Eight.ly USB Creator
The installation starts on your desk.
The first step in a new NAS happens before the server boots. Eight.ly USB Creator gives Windows and Mac users a dedicated tool for preparing an Eight.ly OS installation stick.
Explore Eight.ly OS- Windows + Macinstallation preparation
Eight.ly USB Creator platform inventory, October 2026.
- Install USBone focused job
Prepares Eight.ly OS installation media; server setup continues in the OS installer.
- Your computerPrepare the installation on Windows or Mac.
- Installation USBCreate the medium used to boot the target server.
- Eight.ly installerContinue with the machine's network and storage setup.
The problem
An operating system needs a way onto real hardware. Even a carefully designed installer is one step removed from the person who has downloaded it and is looking at an empty USB drive. Preparing that drive is part of the product's first impression.
Who it’s for
For people setting up an Eight.ly machine from the computer they already use. The installation tool belongs on that computer, not only on the Linux server they are about to create.
What we built
We include a USB creator for Windows and Mac in the Eight.ly installation experience. Its role is focused: make the install stick that starts the OS setup. The installer then takes over the decisions about the target machine, networking and storage.
How it works
Prepare the installation USB on a Windows PC or Mac, boot the target server from it, and continue through the Eight.ly OS installer. That keeps preparing the installation medium and configuring the NAS as two understandable steps.
What was hard
The product boundary matters. Creating installation media is a different job from installing an operating system on the target server. We keep the USB creator focused on preparing the stick, and leave server networking, storage and account setup to the OS installer.