PanOS Docs

Installation and Setup

Step-by-step guide to install dependencies and configure the build environment

Installation and Setup

Pre-Installation Check

Before proceeding, verify your system meets requirements:

# Check OS is Linux
uname -s                    # Should output: Linux

# Check free space
df -h /                     # Need 30+ GB free

# Check RAM
free -h                     # Need 4+ GB available

# Check internet
ping -c 1 google.com        # Should succeed

If any check fails, review 02-prerequisites.mdx.

Step 1: Navigate to Project Directory

# Navigate to PanOS project
cd ~/Desktop/Atlas/PanOS

# Verify you're in the right place
ls -la 0-install-deps.sh 1-build.sh 2-run.sh 3-check.sh

You should see all scripts listed.

Step 2: Make Scripts Executable

Ensure all build scripts are executable:

chmod +x 0-install-deps.sh
chmod +x 1-build.sh
chmod +x 2-run.sh
chmod +x 3-check.sh
chmod +x 4-create-iso.sh
chmod +x quickstart.sh

Verify:

ls -la *.sh | head

All .sh files should have x in permissions (e.g., -rwxr-xr-x).

Step 3: Run Dependency Installation

This is the main installation step:

./0-install-deps.sh

What This Script Does

  1. Checks OS Compatibility

    • Verifies system is Ubuntu/Debian-based
    • Exits if not supported

  2. Updates Package Lists

    • Runs sudo apt-get update
    • Ensures latest package information

  3. Installs Build Essentials

    • gcc, make, g++, and related tools

  4. Installs Kernel Build Tools

    • bc, bison, flex
    • libelf-dev, libssl-dev

  5. Installs QEMU Emulator

    • qemu-system-x86

  6. Installs ISO Tools

    • grub-common, xorriso

  7. Installs Utilities

    • wget, xz-utils, cpio

Expected Output

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  PanOS - Install Dependencies
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Checking system...
✓ System is Linux (Ubuntu 22.04)
✓ Free space: 350GB available

Installing packages...
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done

The installation will take 5-15 minutes depending on:

  • Internet speed (need to download ~500 MB)
  • Disk speed (SSD faster than HDD)
  • System load (background processes slow it down)

Monitor Installation Progress

Watch the output. It shows each package being installed:

Setting up build-essential (12.9-1ubuntu1) ...
Setting up bc (1.07.1-2-1ubuntu1) ...
Setting up libssl-dev (3.0.2-0ubuntu1.7) ...
...

Do not interrupt the process. If interrupted, you can safely re-run the script.

Step 4: Verify Installation

After the script completes, verify all components installed:

# Test each tool
gcc --version              # GNU C Compiler
make --version             # Make
bc --version               # Calculator
bison --version            # Parser
flex --version             # Lexical analyzer
qemu-system-x86_64 --version  # QEMU emulator
which grub-mkrescue        # GRUB tool
which xorrisofs            # ISO creator

All commands should return version information without errors.

Step 5: Create Build Workspace

The build process will create these directories:

# These are auto-created by build scripts
mkdir -p ~/pan-os-iso/build
mkdir -p ~/pan-os-iso/kernel-src
mkdir -p ~/pan-os-iso/rootfs

You can do this manually or let the build scripts create them.

Verify directory is writable:

touch ~/pan-os-iso/build/test.txt && rm ~/pan-os-iso/build/test.txt
echo "✓ Build directory is writable"

Step 6: Prepare for Build

Before starting the build, ensure:

  1. 30+ GB Free Disk Space

    df -h ~/pan-os-iso/

  2. 4+ GB Free RAM

    free -h

  3. Stable Internet Connection

    ping -c 3 google.com

  4. No Other Heavy Tasks

    • Close resource-intensive applications
    • Avoid large file transfers during build

  5. Machine Won't Sleep

    • Prevent sleep/hibernation (could interrupt build)
    • Consider: xset s off on many Linux systems

Step 7: Verify Build Scripts

Examine the main build script to understand what will happen:

# View script header (first 50 lines)
head -50 1-build.sh

You should see:

  • Build configuration (versions, paths)
  • Color definitions for output
  • Comments explaining each section
  • Error handling with set -e

Installation Summary

You now have:

✅ Build tools (gcc, make, bison, flex)
✅ Linux kernel development headers
✅ QEMU emulator
✅ Bootloader utilities (GRUB)
✅ ISO creation tools (xorrisofs)
✅ Download/extraction tools (wget, cpio)
✅ Build workspace created

Common Installation Issues

Issue: "sudo: 1-install-deps.sh: command not found"

Solution: Script needs to be in current directory:

cd ~/Desktop/Atlas/PanOS
./0-install-deps.sh  # Note the ./ prefix

Issue: "Permission denied"

Solution: Make script executable:

chmod +x 0-install-deps.sh
./0-install-deps.sh

Issue: Package installation fails with "E: Unable to acquire the dpkg frontend lock"

Solution: Another apt process is running:

# Wait for other processes to finish
sudo lsof /var/lib/apt/lists/lock

# Or wait and retry
sleep 60
./0-install-deps.sh

Issue: "Reading package lists... Done" then hangs

Solution: Update package lists first:

sudo apt-get update
./0-install-deps.sh

Issue: "E: Package 'qemu-system-x86' has no installation candidate"

Solution: Ubuntu package name might differ:

sudo apt-get install -y qemu-system-x86-64
# Or
sudo apt-get install -y qemu-system

Issue: Some packages fail but script continues

Solution: Manually install missing package:

# Identify failing package from output
sudo apt-get install -y <package-name>

# Re-run script
./0-install-deps.sh

Post-Installation Checks

Create a verification script to test everything:

cat > verify-install.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
echo "PanOS Installation Verification"
echo "================================"

tools=(
  "gcc:GNU C Compiler"
  "make:Make build system"
  "bc:Calculator"
  "bison:Parser generator"
  "flex:Lexical analyzer"
  "qemu-system-x86_64:QEMU emulator"
  "grub-mkrescue:GRUB utility"
  "xorrisofs:ISO creator"
)

for tool in "${tools[@]}"; do
  IFS=':' read -r cmd name <<< "$tool"
  if command -v "$cmd" &> /dev/null; then
    echo "✓ $name"
  else
    echo "✗ $name MISSING"
  fi
done
EOF

chmod +x verify-install.sh
./verify-install.sh

Expected output:

PanOS Installation Verification
================================
✓ GNU C Compiler
✓ Make build system
✓ Calculator
✓ Parser generator
✓ Lexical analyzer
✓ QEMU emulator
✓ GRUB utility
✓ ISO creator

Next Steps

Installation complete! You're ready to build:

  1. Start Building: Run ./1-build.sh (takes 20-30 minutes)

    ./1-build.sh

  2. Understand Build Process: Read 04-building.mdx

  3. Learn Architecture: Read 06-architecture.mdx

Configuration Options

You can customize the build by editing environment variables before running 1-build.sh:

# Use different workspace
export WORKSPACE="/custom/path"

# Or run build script with explicit vars
WORKSPACE=/tmp ./1-build.sh

See 04-building.mdx for build customization options.

Previous: 02-prerequisites.mdx
Next: 04-building.mdx

Prerequisites and System Requirements

Complete guide to system requirements, dependencies, and host machine setup for building PanOS

Building PanOS - Complete Guide

Detailed walkthrough of the PanOS build process, component compilation, and artifact generation

On this page

Installation and SetupPre-Installation CheckStep 1: Navigate to Project DirectoryStep 2: Make Scripts ExecutableStep 3: Run Dependency InstallationWhat This Script DoesExpected OutputMonitor Installation ProgressStep 4: Verify InstallationStep 5: Create Build WorkspaceStep 6: Prepare for BuildStep 7: Verify Build ScriptsInstallation SummaryCommon Installation IssuesIssue: "sudo: 1-install-deps.sh: command not found"Issue: "Permission denied"Issue: Package installation fails with "E: Unable to acquire the dpkg frontend lock"Issue: "Reading package lists... Done" then hangsIssue: "E: Package 'qemu-system-x86' has no installation candidate"Issue: Some packages fail but script continuesPost-Installation ChecksNext StepsConfiguration Options