Get started

One controller.
One client. Then the room.

Begin with machines you can erase. Verify the desktop, applications, and network on one representative client before preparing the rest of the lab.

Watch the first setupFrom the NixOS ISO to your first network-boot client and Classroom view.

Watch the first setup

The keyboard, software profile and network values shown are examples; choose settings for your school.
Before you install

Check the room and the disks.

Six things to check before you erase the first disk.

01PCs
x86_64 controller and clients with UEFI boot. Begin with a spare controller PC and one representative client.
02Network access
The controller and clients must reach each other over Ethernet or Wi-Fi: SSH to the clients, cache access to the controller. Network boot (PXE) also needs UEFI network boot on the clients.
03Addressing
Agree a valid IPv4 prefix and traffic policy with the network administrator. Institutional DHCP and static lab addresses can share an interface.
04Controller Internet
Required for initial setup and new inputs. Prepared clients receive installation and system updates from the controller.
05Installation diskErases disk
Both standard installers erase the confirmed target disk. Back up required files elsewhere and verify the backup before starting.
06Operator
Someone keeps the administrator credentials and is at each PC during installation to confirm the machine and the disk.

Wi-Fi may not be compatible with network boot: support depends on hardware, firmware, and network configuration. USB/SSH installation does not require network boot or Ethernet.

New to Nixorium? The technician guide explains how the controller, the lab configuration and the student PCs work together. Read the technician guide →

01 · Controller

Start from the NixOS ISO.

Boot the official NixOS 26.05 ISO in UEFI mode, connect it to the Internet, then run the command below.

Set up the controller

curl -fsSL https://nixorium.org/install.sh | bash

The setup asks for keyboard, accounts, time zone, and passwords, then lets you choose an initial software profile. It erases the selected controller disk after you type ERASE.

Read the complete controller procedure 

After installation, boot from the local disk and sign in as the administrator. The controller starts in controller-only mode; preparing the client network is a separate step. A mistyped disk choice or confirmation is asked again.

02 · First client

Prepare and install one PC.

On the controller, click Nixorium in the app grid, or run the command below in a terminal. In this text menu, open Installation → Network boot (PXE), then review the lab settings and the network impact before starting.

Open the Nixorium menu

nixorium

Run this command as the administrator on the installed controller, or use the Nixorium icon.

  1. Prepare the controller. Save the lab settings, create the required keys, activate the controller, and build the configured clients through the guided flow.
  2. Boot the client from the network. Each PC started this way loads the installer, which starts by itself on the screen. Nothing is installed until you confirm at that PC.
  3. Confirm identity and disk. Choose which configured client this PC is, then confirm the disk by typing ERASE. Installation erases that disk and copies the system from the controller. A mistyped answer is asked again; an empty one cancels.
  4. Boot locally and verify. Complete installation and check the client before repeating the process on other machines.

No network boot? Start the client from the official NixOS ISO on USB and connect it over Ethernet or Wi-Fi for the USB/SSH installation. Prefer Minimal when the computer has 4 GB of RAM or less, because the live system keeps the installer files in memory. Wi-Fi settings from the USB session are not carried into the installed system. Compare both installation paths →

03 · Verify before expanding

Check a real lesson’s workflow.

Before preparing the rest of the room, use the first client the way a class will. When it passes, repeat the installation on the other PCs.

For administrators →For teachers →Troubleshooting ↗Ask on GitHub ↗
  • Boot from the local disk, open the student session, and test the applications, keyboard, display, and peripherals used in your lessons.
  • Check controller access, selected-client deployment, and the resulting system revision.
  • Sign in to the controller as the teacher, open the classroom view and check that the client’s screen appears.
  • Save test work to your chosen durable storage, then reboot and check the student-home reset.
  • Create the first backup of the controller from Maintenance → Back up lab, and keep it and its passphrase away from the controller.