Illustrated Installation Guide

by @Mawson

Download the HexOS Installer

• Download the installer ISO from either link:
  • https://downloads.hexos.com/TrueNAS-SCALE-24.10.2.2-HexOS.iso
  • https://hexos-downloads.sfo3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/TrueNAS-SCALE-24.10.2.2-HexOS.iso
    • SHA256 Checksum: 0d3ee32e5ecf011da78ddcb49d0866478fb6a1ddfeddd563f458a23641c8d1c5
• (current as of 6/26/25)

Create Installation USB

• Download Balena Etcher: https://etcher.balena.io/#download-etcher
  • Install and open Etcher
  • Select "Flash from File" and choose your downloaded ISO
  • Select your target USB drive
  • Click 'Flash!'

Important: Do not use Rufus - it causes issues for many users. Stick with Balena Etcher.

Installation Process

• Insert the USB into your server and power it on

Boot Screen

• Select "Start HexOS Installation" (default)
• This screen will pass automatically after a moment

Installation Menu

• After the system loads, choose option 1: "Install/Upgrade"

Select Installation Drive

• Use arrow keys to navigate, spacebar to select your installation drive
• "[*]" indicates the device is selected

Confirm Drive Erasure

• Confirm you understand the selected drive(s) will be FULLY ERASED

User Account Setup

• Important: Choose the first option: "Administrative user (truenas_admin)"
• If you accidentally select the wrong option, see this solution or restart the installation

Set Root Password

• Set the root password - save this password, you'll need it later
• Non-US keyboard users: Be careful with special characters as the installer uses US keyboard layout. See details here

EFI Boot Options

• Choose "Yes" for newer hardware (generally recommended)

Installation Progress

• The installer will run for a few minutes...

Installation Complete

• Remove the install USB and restart your server

First Boot

Boot Screen

• The boot select screen will appear again - ignore it
• The default option is correct and will auto-select

System Startup

• The console will display startup information
• Tip: If boot fails, check your BIOS boot device order

Success!

• Installation complete!
• Next step: Head to https://deck.hexos.com/ to configure your server
• The "Console Setup" screen shows when HexOS is running properly