Compatibility and Performance of KasperskyOS on Intel Evo Platforms

[James Edision]

Hello KasperskyOS Development Community,

I'm interested in deploying KasperskyOS on a new laptop that features the Intel Evo platform. As you may know, Intel Evo is designed to provide enhanced performance, responsiveness, and battery life for modern laptops. I'm particularly curious about how well KasperskyOS can leverage the hardware optimizations and features of Intel Evo-certified devices.

Key Features of My Setup:

• Processor: Intel Core i7 (11th Gen or newer) with Intel Evo certification
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
• Graphics: Integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics
• Operating System Considerations: Planning to dual-boot KasperskyOS and Windows 11

I would greatly appreciate any insights or experiences you could share regarding deploying and developing KasperskyOS on Intel Evo-certified laptops. Your advice will help me determine the best approach to set up a secure, high-performance development environment.

Thank you for your help!

 

[Ivan Ponomarev]

Hello!

We submitted an incident INC000016777085 for you. We will post here any answers we get from the experts team. 

Thanks!

[Evgeny.Lapshin]

Hello!

Here you can see hardware system requirements:
https://support.kaspersky.ru/help/KCE/1.0/en-US/system_requirements.htm
https://support.kaspersky.ru/help/KCE/1.1/en-US/system_requirements.htm
https://support.kaspersky.ru/help/KCE/1.2/en-US/system_requirements.htm

Additional information:
KasperskyOS cannot currently be installed on a PC/laptop as the main OS.
The requirements in the documentation relate to the installation of the SDK, i.e. the tool for building KasperskyOS images.

The target platform of KasperskyOS CE 1.2 is Raspberry 4.

[KarDip]

Hello @James Edision

Your inquiry about deploying KasperskyOS on an Intel Evo-certified laptop is quite intriguing. Here's a breakdown of considerations based on your setup and hardware:

KasperskyOS on Intel Evo-Certified Devices

KasperskyOS is a security-focused, microkernel-based operating system designed primarily for embedded systems and IoT environments, not typical for general-purpose or consumer devices like laptops. However, deploying KasperskyOS on Intel Evo-certified hardware is theoretically possible, but you'll need to address several aspects.

Key Considerations for Your Setup:

1. Processor and Architecture Support:

   • Intel Core i7 (11th Gen or newer): KasperskyOS supports various x86 platforms, so it should be compatible with your Intel Core i7 processor. However, since KasperskyOS is primarily designed for embedded and specialized systems, there might be limited optimization for high-performance, power-efficient laptops like those certified by Intel Evo. While it can run, it may not take full advantage of all Intel Evo optimizations, like battery efficiency or rapid responsiveness that Windows 11 would utilize.

2. RAM and Storage:

   • 16GB DDR4 and 512GB NVMe SSD: This is ample for both KasperskyOS and Windows 11. KasperskyOS has relatively low system requirements compared to general-purpose OSes, so your hardware will easily handle it. The challenge would be in partitioning your NVMe SSD for a dual-boot setup with Windows 11 while ensuring both systems can access the storage efficiently without interference.

3. Graphics:

   • Intel Iris Xe Graphics: KasperskyOS is not designed with advanced graphical workloads in mind, as it's mostly used in environments where security and real-time operations are more important than graphics performance. You might face limitations in graphical performance or support, so if you’re using applications or workflows that require heavy graphical processing, KasperskyOS might not be ideal.

4. Hardware Integration:

   • Power and Battery Efficiency (Intel Evo focus): Intel Evo laptops are designed to prioritize power efficiency, fast charging, and long battery life. KasperskyOS, on the other hand, may not have the same energy management optimizations as Windows 11 or Linux-based OSes. You might experience suboptimal battery performance when running KasperskyOS, which could be a consideration if you're planning on using the laptop unplugged for extended periods.

5. Dual-boot Considerations:

   • Partitioning and Boot Loader Setup: When dual-booting KasperskyOS with Windows 11, setting up the boot loader is crucial. Since KasperskyOS is not a mainstream OS like Linux or Windows, you may need to manually configure the boot process, and tools like GRUB might not support KasperskyOS out of the box without manual intervention.

6. Development Environment:

   • KasperskyOS provides a specialized environment, mostly aimed at secure applications and IoT development. You may need to tailor your development tools, IDEs, and libraries to fit the KasperskyOS environment, especially if your development targets security-critical or real-time applications.

Recommendations:

1. Compatibility Check: Before proceeding with installation, ensure that KasperskyOS has support for all the essential drivers (Wi-Fi, sound, etc.) on your Intel Evo laptop. You may need to consult Kaspersky's technical documentation or support channels.

2. Use Virtualization First: Given the uncertainties around full hardware compatibility, consider running KasperskyOS in a virtualized environment (like QEMU or VirtualBox) before committing to a full installation. This allows you to evaluate its compatibility with your laptop’s hardware and decide whether native installation is worth the effort.

3. Battery Performance: Be prepared for less-than-optimal power management. If power efficiency is a major priority, running KasperskyOS on an Intel Evo-certified laptop may not align with the platform's design principles.

4. Development Workflow: If your primary goal is secure application development or IoT-related projects, KasperskyOS is an excellent choice. However, if you're looking for a more general-purpose development environment, you may find KasperskyOS too restrictive.

Conclusion:

While KasperskyOS can technically run on Intel Evo-certified hardware, its strengths lie in embedded systems and security-critical environments. You might face limitations in graphics performance, power efficiency, and hardware optimization. It is recommended to test it virtually first, and depending on the use case, you may also need to consider whether KasperskyOS aligns with the laptop’s intended high-performance, battery-efficient usage model.

Thank you