Installing Pop!_OS in OEM Mode
How to configure Pop!_OS to run setup on first boot, like a brand new System76 PC.
Tags:
Pop!_OS
This procedure applies to UEFI installations only. Legacy boot mode installations omit the recovery partition and cannot easily be configured for the OEM experience.
- Create and boot Pop!_OS installation media as normal.
- Perform a clean install, but do not restart when finished.
- The display name, username, and password can be set to anything.
- Disable encryption, which is pointless at this stage.
- Mount the recovery partition (usually partition 2). At the root of the recovery partition, locate
recovery.conf. In it, setOEM_MODE=1, then save and exit.- GNOME Disks (“Disks”) is the easiest way to identify and mount partitions.
- Mount the EFI system partition (usually partition 1). Relative to the root of the EFI partition:
- Navigate to
loader/entries/and copy the filename without extension of the recovery entry (Recovery-XXXX-XXXX). - Edit
loader/loader.confby replacingPop_OS-currentwith the copied text. It should readdefault Recovery-XXXX-XXXX. Save and exit.
- Navigate to
- Shut down the computer and remove the Pop!_OS installation media.
- (Optional) Perform a test boot to ensure the setup launches.