# How to Install Kylin Desktop V11 and Use Its Built-in AI: Step-by-Step Guide

> AI Release · @ai_release1 · https://ai-release.org/guides/kak-ustanovit-kylin-desktop-v11-i-polzovatsya-vstroenny_en.html

## TL;DR

- **Time to complete:** 60–90 minutes (30 min media preparation, 30 min installation, 15 min post-install checks)
- **Difficulty:** Intermediate — you will erase a disk and work with block devices
- **You will need:** a target x86_64 PC with UEFI firmware, an 8 GB or larger USB stick whose contents you can destroy, the Kylin Desktop V11 ISO image and its checksum file from the vendor's official download channel, sudo/root access on the installer, and a working backup of the target disk
- **Scope warning:** the exact ISO file name, checksum value, hardware minimums, partition sizes and the list of pre-installed AI components are published per-edition by Kylinsoft. They are **not** reproduced here — verify them against the download page and the release notes before you start.

## Requirements and setup
![Illustration: Requirements and setup](https://ai-release.org/guides/img/kak-ustanovit-kylin-desktop-v11-i-polzovatsya-vstroenny-en-1.jpg?v=1793198926)


Kylin Desktop V11 is a Linux desktop distribution published by Kylinsoft. Everything below uses standard Linux tooling, so the procedure stays valid even if a menu label differs slightly between editions.

- **Target machine:** x86_64 (Intel/AMD), UEFI boot mode enabled. Confirm the architecture before downloading anything.
- **Free disk space:** the whole target disk will be partitioned. Back up files first; the "erase disk" install path destroys them.
- **USB stick:** 8 GB minimum. It will be overwritten completely.
- **Installer media source:** ISO + SHA256 checksum file from the official Kylinsoft distribution page. Do not use third-party mirrors.
- **Firmware settings:** ability to enter the boot menu (usually F2, F10, F12 or Del at power-on) and to toggle Secure Boot.
- **Network:** optional during install, required afterwards for updates and for downloading AI models if the edition uses on-demand model downloads.

Pre-flight checklist — tick every line before Step 1:

- [ ] ISO downloaded and its checksum file saved next to it
- [ ] USB stick identified by device name (e.g. `/dev/sdb`) and confirmed to hold no data you need
- [ ] Backup of the target disk completed and restored once as a test
- [ ] UEFI mode confirmed (not Legacy/CSM) in firmware settings
- [ ] Power cable connected (a laptop that sleeps mid-install corrupts the target disk)

**Example:** on the machine you use to write the USB stick, check the architecture and list block devices:

```bash
uname -m
# expected: x86_64

lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,TYPE,MOUNTPOINT
# expected output lists your disks, e.g.
# sda   476.9G  disk
# └─sda1 476.9G part /
# sdb    14.9G  disk
```

Here `/dev/sdb` is the USB stick because it is the small removable device with no mountpoint. **Why this works:** `lsblk` reads the kernel's device tree, so size and mountpoints tell you unambiguously which node is the stick — writing to the wrong node destroys your system disk.

## Step 1. Verify the ISO and write it to the USB stick
![Illustration: Step 1. Verify the ISO and write it to the USB stick](https://ai-release.org/guides/img/kak-ustanovit-kylin-desktop-v11-i-polzovatsya-vstroenny-en-2.jpg?v=1793198934)


**What to do:** verify the image integrity, then write it byte-for-byte to the raw device.

```bash
# 1. Verify the checksum in the folder that holds both files
sha256sum -c Kylin-Desktop-V11-*.sha256
# expected: Kylin-Desktop-V11-....iso: OK

# 2. Unmount the stick if auto-mounted
sudo umount /dev/sdb* 2>/dev/null

# 3. Write the image
sudo dd if=Kylin-Desktop-V11-<edition>.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync
# expected: a progress line, then a summary such as
# 4294967296 bytes (4.3 GB, 4.0 GiB) copied, 312 s, 13.8 MB/s
```

The exact ISO filename and the checksum string come from the vendor page — replace `<edition>` with the value printed there.

**Why:** a truncated or corrupted image is the single most common cause of an installer that boots but fails halfway. `dd` writes the ISO's own boot record and filesystem, so the stick boots in UEFI mode without extra tooling. This is the same raw-write mechanic used for other Linux images, e.g. [installing SteamOS 3.9.5 on a regular PC](https://ai-release.org/guides/kak-ustanovit-steamos-3-9-5-na-obychnyy-pk-poshagovoe-r.html?utm_source=tg&utm_medium=channel&utm_campaign=guide_inline&utm_content=guide_to_guide).

**How to check:** run `sync` and then re-read the first megabytes back:

```bash
sync
sudo dd if=/dev/sdb bs=4M count=1 2>/dev/null | file -
# expected: ... DOS/MBR boot sector ...
```

If `file -` reports plain `data` with no boot sector, the write failed — repeat the `dd` step.

## Step 2. Install Kylin Desktop V11 and complete first boot

**What to do:** boot the stick, run the installer, partition the disk, create your user, reboot.

1. Insert the stick, power on, press the boot-menu key, and pick the UEFI entry for the USB device (the one prefixed `UEFI:`, not the legacy entry).
2. At the boot menu choose the install/live option, then select your language and keyboard layout.
3. Choose **Erase disk and install** for a clean machine, or **Manual partitioning** if you need to keep another OS.
4. If you partition manually, a working UEFI layout looks like this:

| Mount point | Size | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| `/boot/efi` | 512 MB | EFI System Partition | FAT32; required for UEFI boot |
| `/` | 30 GB or more | ext4 | root filesystem |
| `/home` | remaining space | ext4 | user data, survives reinstall |
| `swap` | 2–4 GB | swap | optional on machines with enough RAM |

5. Set timezone, create your username and password, start the installation, and wait for the "installation complete" screen.
6. Reboot and **remove the USB stick** when the screen goes blank — otherwise you boot the installer again.

Partition sizes above are a generic baseline; the vendor's recommended minimums for V11 are in the release notes — check the documentation if your disk is small.

**Why:** a separate `/home` keeps documents intact across future reinstalls, and the 512 MB ESP is what the UEFI firmware reads to find the bootloader. Using the `UEFI:` boot entry ensures the installer writes an EFI bootloader instead of a legacy one.

**How to check:** after reboot you land on the graphical login. Log in and confirm the installed system, not the live session:

```bash
cat /etc/os-release
# expected: NAME / VERSION lines identifying Kylin Desktop V11

lsblk -f
# expected: /boot/efi mounted vfat, / mounted ext4, /home mounted ext4

findmnt /boot/efi
# expected: /boot/efi  vfat  ...  /dev/sda1
```

If `/boot/efi` is missing from `findmnt`, the system was installed in Legacy mode — see Troubleshooting.

## Step 3. Update the system and check the built-in AI features
![Illustration: Step 3. Update the system and check the built-in AI features](https://ai-release.org/guides/img/kak-ustanovit-kylin-desktop-v11-i-polzovatsya-vstroenny-en-3.jpg?v=1793198947)


**What to do:** identify the package manager, apply updates, confirm disk space for models, then locate and test the pre-installed AI components.

```bash
# Detect the package manager (V11's base is stated in /etc/os-release)
command -v apt && echo "apt-based" || command -v dnf && echo "dnf-based"

# apt-based example
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
# expected: "Reading package lists... Done" then "0 upgraded, 0 newly installed..."

# Free space for local model files
df -h /
# expected: Avail column showing several GB
```

**Why:** updates ship kernel and firmware fixes that affect GPU/NPU drivers — the hardware the local models run on. Free space matters because on-device models are large files; the exact per-model size is published with each model, so check the documentation before downloading.

Next, find the AI entry points actually present on this edition:

```bash
# List applications whose desktop entries mention AI/assistant/NPU
ls /usr/share/applications | grep -iE 'ai|assistant|npu|llm'
# expected: e.g. an "*-assistant.desktop" or vendor-specific entry, if shipped

# Check for accelerator hardware
lspci | grep -iE 'npu|neural|gpu'
# expected: your integrated or discrete GPU/NPU is listed

# Check whether an assistant service is running
systemctl list-units --type=service --state=running | grep -iE 'ai|assistant'
```

The names of the assistant, the models it uses, whether inference is local or cloud, and the account requirements are edition-specific — **check the documentation** and the vendor's AI feature page for the authoritative list. What you *can* verify yourself:

- [ ] The AI entry appears in the application menu or system settings and launches
- [ ] A test prompt returns an answer in the chat window
- [ ] With the network cable unplugged, the assistant either still answers (local inference) or reports a connection error (cloud inference) — this tells you where your data goes
- [ ] The model download/conversion step reports the file size and the target path before writing

**Example:** typing a short prompt such as `Summarize this paragraph:` into the assistant's input field and pressing Enter should produce streamed text within a few seconds on accelerator hardware. If the window stays empty, check the service log:

```bash
journalctl -u <assistant-service-name> -n 50 --no-pager
# replace <assistant-service-name> with the unit name from the systemctl listing above
```

If your edition ships no assistant, a desktop AI client is a valid substitute — the install and plugin steps are the same shape as in [DeepSeek Harness Desktop on Windows and Mac](https://ai-release.org/guides/deepseek-harness-desktop-kak-ustanovit-i-podklyuchit-pl.html?utm_source=tg&utm_medium=channel&utm_campaign=guide_inline&utm_content=guide_to_guide).

**How to check:** you have succeeded when `cat /etc/os-release` reports V11, `apt upgrade` finishes with nothing left to install, and the assistant answers one prompt — on-screen result, not a command exit code.

## Troubleshooting

**Problem. The USB write fails immediately with a permission error**

- Error: `dd: failed to open '/dev/sdb': Permission denied`
- Cause: `dd` writes to a raw block device, which requires root; or the stick is still mounted and busy.
- Solution: unmount and re-run with sudo:

```bash
sudo umount /dev/sdb* 2>/dev/null
sudo dd if=Kylin-Desktop-V11-<edition>.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync
```

**Problem. The machine shows "No bootable device" after selecting the USB entry**

- Error: `Failed to load image \EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI: Not Found`
- Cause: the image was written to a partition (`/dev/sdb1`) instead of the raw device, or Secure Boot rejects the unsigned bootloader.
- Solution: rewrite to `/dev/sdb` (no digit suffix), then disable Secure Boot in firmware settings and retry. Verify the write with `sudo dd if=/dev/sdb bs=4M count=1 2>/dev/null | file -`.

**Problem. Package operations refuse to start after first boot**

- Error: `E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend. It is held by process 1234 (unattended-upgrades)`
- Cause: the automatic updater grabbed the package lock right after boot.
- Solution: wait for it to finish instead of deleting the lock file:

```bash
ps -p 1234 -o comm=
# expected: unattended-upgrades
sudo systemctl stop unattended-upgrades
sudo apt update
```

Deleting `/var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend` while a process holds it can leave the package database inconsistent.

## Summary and next steps

You now have Kylin Desktop V11 installed from verified media, with a separate `/home` and a working UEFI boot entry, plus a confirmed answer from the built-in assistant. Next, read the V11 release notes for the supported model list and hardware acceleration requirements, then repeat the checklist in Step 3 on the second machine you deploy to.

## FAQ

**Is Kylin Desktop V11 free to download?**
Licensing and download eligibility are set by Kylinsoft per edition and region — check the official download page before planning a deployment.

**Can I install it alongside Windows in a dual-boot setup?**
Yes, use manual partitioning and keep the existing EFI System Partition instead of formatting it; the installer adds its own bootloader entry. Back up the Windows partition first.

**Do the built-in neural networks work without an internet connection?**
It depends on whether the edition runs models locally or calls a cloud service. Test it by disabling networking and sending a prompt — a local model answers, a cloud one returns a connection error.

**Which models and versions are bundled?**
The bundled model names and versions differ between V11 editions and are documented by the vendor, not fixed by this guide — check the documentation shipped with your image.