TeLOS Linux Lite Files

FAQ

TeLOS Linux Lite - smart Debian respin (v. 1.0) 

Live usb user : ion 
live user password : ion

A. GENERAL

1. What is this?
This is an .iso file, this means a disk image file. You can use it to try or install the OS (Operating System) on your PC. This is the "Lite" version of TeLOS Linux, built from the same Team, based on the same principles. It is TeLOS minus some (most) applications. That means a more compact size (smaller .iso file, smaller installed sytem), more flexibility. Inevitably this also means less usability straight out of the box. The target group of TeLOS Lite is diverse: Experienced users, who want to make their own app choices and tweak the system to their taste or normal users who prefer a browser-centric system and that caters for their real life needs.

2. What OS does this .iso contain?
The file contains TeLOS Linux Lite. TeLOS is a Linux humbly proud distribution, a derivative of Debian, based on Debian's bullseye/sid branch. bullseye/sid is the testing branch of Debian. That means that this OS runs on the cutting edge of current Linux development. This is the version for amd64 (AMD64 or Intel 64 bit) PC architecture.

3. What about desktop environment?
TeLOS currently uses a carefully configured and customized minimal KDE Plasma desktop environment.

4. What can I use this for?
You can use it for anything you normally use your PC for, be it work, education, fun (including gaming!), development, you name it.

5. Is TeLOS free?
TeLOS is free open source software. Some applications contained use their own licences. 

6. Is it safe? 
It is safe and designed to be safe following the latest Linux standards. If you find any issue, please let us and the Community know. 

7. Is this stable?
It is stable at the time of release. Nevertheless, since it is based on the "unstable" or "testing" branch of Debian things might break. Please judge for yourself, backup your critical data and always keep your system updated. We take no liability whatsoever for any damage. 

8. Any preinstalled applications - bloatware?
We have preinstalled a minimum set of applications. Google Chrome browser is the most notable of them. You can install any other application you wish using Discover or flatpaks to suit your particular needs, wishes and taste. We are all different! Flatpaks are supported out of the box. No bloatware is included - no OS ads - no nasty tricks. TeLOS Lite is designed to be a system open to easy modification and customization.  

9. Is this like Chrome OS?
Some users might find TeLOS Lite a powerful and free open-source replacement of Chrome OS. 

10. What are the technical system requirements?
To be able to actually use this software on your system for anything usefull we suggest a minimum of 2GB RAM, 8GB of free disk (or memory card or usb) space and at least a 1GHz modern Celeron, Pentium or core processor. Internet access is suggested for use, but not necessary for installation. TeLOS will work with lower specs too.

11. Does TeLOS Linux use its own package repositories?
For maximum security, optimal compatibility and ease of use TeLOS uses only official Debian repositories, flatpaks and the official repository of Google. Debian Linux is a truly Universal Operating System. Therefore, by using TeLOS you will never find yourself trapped in a fenced ecosystem, you will never regret chosing an OS that their developers failed to support properly. 

12. I am not familiar with Linux. Is TeLOS suitable for me?
Absolutely! TeLOS is suitable for everybody: experienced users, new Linux users familiar with Microsoft Windows and even new PC users. There is no steeper learning curve here than in any other major Operating System

13. Can I use TeLOS in my language?
TeLOS currently supports 50 different languages from all over the World and you can easily choose the one that suits you during the installation process or in the Settings. Live system (.iso) uses English by default.

14. Is TeLOS touch optimized?
TeLOS Linux tries its best to support touchscreens and touchpad gestures for touch and convertible hardware. Nevertheless, this is a work in progress and may not be sufficient for (all) touch devices, particularly touch-only devices lacking a mouse. Some Linux apps are not yet fully optimized to work with a touchscreen. Supplementary use of a mouse or other pointing device is suggested for ease of use and productivity. If you only have the touchscreen available, you might want to look elsewhere. Please report us any issues to help us further optimize the system.
Tip: .iso files marked as "Touch" have the best touch support.

15. Does TeLOS offer different "flavors" or different Desktop Environments etc.?
TeLOS currently offers two flavors: TeLOS Linux (with a full set of apps) and TeLOS Linux Lite. You can easily "cook" your own recipe using TeLOS as the basic ingredient. 
In the future we might consider offering different versions of TeLOS according to popular demand.

B. INSTALLATION

16. What do I need to try or install TeLOS on my PC?
OK, now things start to look serious..
Here is the list:
- internet access to download the .iso, a medium (at least 4GB in size) to write it on and a spare port to attach the medium to your PC, a little love for adventure and 10-30 minutes of your time. 
- Download the .iso file. It is approximately 1.7 - 2.2 GB in size. 
- Write the .iso file on a usb, memory card or external disk.
- All data on the medium you choose will be erased! Backup any data you want to keep before writing on the medium.
- usb 3.0 (or later) flash drives/ports are preferrable, high speed memory cards (UHS) are preferrable, using SSD hard disks in place of the spinning ones is advisable
- some usb docks/hubs/extension cords may interfere in a negative way in the installation procedure

17. How do I write the .iso to the usb?
- do not manually extract the file, do not manually copy it
- on Windows: use rufus application to burn the image on the medium. Default rufus settings (MBR - FAT32) as automatically detected will be OK.
- on Linux: GNOME Disks has been tested to work to write the .iso on a usb 
- wait until the writing procedure completely finishes or you might break your usb flash drive

18. How do I boot from usb?
You might want to turn off the "Secure Boot" BIOS setting. Make sure you have allowed your PC to boot from usb in BIOS settings.
Shut down your PC. Attach the medium (usb, external disk, memory card) on which you have written the .iso to a suitable port of your PC. Power on.
Quickly and repeatedly Press F12 or quickly press ESC button or any other button your PC manufacturer has designated to invoke the one-time boot menu.
Choose to boot from the medium you wrote the .iso on.

19. Does TeLOS need legacy BIOS or UEFI to boot?
TeLOS can boot both in legacy BIOS or in UEFI mode. If you have both, we suggest you use UEFI.

20. OK, I have booted into TeLOS. Now what? Does the usb save my personal configuration, files, updates, newely installed applications?
The .iso is a live usb image. You can use it normally as you would use your PC, but every time you reboot the changes are not saved and the system resets itself to initial state. That makes the live usb very suitable for testing (the OS or any other software or hardware) or for temporary tasks. If you want the full experience and all features, you should consider installing TeLOS.

21. Can I use TeLOS on a laptop? 
Yes, you definitely can. Laptop optimizations plus drivers (including non-free ones) for common hardware are included. 

22. How do I install TeLOS on my PC?
Installing TeLOS is optional. You can easily install it, provided your PC meets the requirements, from within the running system. That means you have boot into TeLOS from the live usb you created to install it. You can start the installation procedure by double-clicking the "Install Debian" desktop icon and following the on screen instructions. TeLOS includes the user friendly and featurefull Calamares Linux installer. 

23. Can I install TeLOS alongside other Operational Systems (Windows, other Linux distros)?
Yes, you can. For maximum simplicity of use we suggest you install it on a medium of its own. A usb 3.0 or newer flash drive on a matching port will be enough and you will be surprised how snappy it will be on modern hardware.

24. Any installation advice? What about disk partitioning choices during installation? 
- Make sure the medium you plan to install TeLOS on is unmounted before you start installation procedure
- Calamares will scan your PC to confirm you meet minimum requirements for a successfull installation
- Choose a language you understand for the installation procedure 
- Choose your location to define timezone and other default settings. Choose the desired language. You will be able to change location and system language after you have booted into your newly installed system.
- Carefully choose the medium you install TeLOS on from top drop-down Calamares installer menu. A mistake here will mean data loss or possible inability to boot into other installed OSs.
- If you install it "alongside" other OS(s) make sure you leave at least 10GB for TeLOS's files.
- The "erase disk" option has been found to be unreliable. We will update this documentation for potentially more stable future releases of Calamares to be included in newer TeLOS versions.
- If you decide to dedicate the whole medium for TeLOS, we suggest you "manually" partition it during installation. 
It is easier than it sounds: Carefully choose installation drive. Create a new partition table with default settings. Create an unformatted-no flags 8MB partition. Create a 300MB FAT32 partition with mount point /boot/efi/ and flag boot. Create an ext4 partition for the remaining disk with mount point / and no flags. You will have the chance to confirm your choices before any real changes are applied.
- There is no need to create a separate swap partition, particularly if you use an SSD disk. You can create a swap file after installation, if you need or want to.
- Nevertheless, if you want to create a separate swap partition now, use linuxswap as filesystem and flag it as swap. 1GB size is OK, but, hey, this is your disk!
- If you have a big enough medium, it's always a good idea to create a separate partition at the end with filesystem NTFS to use it as storage of files that will be accessible from several Operational Systems. This step is fully optional.
- The installation procedure deletes the live user (username ion) from the system and creates a user with the username and systemname of your choice. Choose a password for your new user account, confirm it and write it down immediately. The user you create will have adminstrative privileges (will be included in the "sudoers" group). 
- Let Calamares installer do its work. 
- Reboot when you are prompted to.
- After you boot into your newly installed system you will be able to create more (standard or administrator) users, if you wish so.
- If you don't have reasons to worry about the physical security of your system, there is no need to use disk encryption and we suggest you check the box for the user to log in automatically.


Live usb user : ion 
live user password : ion

root user password : ROOT

user password : the password of your choice

Enjoy Linux!

What does "TeLOS" stand for?
TeLOS = tele (far) + OS
TeLOS in ancient greek means end but also purpose

last update Apr 03 2021