How to install Peppermint OS

Peppermint OS is a lightweight Linux distro based on Debian or Devuan, designed for speed, efficiency, and minimal resource usage. It features the XFCE desktop environment with a clean, familiar layout, ideal for both beginners and advanced users.

  1. Go to the official site: https://peppermintos.com/

  2. Choose the latest Debian or Devuan flavor ISO

  3. Download the 64-bit .iso file.

Create Bootable Installation Media

Use any of the following tools to write the ISO to a USB drive:

Instructions (Rufus example):

  1. Insert USB (minimum 4 GB)

  2. Open Rufus, select your USB device

  3. Choose the downloaded Peppermint .iso

  4. Click Start and wait until complete.

Step 3: Install Peppermint OS

  1. Insert USB and boot your computer

  2. Enter BIOS/UEFI and set USB as the first boot device

  3. Save and reboot.

At the Boot Menu:

  • Select “Start Peppermint OS” to boot into the live environment

  • On the desktop, double-click “Install Peppermint OS”.

Installation Steps:

  1. Choose your language and keyboard layout

  2. Connect to Wi-Fi if needed

  3. Choose installation type:

    • Erase disk (for clean install)

    • Manual partitioning (advanced users).

  4. Set your time zone

  5. Create your user account and password

  6. Click Install.

✅ After installation completes, remove the USB and reboot.

Step 4: Post-Install Configuration

1. 🔁 Update your System

Open a terminal and run:

bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Or use the GUI Update Manager.

Install Web Browser

Peppermint is minimalist; if your preferred browser isn’t pre-installed:

bash
sudo apt install firefox-esr
# or
sudo apt install chromium

Install Common Apps

bash
sudo apt install vlc gimp libreoffice synaptic

Customize Appearance

  • Go to Menu > Settings > Appearance

  • Change theme, icons, and fonts

  • Use “Peppermint Welcome” for useful tweaks and guides.

Set Up Cloud Storage (Optional)

  • Install cloud clients like:

    bash
    sudo apt install rclone

    Or use web apps via the included ICE tool to create “site-specific browsers”.

System Tools & Performance Tips

1. Use ICE (Site-specific Browser Tool)

  • Launch ICE from the menu.

  • Turn a website (like Gmail or YouTube) into a standalone app.

2. Install Driver Manager

If not present:

bash
sudo apt install mintdrivers

Then go to Menu > Administration > Driver Manager to install proprietary drivers.

3. Enable Firewall

bash
sudo ufw enable

4.Install Flatpak Support

bash
sudo apt install flatpak gnome-software-plugin-flatpak

Then add Flatpak repo:

bash
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
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How to install and configure TrueNAS

TrueNAS is an open-source NAS (Network Attached Storage) operating system based on FreeBSD (TrueNAS CORE) or Linux (TrueNAS SCALE). It provides file sharing, data protection, and virtualization features for home or enterprise storage.

  • TrueNAS CORE: Best for traditional NAS (FreeBSD based)

  • TrueNAS SCALE: Supports Docker, Kubernetes, virtualization (Linux based).

Step 1: Download and Prepare Installation Media

  1. Visit https://www.truenas.com/download/

  2. Choose TrueNAS CORE or TrueNAS SCALE

  3. Download the .iso file

  4. Use a tool like Rufus or balenaEtcher to create a bootable USB stick from the ISO.

Step 2: Install TrueNAS

Boot from USB:

  1. Plug in the bootable USB to the target machine

  2. Boot and enter the BIOS/UEFI to set the USB as the first boot device

  3. Reboot to launch the installer.

Installation Steps:

  1. Select Install/Upgrade

  2. Choose the boot device (e.g., USB or SSD – note: it will be wiped)

  3. Set a root password

  4. After installation, remove the USB installer

  5. Reboot into TrueNAS.

Step 3: Access the Web UI

Once TrueNAS boots:

  1. The console will show an IP address (e.g., http://192.168.1.100)

  2. Open a browser on a device on the same network

  3. Visit the displayed IP

  4. Log in with root and the password you created.

Step 4: Initial Configuration

1. Set Timezone and Hostname

  • Go to System > General

  • Set your hostname and timezone.

2. Create Storage Pool (ZFS)

  • Go to Storage > Pools > Add

  • Choose Create new pool

  • Add disks and configure RAID level (e.g., RAIDZ1, mirror)

  • Name the pool and click Create.

3. Create a Dataset (Optional)

  • Inside the pool, create datasets for different shares (e.g., media, backups).

Step 5: Set Up Network Shares

Option A: SMB (Windows/macOS)

  1. Go to Sharing > Windows (SMB) Shares > Add

  2. Select the dataset path

  3. Name your share

  4. Enable the share and save

  5. Go to Services > SMB, enable and start it.

Option B: NFS (Linux)

  1. Go to Sharing > Unix (NFS) Shares > Add

  2. Choose the dataset path and set permissions

  3. Enable NFS service.

Step 6: User and Permissions

  1. Go to Accounts > Users > Add.

  2. Create users with their home directories and shell (if needed).

  3. Assign users to datasets with proper permissions under Storage > Pools > Permissions.

Optional: Enable Additional Features

  • Apps (TrueNAS SCALE only):

    • Go to Apps > Launch Docker containers like Plex, Nextcloud, etc.

  • Snapshots:

    • Enable ZFS snapshots for versioned backups

  • Replication:

    • Set up data replication to another system

  • Alerts:

    • Configure email alerts under System > Alert Settings.

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