Skip to content

First Boot Experience

Understanding what happens when SAGE-OS boots for the first time and how to interact with the system.

🚀 Boot Sequence Overview

When you start SAGE-OS, you'll experience a carefully orchestrated boot sequence designed to initialize all system components safely and efficiently.

Phase 1: Bootloader Initialization

SAGE-OS Bootloader v1.0
Copyright (c) 2024 SAGE-OS Development Team
Initializing system...

What's happening: - Bootloader takes control from BIOS/UEFI - Sets up initial memory layout - Loads kernel into memory - Transfers control to kernel

Phase 2: Kernel Startup

[KERNEL] Starting SAGE-OS Kernel...
[MEMORY] Initializing memory management...
[DRIVERS] Loading device drivers...
[AI] Initializing AI subsystem...

What's happening: - Kernel initializes core subsystems - Memory management system starts - Device drivers are loaded - AI subsystem comes online

Phase 3: System Ready

███████╗ █████╗  ██████╗ ███████╗      ██████╗ ███████╗
██╔════╝██╔══██╗██╔════╝ ██╔════╝     ██╔═══██╗██╔════╝
███████╗███████║██║  ███╗█████╗       ██║   ██║███████╗
╚════██║██╔══██║██║   ██║██╔══╝       ██║   ██║╚════██║
███████║██║  ██║╚██████╔╝███████╗     ╚██████╔╝███████║
╚══════╝╚═╝  ╚═╝ ╚═════╝ ╚══════╝      ╚═════╝ ╚══════╝

Self-Aware General Environment Operating System
Version 1.0.0 | Build: June 2025

SAGE-OS>

🎯 First Commands to Try

1. Get System Information

SAGE-OS> info

Expected Output: 

SAGE-OS System Information
==========================
Version: 1.0.0
Architecture: i386
Memory: 256 MB
CPU Cores: 1
AI Status: Available
Graphics: VGA Compatible
Uptime: 00:00:15

2. Explore Available Commands

SAGE-OS> help

Expected Output: 

SAGE-OS Command Reference
=========================
System Commands:
  help     - Show this help message
  info     - Display system information
  clear    - Clear the screen
  reboot   - Restart the system
  shutdown - Power off the system

AI Commands:
  ai status    - Check AI subsystem status
  ai chat      - Start AI chat session
  ai analyze   - Analyze system performance

Graphics Commands:
  graphics     - Switch to graphics mode
  text         - Switch to text mode

Memory Commands:
  meminfo      - Display memory usage
  memtest      - Run memory diagnostics

Driver Commands:
  drivers      - List loaded drivers
  lspci        - List PCI devices

3. Test AI Integration

SAGE-OS> ai status

Expected Output: 

AI Subsystem Status
===================
Status: Online
Model: GitHub Models Integration
Processing Units: Available
Memory Allocated: 64 MB
Last Update: System Boot

4. Check Memory Status

SAGE-OS> meminfo

Expected Output: 

Memory Information
==================
Total Memory: 256 MB
Used Memory: 32 MB
Free Memory: 224 MB
Kernel Memory: 16 MB
User Memory: 16 MB
Cache: 8 MB

🖥️ Display Modes

Text Mode (Default)

  • Pros: Universal compatibility, low resource usage
  • Cons: Limited visual capabilities
  • Best for: Development, debugging, remote access

Graphics Mode

SAGE-OS> graphics

What you'll see: - VGA-compatible graphics output - Enhanced visual interface - Mouse support (if available) - Graphical applications

To return to text mode: 

SAGE-OS> text

🔧 System Configuration

First-Time Setup Checklist

  1. Verify System Information 

    SAGE-OS> info
# Check that all components are detected correctly

  2. Test Memory 

    SAGE-OS> memtest
# Ensure memory is working properly

  3. Check Drivers 

    SAGE-OS> drivers
# Verify all necessary drivers are loaded

  4. Test AI Features 

    SAGE-OS> ai chat
# Try the AI assistant

Customizing Your Experience

Setting Up AI Features

# Configure AI settings
SAGE-OS> ai config

# Available options:
# - Model selection
# - Processing preferences
# - Memory allocation
# - Response style

Graphics Configuration

# Check graphics capabilities
SAGE-OS> graphics info

# Configure display settings
SAGE-OS> graphics config

🐛 Troubleshooting First Boot

Common Boot Issues

1. System Hangs at Boot

Symptoms: System stops responding during boot Solutions: - Try different QEMU options: -nographic -serial stdio - Check memory allocation: -m 256M - Verify kernel image integrity

2. No Output Displayed

Symptoms: Black screen, no text output Solutions: - Use serial console: qemu-system-i386 -nographic -kernel sage-os.bin - Check terminal settings - Try different display modes

3. Kernel Panic

Symptoms: System crashes with error messages Solutions: - Check build configuration - Verify architecture compatibility - Review error messages for specific issues

4. AI Subsystem Not Available

Symptoms: AI commands return "Not Available" Solutions: - Check build configuration includes AI support - Verify memory allocation is sufficient - Ensure proper initialization sequence

Boot Diagnostics

Enable Verbose Boot

# Add to QEMU command line
-append "debug verbose"

Check Boot Logs

SAGE-OS> dmesg
# Display kernel boot messages

Memory Diagnostics

SAGE-OS> memtest full
# Run comprehensive memory test

🎮 Interactive Features

Command History

  • Use ↑/↓ arrow keys to navigate command history
  • Tab completion for commands
  • Ctrl+C to interrupt running commands

AI Chat Session

SAGE-OS> ai chat
AI> Hello! I'm your SAGE-OS AI assistant. How can I help you today?
You> What can you do?
AI> I can help with system diagnostics, explain OS concepts, assist with troubleshooting, and answer questions about SAGE-OS features.
You> exit
SAGE-OS>

Graphics Mode Features

  • Mouse cursor support
  • Window management
  • Graphical applications
  • Visual system monitors

📊 Performance Monitoring

Real-Time System Stats

SAGE-OS> monitor

Displays: - CPU usage - Memory utilization - I/O statistics - AI processing load - Graphics performance

Benchmark Tests

# CPU benchmark
SAGE-OS> benchmark cpu

# Memory benchmark
SAGE-OS> benchmark memory

# Graphics benchmark
SAGE-OS> benchmark graphics

🔄 Next Steps After First Boot

  1. Explore the System
  2. Try all available commands
  3. Test different display modes

  4. Experiment with AI features

  5. Learn the Architecture

  6. System Architecture
  7. Kernel Design

  8. AI Integration

  9. Start Development

  10. Development Setup
  11. API Reference

  12. Driver Development

  13. Deploy to Hardware

  14. Raspberry Pi Guide
  15. Hardware Testing

🎉 Welcome to SAGE-OS!

Congratulations on successfully booting SAGE-OS! You're now ready to explore the full capabilities of this advanced embedded operating system.

The system is designed to be intuitive yet powerful, providing both traditional OS functionality and cutting-edge AI integration. Take your time to explore and don't hesitate to experiment with different features.

Need help? Check our Troubleshooting Guide or join our community discussions.