrom image.iso

You should see the GRUB and just a second or so later the system should automatically come up.

For more information about running Helenos in QEMU, see UsersGuide/RunningInQEMU

Running HelenOS in another emulator

You can also use a different emulator (Bochs, VirtualBox, etc.). Make sure your emulator it is configured to emulate a Pentium 4 or later CPU. Otherwise HelenOS won't boot and it will display a red error message.

Note: If you use a non-free emulator (that only runs in a non-free OS) and you run into trouble, we need not be able or willing to help you. Please use a free software emulator instead.

Troubleshooting

The system does not come up, red error message displayed

This is a problem on the GRUB/kernel transition when the kernel probes and initializes the CPU. It can mean one of two things, depending on the message:

• Error: Extended CPUID not supported — CPU is not 64-bit. System halted.
  • You are trying to run a 64-bit system on a 32-bit CPU! Please download the IA-32 system image instead.

• Other message
  • The CPU is an old antique and does not have some (pretty standard) feature required by HelenOS. Make sure your simulator is configured to emulate a more recent (Pentium 4 or later) CPU