When it comes to Linux it is very different from a Windows or MacOS install. Some users get confused about the install and sometimes some give up. So we are going to walk through a fairly simple and straightforward install of our products. Now these instructions apply to Linspire, Freespire and PC/OS as well as our mother distribution Kubuntu.
When you first boot your system you will be greeted by the "checking integrity" dialog and what this does is makes sure that the install media is good and that there are no errors or mistakes in the media itself
Next, you are greeted with a screen that asks you if you want to try the distribution in live mode, which runs the OS from the USB stick or install the OS. Now, when you try the OS none of the work you do will be saved. Live mode is good in case you have issues booting, or if you have an issue with your install afterwards such as you forgot your password and need an important document from the computer for work or whatever. It also gives you a chance to make sure that your hardware works with the distribution. Since we do include a lot more hardware drivers in Linspire, Freespire and PC/OS you will notice more hardware is supported then Kubuntu.
The next screen is your keyboard and language selection. If you speak any other language than English, this is where you would choose it. If your keyboard is anything other than the standard US layout, this is where you would choose it.
The next screen you will choose a normal install or a minimal install. On a normal install you have all the features and applications that are listed in the release statement and on the product description page such as office suites, multimedia tools, games etc. This of course takes up a lot more space than a minimal install which only includes the web browser as well as multimedia players. The minimal install is adequate is you need to deploy a special type of desktop or if you are installing a "chrome OS" or web based desktop or if you are installing the system on a machine that may have limited resources and storage space.
Next, you choose how to format your drive for usage. The most simple and straightforward path is to use the entire disk. If you want to get into dual booting or partition your drive for whatever reason make sure you know what you are doing. For a beginner, I would highly recommend to use the entire disk.
When you get done it will ask you if you are sure this is what you want to do.
On the next screen it allows you to choose your country as well as your timezone.
Next screen, you put in your credentials. You put in your real name, username, password as well as the computer name. Make sure your password is strong and complicated for system security. You can also choose to automatically login but we do not recommend that option if multiple people will be using the same system.
After that is done, the install starts.
After the system is installed you can go ahead and restart the system. Note: With PC/OS you will see this error when the system starts to reboot:
This is safe to ignore and after a few moments you will be prompted to remove the install media.
