Elementary OS 8, also known as “Circe”, introduces several enhancements, including a secure session, a redesigned dock, and PipeWire as the default media server. The AppCenter has been updated, featuring a “Made for elementary OS” badge and a “Sponsor” link for app developers. Here’s how to install it.
System Requirements for Elementary OS 8
- Dual Core 64-bit processor.
- 4 GB RAM or more.
- 32 GB hard disk.
- Internet Access.
- Bootable USB Flash Drive (4 GB Storage).
Downloading the Elementary OS 8 ISO
Step 1: Use the official website to download the ISO file.
Choose your contribution amount or download for free by entering $0. Click the Download button to get the ISO file.
Creating a Bootable USB Drive
Method 1: Using dd command (Linux)
Step 2: Open a terminal.
Step 3: Identify your USB drive.
Use the lsblk command to list block devices and identify your USB drive (e.g., /dev/sdb). Be absolutely certain you have the right device, as this command will overwrite data.
Step 4: Execute the dd command.
Replace /path/to/elementaryos.iso with the path to your downloaded ISO file, and /dev/sdX with your USB drive identifier.
sudo dd if=/path/to/elementaryos.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress
Warning: Ensure you have selected the correct drive, as this process is destructive.
Step 5: Sync the changes.
After the dd command completes, run the sync command to ensure all data is written to the USB drive.
sync
Method 2: Using Etcher
Step 2: Download and install Etcher from https://etcher.balena.io/.
Step 3: Launch Etcher.
Step 4: Select the downloaded Elementary OS 8 ISO file using the “Flash from file” option.
Step 5: Choose your USB drive as the target.
Step 6: Click the “Flash!” button to create the bootable USB drive.
Method 3: Using Rufus (Windows)
Step 2: Download Rufus from https://rufus.ie/en/.
Step 3: Launch Rufus.
Step 4: Select your USB drive in the “Device” dropdown menu.
Step 5: Click the “Select” button and choose the downloaded Elementary OS 8 ISO file.
Step 6: Ensure the “Boot selection” is set to “Disk or ISO image”.
Step 7: Click “Start” and confirm any warnings to create the bootable USB drive.
Installing Elementary OS 8
Step 3: Boot System From the USB Drive
Now boot the target system with bootable USB drive. From BIOS settings, change the boot medium from the hard disk to USB. When the system boots up with the USB drive, the Elementary OS welcome screen will appear.
Step 4: Select Language for Installation
Choose your preferred language and then click Select.
Step 5: Choose Keyboard Layout
In this step, you will be requested to choose your preferred keyboard layout and then click on Select.
Step 6: Try or Install Elementary OS
You will be presented with a screen where you need to choose the installation type. It gives you the following options:
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Try Demo Mode- Try Elementary OS 8 without installing it. -
Erase disk and Install- The installer will erase the whole disk and will create required partitions automatically (recommended for beginners). -
Custom Install (Advanced)- It will give you the option to create custom partitions.
Select Custom Install (Advanced).
Step 7: Partitioning (If you chose Custom Install)
Select the drive on which the OS will be installed and then create a partition table (msdos).
Note: For UEFI BIOS, you need to create one additional partition with the following details:
-
Size: Typically 100–550 MB (common recommendation is 512 MB).
-
File System: FAT32 (required for compatibility with UEFI).
-
Mount Point:
/boot/efi.
Create the following partitions:
-
/boot(1G, ext4). -
swap(2GB or equal to RAM size). -
/15 GB (root partition, ext4). -
/home(22 GB, ext4).
Select the unallocated disk then click Partition Menu and choose New.
Create the four partitions as per the specifications mentioned above.
Once the partitions are created, click the Tick icon to apply the changes. Then, format each partition and assign the appropriate mount points to them.
To start the installation, click on the Erase & Install option.
Note: If your system is connected to the internet and you wish to install third-party drivers, select the option Include Third-Party Proprietary Drivers; otherwise, you can skip this selection.
Step 8: Installation Progress
The installation process will begin and run until completion.
Once the installation is completed, the installer will prompt you to reboot the system.
Click on Restart Device and don’t forget to change the boot medium from the BIOS settings so that it boots up with the disk.
Step 9: Create Local User and Set Hostname
After the system boots up following the installation, you will be prompted to select your preferred language and keyboard layout. Once selected, click Continue to proceed.
Next, you will be asked to enter local user details and the hostname of your system.
Specify the details as per your requirement and click on Finish Setup.
On the next screen, you will be prompted to enter the local user credentials you created earlier.
After entering the credentials, hit enter.
Step 10: Elementary OS 8 Welcome Screen
You will see the welcome screen.
Choose Skip All, which will take you to the next screen.
Click Get Started, and then the desktop screen will appear.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed Elementary OS 8 on your system.