SnapOS is a lightweight endpoint operating system designed to run on a wide range of existing x86-64 hardware, including repurposed Windows PCs, thin clients, and virtual machines.

This article outlines the minimum hardware and system requirements for installing and running SnapOS.

Minimum System Requirements

Component	Minimum Requirement
CPU Architecture	x86-64 (64-bit) processor
Firmware	UEFI or Legacy BIOS supported
Memory	4 GB RAM
Storage	8 GB minimum storage using HDD, SSD, or eMMC
Network	Wired Ethernet or 802.11 wireless
Display	Standard VGA, HDMI, or DisplayPort output

Supported Deployment Methods

SnapOS can be deployed using several installation methods depending on the environment.

Supported deployment options include:

• USB installation
• Live boot from a USB drive
• PXE network boot
• Microsoft SCCM / Intune deployment
• Installation alongside Windows or an existing thin client operating system in dual boot configurations
• Virtual machine deployment

Physical Hardware

For physical installations, the device must use a supported x86-64 processor architecture and provide at least:

• 4 GB RAM
• 8 GB of available storage
• A supported network interface
• VGA, HDMI, or DisplayPort video output

USB installation requires the device to support booting from USB media.

Note: USB 3.0 or newer is recommended when installing or running SnapOS from USB media for improved installation and boot performance.

Virtual Machines

SnapOS can also run inside supported virtual machine environments.

The same minimum resource requirements apply:

• x86-64 virtual CPU architecture
• 4 GB RAM
• 8 GB minimum storage
• Network connectivity

Additional configuration may be required depending on the virtualization platform.

For Microsoft Hyper-V deployments, refer to the SnapOS VM Install on Hyper-V article for platform-specific configuration requirements.

Network Requirements

SnapOS supports:

• Wired Ethernet
• 802.11 wireless networking

Network connectivity is recommended for environments using centralized management, VDI/DaaS connections, firmware updates, or remote resources.

Before Installing SnapOS

Before beginning an installation:

1. Verify that the device meets the minimum hardware requirements.
2. Back up any required data from the existing operating system.
3. Confirm that the system can boot from the selected installation media or network deployment method.
4. Verify that the appropriate SnapOS installation image is available.

Warning: A standard SnapOS installation may overwrite the contents of the selected installation disk. Back up any required data before proceeding.