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Installation

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Rafael Minuesa edited this page Aug 26, 2026 · 2 revisions

The recommended way to get AI-2 is the ISO, a complete system with Artix Linux (runit), XFCE, the AI engine and the ai-2 tool, plus a graphical installer. Lean by design, 1.85 GB. To add AI-2 to a Linux system you already have, see Install on an existing Artix or Arch system instead.

Requirements

  • A 64-bit (x86_64) PC. Very old CPUs are fine, AI-2 ships three builds of the AI engine (llama.cpp) and picks the one your CPU can run, including CPUs without AVX or SSE4.1. The oldest validated machine is a 2011 laptop, see Validated Hardware.
  • 2 GB of RAM minimum (4 GB recommended). More RAM unlocks larger models, see Capability Tiers.
  • About 6 GB of disk for the system, plus room for models (the smallest is about 0.4 GB, the largest in the catalog about 5 GB).
  • BIOS or UEFI boot, with Secure Boot off (the image is not signed for it).
  • Internet is not needed to install, only later for models and updates. A small model comes on the ISO, so a fresh install can chat offline.

1. Download and verify

Download the latest ISO and its checksum:

Every release is also kept under its build date on the Releases page, and mirrored on SourceForge.

Verify the download:

sha256sum -c ai-2-x86_64.iso.sha256

The boot menu also has a "Check this stick first" entry that verifies the written stick itself.

2. Write the USB stick

Use a stick of 4 GB or more, or burn a DVD. Everything on the stick is erased.

Linux or macOS (replace sdX with the stick's device):

sudo dd if=ai-2-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M conv=fsync status=progress

Windows: Rufus or balenaEtcher in their default mode.

3. Boot the live desktop

Boot the computer from the stick (the boot-device key is shown at power-on, often F12, Esc or F9; Secure Boot is turned off in the firmware setup, often F2, Del or F10). The stick starts a live desktop that logs in by itself (user ai-2, password ai-2) without touching your disks. START-HERE.txt on that desktop explains everything, with EMPIEZA-AQUI.txt (Spanish) and START-HIER.txt (German) next to it.

  • If the screen stays black, reboot and pick "Start AI-2 (safe graphics, if the screen stays black)" in the boot menu.
  • If someone is helping you remotely, the "Remote help (SSH)" desktop icon starts SSH and shows exactly what the helper types on their computer. Only machines on your own network can connect, and it ends at shutdown.

4. Install

Back up anything you care about first, installing can erase a disk. Then double-click "Install AI-2". The installer opens with a language choice (English, Spanish and German are fully translated, and the installed system follows what you pick), then asks for location, keyboard, partitions, and your user. For the partitions step:

  • Erase disk uses the whole disk for AI-2 (everything on it is lost).
  • Install alongside keeps an existing system (for example Windows), lets you shrink it to make room, and gives you a boot menu.
  • Manual is for people who know their partitions.

Windows lives on NTFS partitions, a Linux system shows under its own name, and AI-2 labels its own partition "AI-2". When in doubt, the size tells partitions apart.

Read the summary page (the last moment to go back), install, tick "Restart now", and remove the stick when asked. The installed system boots to the AI-2 login screen. Continue with First Steps.

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