How to Install UmbrelOS

Are you someone who wants to move away from Google, Apple, and other major tech companies? Try creating a server on spare tech! It is a straightforward process that simply requires a little time and effort. However, when you go down this road, it requires some time. You will need to maintain the server by updating applications, expanding storage, and ensuring that resources are allocated properly. For busy folks that don't want to (basically) learn to code, there leaves a gap for an OS that functions similarly to Coolify (makes deploying apps easier for self-hosters). Enter UmbrelOS.

This guide assumes you are running on a physical device (some photos will show VM, but it won't be different), but if you have a VM, be sure to do a couple of things:

UmbrelOS is an operating system that makes it easy to get apps running in a beautifully designed package. It works with an Apple-like app store, where you can download and run. However, it doesn't fully block you from making changes on bare metal. The OS makes me think about whether tvOS was an open-source OS to be run on a mini PC. I think this is perfect for the tech-savvy person who wants to regain control and start doing things at home, or for those who are rightfully paranoid but not tech-savvy. They do offer the Umbrel Home, a compact device similar to Apple TV that comes with Umbrel OS pre-installed. However, for those waiting before making a purchase and wanting the OS, this guide will show you.

You will need a few things: a usb flash drive (at least 8GB), a primary computer (to burn the image), and a secondary computer to turn into an Umbrel device. According to Umbrel's recommendations, your secondary device will need 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. I will add, the more storage your secondary device has, the longer it will take to image the OS. If you have a lot of space, it will take some time to reach the login screen (you will use your primary device or a phone to log in if you prefer).

Burn, Baby, Burn

Before using the OS, you need to burn the OS. You can use Balena Etcher, which is multi-platform, or Rufus on Windows. Download the image from here.

You will choose "Flash from file" and navigate to your image file (.iso) of the operating system; then, click "Select target". Pick your flash drive (YOU WILL BE WIPING EVERYTHING ON IT) and click "Flash!". After it's finished, you are ready to install UmbrelOS on your secondary device.

Plug your newly created USB drive into your secondary device. You may need to look up "Boot Device Key" for your computer if it doesn't automatically boot to the USB drive. If you did everything correctly, the screen should look like this:

On this screen, you will need to pick your storage device. Mine was 1, so I typed 1 and hit enter. The screen will update to display the installation progress. This will take time.

Once it is finished, you will see this! Unplug your flash drive and restart your secondary device.

A Whole New World

After your secondary device restarts, it will take a few minutes to start serving the OS. When it's ready, you will go to umbrel.local on another device. You will be guided through a sign-up flow for the device (and user for SSH access). Add your name and password, and you are all set! Umbrel has an app store for many popular self-hosted apps like n8n, immich, Pi-Hole, Plex, Jellyfin, Home Assistant, Affine, Portainer, and more.

References:
https://github.com/getumbrel/umbrel/wiki/Install-umbrelOS-on-x86-Systems