Download
Installer update: If you tried installing with the previous Sloth OS 1.0.2 ISO and ran into problems, we are sorry. The installer issue is fixed. Please download the current ISO and reinstall.
Download Sloth OS 1.0.2 (6.9 GB) ↗ SHA-256 checksum
The same file works for every computer. On a computer with an NVIDIA graphics card, Sloth OS switches to its NVIDIA version by itself after installing and tells you when to restart.
Be honest with your data. Sloth OS 1.0 is new. Installing next to Windows works in our tests but has not yet been tried on many real Windows computers, and NVIDIA computers have not been tested yet. Back up anything important first.
System requirements
| Minimum | Recommended for games | |
|---|---|---|
| Computer | 64-bit PC (x86_64) that starts in UEFI mode: almost every computer from 2013 or later. Older BIOS-only PCs and ARM computers (Apple Silicon Macs, Snapdragon laptops) are not supported. | |
| Processor | 2 cores | 4 cores or more |
| Memory | 4 GB | 16 GB |
| Disk space | 64 GB | 256 GB SSD or more (games are big) |
| Graphics | Any Intel, AMD or NVIDIA graphics | AMD Radeon RX 400 series or newer, Intel Arc or Iris Xe, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 16 / RTX 20 series or newer |
| USB stick | 8 GB or more for the installer. Everything on it is erased. | |
| Internet | Not needed to install; needed later to install apps and get updates. | |
NVIDIA: Sloth OS uses NVIDIA’s open driver, which supports GeForce GTX 16 and RTX 20 series cards and newer. Older NVIDIA cards (GTX 10 series and earlier) are not supported by it yet. NVIDIA computers have not been tested yet.
Next to Windows, plan at least 64 GB of free space for Sloth OS, on top of what Windows needs.
Make the USB stick
Use Fedora Media Writer. It is free and works the same on Windows, macOS and Linux:
- Install and open Fedora Media Writer.
- Choose Select .iso file and pick the Sloth OS file you downloaded.
- Choose your USB stick and click Write. It takes 5–15 minutes.
On Windows, Rufus works too: select the file, click Start, and if Rufus asks, choose Write in DD Image mode.
Ventoy works too (tested with Ventoy 1.1.18): copy the ISO file onto the Ventoy stick and choose it in Ventoy’s menu (“Boot in normal mode”). With Secure Boot on, Ventoy asks once to enroll its own key; follow Ventoy’s instructions on its first start.
Start from the USB stick
- Plug the USB stick in and restart the computer.
- While it starts, press the boot menu key: usually F12 (Dell, Lenovo, Acer), F9 (HP), F8 or Esc (ASUS), F11 (MSI). On Windows you can also hold Shift while clicking Restart, then choose Use a device.
- Pick the USB stick (sometimes listed as “UEFI: …”).
Secure Boot can stay on. On a computer with an NVIDIA graphics card, Sloth OS installs the NVIDIA driver after installing and asks you to restart. At that restart a blue screen (“MOK management”) appears once: choose Enroll MOK → Continue → Yes, type the password universalblue, then choose Reboot. This allows the NVIDIA driver to load with Secure Boot on. Sloth Center → Drivers and hardware explains the same steps, and can prepare them again if you missed the screen. Computers without an NVIDIA card never see this screen.
Sloth OS starts with a choice: Try Sloth OS (nothing is changed on your computer) or Install Sloth OS.
Install
The installer asks for your language, keyboard and time zone, your name and password, and where to install:
- The whole disk: everything on it is erased. Tested on real computers.
- Next to Windows: Windows gets smaller, and a menu at startup lets you choose. Before this, start Windows once and turn off Fast startup; if your Windows drive is encrypted with BitLocker, have your recovery key ready.
- Encrypt the disk (optional): Sloth OS asks for a password every time the computer starts.
After a restart, the Sloth Welcome wizard helps you choose your apps. Read Getting started for what comes next.
Check the download (optional)
SHA-256: da684dcc8c23fa34a4a0eb3f2475c8feaf82f583af7c9f7cd2170cc67c8dbda6. On Windows, compare it with (Get-FileHash .\\sloth-os-1.0.2-x86_64.iso).Hash. Fedora Media Writer also checks the USB stick after writing it.
Licenses
Sloth OS is free software. Its own code is licensed under the Apache License 2.0, and its artwork (logo, wallpapers, boot animation) under CC BY-SA 4.0. It is built on Fedora and Universal Blue, whose parts keep their own licenses. The shared compatibility settings include data from ProtonDB, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Details: NOTICE.