Q4OS installer for Windows 10

q4osteam · 2017-09-05 14:33

We invite everyone who wants to help with testing of a Q4OS installer for Windows 10. It is derived from Wubi and WubiUefi projects see https://github.com/hakuna-m/wubiuefi . It will download and install a Q4OS loop image file within Windows filesystem and add related UEFI (secure boot) entries to boot Q4OS from, with no need of dedicated partition.

You can get the installer executable here https://www.q4os.org/downloads1.html . Any testing would be helpful, so if you want, please try it out and report back results.

Installation instructions: https://www.q4os.org/dqa014.html

Last edited by q4osteam (2017-09-15 20:09)

q4osteam · 2017-09-15 20:06

Development of the installer has moved forward, it's now tested sufficiently to be released as a testing version. Installer is available for download https://www.q4os.org/downloads1.html

Installation instructions: https://www.q4os.org/dqa014.html

guillec · 2018-01-13 00:11

A few days ago I joined this forum so only now do I know this request and Q4OS Team information.

But not long ago I used the Q4OS installer for Windows on an old computer and after being satisfied with the use of this operating system I decided to install it on the hard disk by partitioning it.

The main reason I made this change (difficult, because I had to perform the partition) was that I didn't know how to change the size originally assigned to Q4OS and I needed to increase it. Another reason was my assumption that this would give me better performance.

However, soon I want to install Q4OS on a new machine with UEFI and have double booting with Windows, and I would prefer not to have to do the partition and therefore just use the Windows installer, which is faster and easier, since in practice I have not noticed much difference between the one version and the other, because the problems I had in the former have been replicated in the latter, and now I think they are problems with the hardware or certain programs. The same problems I have in Windows, although in this one they are worse.

But for this I would like to have the possibility to change the size of the space allocated to Q4OS in Windows (root.disk file) when needed, and to know, from the technical perspective of the Q4OS Team, what are the differences between these two ways of using this operating system and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.

In addition, before using the Q4OS installer from Windows on a new UEFI machine, I would like detailed, easy-to-use instructions on MOK and how to use it.

Congratulations and thanks to the Q44OS Team for their excellent work.

ScorpianQ4OS · 2018-03-09 03:42

Hello Guillec,
I just installed Q4OS for Windows in Windows 10. During the Q4OS installation, you have the option to allocate predetermined disk space to Q4OS. It's a drop down menu from which you select the amount of space you want according to the amount available.
As for MOK, as soon as Q4OS is installed, upon reboot you will get the MOK enrollment screens. Select in the following order:
First screen hit "Enter" for "OK". Second screen, hit any key to proceed. Third screen hit "Enter" for the ACPI.....key. Fourth screen select EFI/ and hit "Enter", Fifth screen select Debian/ and hit "Enter". Sixth screen, hit "Enter" to select wubildr/. Seventh screen select admin_wubi.cer and hit "Enter". Eighth screen select No, hit "Enter" and finally in the Ninth screen select Continue and hit "Enter". This will complete the installation. From this point forward Q4OS will start from the One Time Boot Option Menu, or F-12. Cheers

aboutblank · 2020-01-26 10:56

I decided to try Q4OS under Windows 7, but immediately ran into a problem: my firewall blocks all internet access attempts until I give the program permission. Apparently the q4os-winsetup.exe file creates a pyrun.exe file in a randomly named Temp sub-folder, and pyrun.exe is the executable trying to access the internet. Because I haven't given permission in advance, the install fails. It fails because unlike other similar installer programs, it does not have a "retry" function. So even though I give pyrun.exe internet permission, it comes too late, and the installation fails. This would not be a major problem, except that when I try to start the installation process again, the executable pyrun.exe is created in *another* odd-named folder with a different name, and my firewall detects it as a new program, without permission. Each time I run the install, a different Temp sub-folder is created, so I never can give pyrun.exe permission in advance, and the install always fails. This whole scenario could be avoided with a "retry" dialog when internet access fails, but the only option given is to cancel the install. An endless loop of failures therefore occurs!

My solution was to begin the install routine and check the Temp folder before clicking on 'install', while filling in my password, etc. The newly created Temp sub-folder is actually present at that point, and I was able to manually create an entry in my firewall to allow internet access to pyrun.exe *before* it tried to access the internet, rather than after. With the manual entry created, I clicked on 'install', and the process began without error.

It is unfortunate that such a laborious process was necessary for me to get the installation to proceed. A "Retry" function in the Wubi installer would be so much easier, and I'm really surprised that a "Retry" dialog hasn't been added to the installer, by this late date.

(I just thought you'd like to know about this problem!)

aboutblank
01/26/2020

q4osteam · 2020-01-26 11:30

@aboutblank
Thanks for the valuable report and suggestion, we will check different possibilities how to avoid the issue as described. A "retry dialog" would be the most likely solution.

Anyone is welcome to report any Q4OS-Winsetup experience, especially regarding the Secure boot enabled systems, we would appreciate a feedback.

aboutblank · 2020-01-28 22:43

Thank you.

I have a quick follow-up question: Does the Q4OS Installer for Windows install only the Plasma version? I could not find how to switch to Trinity after I booted into the Plasma desktop. And, not having seen Plasma before, I was surprised by it!

I think it can be taken as a given that anyone using the Q4OS Installer for Windows is using Windows :>). Therefore, I would have expected that the new user be greeted by a more Windows-like desktop. (I can't tell you how much time I have spent with different distros figuring out how to place the Recycle Bin on the Desktop! Many distros have recognized this, and at least made it easy to add it with a tweak utility of some sort.)

Plasma has (in my opinion), taken a giant leap backward by cleansing the desktop of *everything*, even the Home and Computer symbols that are so ubiquitous in most distros I have seen. I think it is easier to figure out how to remove these icons, if one doesn't want them, than to puzzle over why they are missing! A tweak utility that presented those options on first boot would have been a big help. Due to the strangeness of the Plasma experience, I uninstalled the entire thing! But I'd try it again if I could figure out how to *easily* run the Trinity Desktop by default. Any help you can give in this regard would be appreciated!

Thanks again,

aboutblank
January 28, 2020

q4osteam · 2020-01-28 23:40

The most easy and the native Q4OS way to install Trinity desktop is to use Desktop profiler. Just run it and select Trinity as an additional desktop environment. After reboot you will be able to select the Trinity desktop at the display manager login screen. If you would like to remove Plasma, run in terminal:
$ sudo apt autoremove q4os-desktop-plasma plasma-desktop
$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure tdm-trinity

Q4OS Forum

#1 2017-09-05 14:33

Q4OS installer for Windows 10

#2 2017-09-15 20:06

Re: Q4OS installer for Windows 10

#3 2018-01-13 00:11

Re: Q4OS installer for Windows 10

#4 2018-03-09 03:42

Re: Q4OS installer for Windows 10

#5 2020-01-26 10:56

Re: Q4OS installer for Windows 10

#6 2020-01-26 11:30

Re: Q4OS installer for Windows 10

#7 2020-01-28 22:43

Re: Q4OS installer for Windows 10

#8 2020-01-28 23:40

Re: Q4OS installer for Windows 10

Board footer