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The Try Guide

Five steps from curious to logged in. You won't change a thing on your existing machine — this is a live session that runs entirely from a USB stick.

Time required: about 15 minutes. You'll need: a USB stick (8 GB or larger) and a computer that can boot from USB.

Step 1 — Download an ISO

Go to axem-sx.com/downloads and pick an edition:

Edition Pick this if...
Pro You want a modern workstation. KDE Plasma, full creator stack.
Light Your machine is older or you want something quieter. LXQt, leaner.
Gold You want the reference build — what we run on our own desks.

Each download is a slim ISO (~1.6 to ~2.6 GB). The full curated software set is pulled in after installation by a single command. The live session you're about to boot will already feel complete.

Verify the download

Each ISO is published with a SHA-256 checksum. We strongly recommend you verify before flashing. The Downloads page shows the expected hash next to each file.

bash sha256sum axem-sx-pro-1.0.1.iso

Step 2 — Write the ISO to a USB stick

The flashing tool depends on the operating system you're on right now.

Use GNOME Disks (gnome-disks), KDE ISO Image Writer, or the command line:

```bash

Replace /dev/sdX with your USB stick's device path.

Triple-check with lsblk first. The wrong path will erase the

wrong drive.

sudo dd if=axem-sx-pro-1.0.1.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync ```

Use balenaEtcher (balena.io/etcher) — it's the gentlest path. Drag the ISO in, pick the USB stick, confirm.

Use Rufus (rufus.ie) or balenaEtcher. For Rufus, choose DD Image mode when prompted.

This erases the USB stick

Whatever was on the USB stick before will be gone. Move anything important off it first.

Step 3 — Boot from the USB stick

Reboot your computer with the USB stick plugged in, then enter the boot menu. The key depends on the manufacturer:

Manufacturer Boot menu key
Dell F12
HP F9 or Esc
Lenovo F12 (or Fn+F12)
ASUS F8 or Esc
Acer F12
MSI F11
Apple (Intel Mac) hold Option/Alt at chime
Generic / unknown F2 / F10 / Del → BIOS, set USB as first boot

Pick the USB stick from the list. AXEM-SX will boot into a menu — choose "Boot AXEM-SX live" (the default).

Secure Boot

AXEM-SX is signed and works under Secure Boot on most modern machines. If your system refuses to boot the USB, try disabling Secure Boot in BIOS as a quick test. We'll help you re-enable it after installation.

Step 4 — Log in

The live system boots straight to the login screen.

Field Value
Username axem
Password axem

That's it. You're in.

Step 5 — Look around

Take twenty minutes. Try these:

  • Open the Application Launcher (bottom-left corner) and browse the menu. Notice what's there — and what isn't.
  • Open the AXEM-SX Control Hub from the launcher. This is your daily admin surface.
  • Open Files and look at the home folder layout.
  • Open Firefox and confirm internet works.
  • :material-terminal: Open Konsole and try neofetch to see what you're running on.

Nothing you do in the live session will persist after a reboot. It's safe to explore, click around, and break things.

What's next

If AXEM-SX feels right, install it:

If AXEM-SX isn't for you — that's fine too. Eject the USB and we wish you well. The Linux ecosystem is wide, and choice is the point.

See also