installation: Review recommended system specification for sysupdate installation

Open Beginner friendly

#4,157 opened on Sep 12, 2026 0 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

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Assessment

Difficulty: 1/5
Estimated time: 1-3 hours
Newbie friendliness: 88/100

Issue type: Documentation
Clarity: Clearly specified
Activity status: Active
Domain: documentation

Research direction

Open docs/installation.md at the recommended system specifications section and review the current installation requirements against the proposal. Update the UEFI, storage, and USB drive requirements to match the issue, then verify that the section clearly states the revised recommendations.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Description

Needs Documenting Priority: Low

Problem

Installation with sysupdate support (https://github.com/elementary/os/pull/809) failed with 32GB storage which we now require in the recommended system specification.

Syncing future partition 0 contents to disk.
Adding new partition 0 to partition table.
Writing new partition table.
Informing kernel about changed partitions...
All done.
Mounting /dev/vda1 to /mnt/future-root as a scratch buffer...
Decompressing image into the scratch buffer...
Configuring partitions...
Can't fit requested partitions into available free space (11.9G), refusing.
Automatically determined minimal disk image size as 36.7G, current block device/image size is 32G.

Also now we require other things like UEFI with sysupdate image, so it's time to review and update the recommended system specification.

FYI I can confirm the installation succeeds with 64 GB:

Installation log with 64 GB storage

elementary@elementary:~$ run0 elementary-install 
Thank you for testing! <3
Using source image: /cdrom/extra/elementary_20260912010023.raw.zst
1) /dev/zram0
2) /dev/vda
Select installation disk (ALL DATA WILL BE LOST): 2
/dev/vda selected for repartitioning...
Destroying drive in 3s ...
Destroying drive in 2s ...
Destroying drive in 1s ...
Creating root partition...
/opt/repart-target/root/40-root.conf:8: Missing '=', ignoring line.
/opt/repart-target/root/40-root.conf:9: Missing '=', ignoring line.
/opt/repart-target/root/40-root.conf:10: Missing '=', ignoring line.
TYPE        LABEL           UUID                                 PART FILE            RAW SIZE    SIZE PADDING
root-x86-64 elementary-root 41d3d220-4fa3-42cc-93b4-cc5d4e4a4165    0 40-root.conf 21474836480   → 20G    → 0B
                                                                                               Σ = 20G  Σ = 0B

 ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
 └─ 40-root.conf                                                                                                            

Applying changes to /dev/vda.
Wiped block device.
Discarded entire block device.
Successfully wiped file system signatures from future partition 0.
Formatting future partition 0.
mke2fs 1.47.2 (1-Jan-2025)
Discarding device blocks: done                            
Creating filesystem with 5242880 4k blocks and 1310720 inodes
Filesystem UUID: 2faa2de9-ecc5-4286-806a-a8085c6a3538
Superblock backups stored on blocks: 
	32768, 98304, 163840, 229376, 294912, 819200, 884736, 1605632, 2654208, 
	4096000

Allocating group tables: done                            
Writing inode tables: done                            
Creating journal (32768 blocks): done
Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done   

/dev/loop1 successfully formatted as ext4 (label "elementary-root", uuid 2faa2de9-ecc5-4286-806a-a8085c6a3538)
Successfully formatted future partition 0.
Populating ext4 filesystem.
Successfully populated ext4 filesystem.
Syncing future partition 0 contents to disk.
Adding new partition 0 to partition table.
Writing new partition table.
Informing kernel about changed partitions...
All done.
Mounting /dev/vda1 to /mnt/future-root as a scratch buffer...
Decompressing image into the scratch buffer...
Configuring partitions...
TYPE                  LABEL                     UUID                       PART FILE            RAW SIZE      SIZE    PADDING
esp                   elementary_20260912010023 dc48779d-b0ac-475a-aa49-3…    1 source.raw    1610612736    → 1.5G       → 0B
usr-x86-64-verity-sig elementary_2026091201002… 4488839a-a8b4-4cbe-aa2d-2…    2 source.raw         16384     → 16K       → 0B
usr-x86-64-verity     elementary_2026091201002… d50481db-2e06-f9b1-8891-1…    3 source.raw     419430400    → 400M       → 0B
usr-x86-64            elementary_20260912010023 69ad8853-60cc-03ed-85b6-8…    4 source.raw    7516192768      → 7G       → 0B
usr-x86-64-verity-sig _empty                    8427ad67-4651-49a0-af48-7…    5 source.raw         16384     → 16K       → 0B
usr-x86-64-verity     _empty                    cbfafb08-f901-46f4-8e70-5…    6 source.raw     419430400    → 400M       → 0B
usr-x86-64            _empty                    e44c6708-c5b0-433f-a56c-0…    7 source.raw    7516192768      → 7G       → 0B
home                  elementary-home           e792f1d1-5cf5-4574-8106-5…    8 50-home.conf 29761679360   → 27.7G       → 0B
root-x86-64           elementary-root           41d3d220-4fa3-42cc-93b4-c…    0              21474836480       20G 43.9G → 0B
                                                                                                         Σ = 63.9G     Σ = 0B

 ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░
 └─ elementary-root                    │  │             │             │                                                     
                                       │  │             │             └─ 50-home.conf                                       
                                       │  │             │                                                                   
                                       │  │             ├─ source.raw                                                       
                                       │  │             └─ source.raw                                                       
                                       │  │                                                                                 
                                       │  ├─ source.raw                                                                     
                                       │  └─ source.raw                                                                     
                                       └─ source.raw                                                                        

Applying changes to /dev/vda.
Successfully wiped file system signatures from future partition 1.
Successfully discarded data from future partition 1.
Successfully wiped file system signatures from future partition 2.
Successfully discarded data from future partition 2.
Successfully wiped file system signatures from future partition 3.
Successfully discarded data from future partition 3.
Successfully wiped file system signatures from future partition 4.
Successfully discarded data from future partition 4.
Successfully wiped file system signatures from future partition 5.
Successfully discarded data from future partition 5.
Successfully wiped file system signatures from future partition 6.
Successfully discarded data from future partition 6.
Successfully wiped file system signatures from future partition 7.
Successfully discarded data from future partition 7.
Successfully wiped file system signatures from future partition 8.
Successfully discarded data from future partition 8.
Successfully discarded gap after partition 8.
Copying in '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' @ 1048576 (1.5G) on block level into future partition 1.
Copying in of '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' on block level completed.
Syncing future partition 1 contents to disk.
Block level copying and synchronization of partition 1 complete in 1.773464s (866.1M/s).
Copying in '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' @ 1611661312 (16K) on block level into future partition 2.
Copying in of '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' on block level completed.
Syncing future partition 2 contents to disk.
Block level copying and synchronization of partition 2 complete in 6.031ms.
Copying in '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' @ 1611677696 (400M) on block level into future partition 3.
Copying in of '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' on block level completed.
Syncing future partition 3 contents to disk.
Block level copying and synchronization of partition 3 complete in 499.562ms (800.7M/s).
Copying in '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' @ 2031108096 (7G) on block level into future partition 4.
Copying in of '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' on block level completed.
Syncing future partition 4 contents to disk.
Block level copying and synchronization of partition 4 complete in 7.015305s (1021.7M/s).
Copying in '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' @ 9547300864 (16K) on block level into future partition 5.
Copying in of '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' on block level completed.
Syncing future partition 5 contents to disk.
Block level copying and synchronization of partition 5 complete in 4.594ms.
Copying in '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' @ 9547317248 (400M) on block level into future partition 6.
Copying in of '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' on block level completed.
Syncing future partition 6 contents to disk.
Block level copying and synchronization of partition 6 complete in 535.933ms (746.3M/s).
Copying in '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' @ 9966747648 (7G) on block level into future partition 7.
Copying in of '/mnt/future-root/source.raw' on block level completed.
Syncing future partition 7 contents to disk.
Block level copying and synchronization of partition 7 complete in 7.478763s (958.4M/s).
Formatting future partition 8.
mke2fs 1.47.2 (1-Jan-2025)
Creating filesystem with 7266035 4k blocks and 1818624 inodes
Filesystem UUID: a5e215b8-b607-4751-8a51-300ddb5dac53
Superblock backups stored on blocks: 
        32768, 98304, 163840, 229376, 294912, 819200, 884736, 1605632, 2654208, 
        4096000

Allocating group tables: done                            
Writing inode tables: done                            
Creating journal (32768 blocks): done
Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done   

/dev/loop2 successfully formatted as ext4 (label "elementary-home", uuid a5e215b8-b607-4751-8a51-300ddb5dac53)
Successfully formatted future partition 8.
Populating ext4 filesystem.
Successfully populated ext4 filesystem.
Syncing future partition 8 contents to disk.
Adding new partition 1 to partition table.
Adding new partition 2 to partition table.
Adding new partition 3 to partition table.
Adding new partition 4 to partition table.
Adding new partition 5 to partition table.
Adding new partition 6 to partition table.
Adding new partition 7 to partition table.
Adding new partition 8 to partition table.
Writing new partition table.
Informing kernel about changed partitions...
All done.
Cleaning up scratch buffer...
Everything is done! Enjoy your stay.
elementary@elementary:~$

Proposal

Review recommended system specification in installation.md.

Require (not recommend) UEFI with secure boot disabled
Solid state drive (SSD) with at least 32 GB of free space: Should require 64 GB
You will also need a spare USB flash drive with at least 4 GB of storage for installation.: Should require 8 GB; see the file size of the ISO image below

ryonakano@fedora-host:~/work/elementary/elementary-atomic-os (sysupdate =)$ LANG=C.UTF-8 ls -lh mkosi.output/elementaryos-9.0-daily-x86-64.20260912010023.iso
-rw-r--r--. 1 qemu qemu 5.3G Sep 12 10:03 mkosi.output/elementaryos-9.0-daily-x86-64.20260912010023.iso
ryonakano@fedora-host:~/work/elementary/elementary-atomic-os (sysupdate =)$

Prior Art (Optional)

No response

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