Greia
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GREIA OS / DOWNLOAD

Give a computer
a new purpose.

Download the Greia installer, write it to a USB stick, start the computer from it and follow the friendly installer. No Linux knowledge needed.

  1. 1Download
  2. 2Write to USB
  3. 3Start from USB
  4. 4Install

It replaces everything on that computer

Greia installs on the whole internal disk. Copy anything you want to keep from the target computer first.

You need a spare USB stick

Writing the installer erases the stick. Use one with nothing important on it, 4 GB or larger.

Built for netbooks & PCs

Reference machine: the first-generation Acer Aspire One. Other Intel/AMD PCs may work but are not yet tested.

STEP 2 · WRITE THE INSTALLER TO A USB STICK

Flash it
in minutes.

Use the computer you have now. The download is a ready-made disk image (.img): it must be written to the stick, not copied onto it like a normal file.

EASIEST

balenaEtcher

  1. Install balenaEtcher ↗ and open it.
  2. Plug in the USB stick. Unplug any other USB drives so they can't be confused.
  3. Flash from file → choose the Greia .img you downloaded.
  4. Select target → pick the USB stick. Check its name and size: never your Windows disk.
  5. Flash! Accept the Windows permission prompt and wait for writing and validation to finish.
ALSO GOOD

Rufus or Raspberry Pi Imager

Rufus ↗: choose the stick under Device, press SELECT to pick the Greia image, then START. An .img is written as-is.

Raspberry Pi Imager ↗: Choose OS → Use custom → the Greia image, then choose the stick and Write.

Check the download (optional), in PowerShell:
Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 "$HOME\Downloads\greia-os-installer.img"
The result must match the SHA-256 shown above.

After flashing, Windows may say it can't read the stick or offer to format it. Choose Cancel. That is normal: the stick now holds a Linux installer.

STEP 3 · START THE COMPUTER FROM THE USB STICK

Open the
boot menu.

Most computers show a one-time boot menu if you tap a key right after switching on. Pick your brand to see the usual key.

  1. 1

    Plug in and switch off

    Put the Greia USB stick in the computer that will receive Greia. Connect power, screen and keyboard. Shut the computer down completely.

  2. 2

    Tap the boot-menu key

    Switch on and immediately tap the key repeatedly (about twice a second) until a menu of devices appears.

  3. 3

    Choose the USB stick

    It may be listed as USB HDD, Removable device or by the stick's brand. Press Enter. The Greia splash and then the installer appear.

FIND YOUR BOOT KEY

F12

On older Acers the menu may be switched off: press F2 at power-on, set “F12 Boot Menu” to Enabled in the Main tab, save with F10.

Not listed or not working? The startup screen often says “Press … for boot menu”. Your computer's manual has the reliable answer.

Newer PC and the stick doesn't appear?

This preview is tested on legacy BIOS computers like the Acer Aspire One. Starting on newer UEFI PCs is included but still experimental. If the stick isn't listed, the firmware setup (usually F2 or Del at power-on) may need Secure Boot turned off or Legacy / CSM boot turned on. Only change settings you know how to change back, and never erase a disk to make it start.

STEP 4 · THE GREIA INSTALLER

Six friendly
screens.

The installer is graphical and works with a mouse, touchpad or keyboard. Nothing is erased until the very last screen, and only after you hold the button down.

Installer screen: Choose your language, with English, Italiano, Español and Français
StartChoose the installer language (English, Italiano, Español, Français), then press Start.
Installer screen: Your keyboard, a grid of keyboard layouts
1 · KeyboardPick your keyboard layout. Greia suggests one.
Installer screen: Choose the internal disk
2 · DiskOnly safe internal disks are offered. Check the model and size.
Installer screen: Pointer setup with touchpad and mouse options
3 · PointerTouchpad and mouse feel. Tap-to-click starts off.
Installer screen: Display resolution
4 · ScreenAutomatic is right for almost everyone.
Installer screen: optional Wi-Fi connection
5 · Wi-Fi (optional)Connect now to use the Greia Parents app straight away, or later.
Installer screen: Ready to install, showing the disk to be erased and a Hold to erase and install button
6 · Ready to installRead the disk name again. To start, hold “Hold to erase and install” (or Enter/Space) for two seconds. Letting go early cancels.
Installer screen: Installing, with a progress bar
InstallingTakes several minutes. Don't remove the stick or switch off.
Installer screen: All done, showing the Parent login greia / greia
All doneNote the Parent login. When the computer turns off, remove the USB stick and switch it on again.

Screens rendered from the real installer drawing code (English, 1024×600). Disk and network names are sample data.

AFTER INSTALLING

Hello,
Greia.

01

Make the first child profile

Greia starts straight into its own world. A short welcome lets your child choose a name and a picture.

02

Open the Parents panel

On the child-selection screen, hold S + T together for five seconds. The Parent login is greia / greia; change it in Greia Parents.

03

Every start: pick a child

Greia always opens on the profile picker, so each child keeps their own saves, creations and rewards.

IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG

Quick
fixes.

Still stuck? Ask in the Greia community.
Ask on Discord

The computer starts its old system instead＋

The boot menu wasn't opened in time. Switch off fully, switch on and tap the boot key straight away. Try another USB port; front ports on desktops are sometimes not bootable.

The USB stick isn't in the boot menu＋

Re-write the stick and let validation finish. On newer UEFI PCs see “Newer PC and the stick doesn't appear?” above. Some very old computers can't start from every stick: try another one.

Etcher says validation failed＋

Download the image again, check its SHA-256 and try a different USB stick. Don't use a stick whose write failed.

No disk is offered in the installer＋

Stop there. Greia only offers internal disks it considers safe. Don't wipe or repartition anything by hand; write to us with the computer model.

Installation stopped with a message＋

Note or photograph the message. Nothing was erased if it stopped before you held the install button. Send us the message and computer model.

Can I go back to my old system?＋

Only by reinstalling it from its own recovery media. That's why the backup comes first.

FREE FOR EVERY FAMILY · ALWAYS

Greia is free.
You never have to pay.

A donation is very welcome, but absolutely not required. Whoever can support the project is more than welcome to. Schools, NGOs, sponsors and companies can also work with us on pilots, custom Activities, OS editions and official partnerships.

MORE MACHINES ARE COMING

One Greia,
many machines.

Each image names the hardware it was tested on. Raspberry Pi keyboard computers are first-class Greia targets with their own images.

⌨LEGACY & MODERN X86

Netbooks & PCs

From first-generation netbooks onward. The early Acer Aspire One is the demanding low-resource reference.

  • Whole-machine Greia installation
  • Child Shell instead of a desktop
  • Version …
Get the installer ↑
⌨ARM / KEYBOARD COMPUTER

Raspberry Pi 400

Connect a display and give the child the computer built into the keyboard. The Pi 400 is a first-class Greia target.

  • Greia child experience on ARM
  • Compact physical setup
  • Device-specific graphics and input gate
⌨ARM / KEYBOARD COMPUTER

Raspberry Pi 500

The same keyboard-computer simplicity on newer hardware, with the same profiles, Activities and Parent controls.

  • One Greia across CPU families
  • Portable child profile data
  • Device-specific release testing

A PC installer is not a Raspberry Pi image. Pi images will appear here when they exist.

QUESTIONS, SCHOOLS, PRESS, HELP

Write to
the Greia team.

Tried Greia on a computer we haven't listed? Got stuck? Want to help? Join the Discord or write to us.

Join the Greia Discordgreia@frozenpepper.it