Migrating from IGEL OS 12 to VelaOS

Why customers migrate

• Hardware cost — re-use existing UEFI x86-64 thin clients or deploy cheaper SKUs (Minisforum, Intel NUC, HP t640, Lenovo M75q). VelaOS runs on any UEFI x86-64-v2 device with ≥4 GB RAM + ≥32 GB storage.
• IGEL OS license — Enterprise tier ~$135 per device per 3-year term. VelaOS Enterprise tier is roughly 40% lower per device.
• UMS complexity — IGEL Universal Management Suite requires on-prem Windows servers. VelaOS console is cloud-hosted (or on-prem for enterprise tier).
• Modern APIs — VelaOS ships an AI-ready JSON Schema endpoint, webhooks, and structured audit logs. IGEL UMS API is SOAP-based and feature-limited.
• Full hardware telemetry — thermal zones, CPU governor, fan, RTC, power supply, storage wear, fwupd firmware inventory — exposed through a single console and policy-set in real time.

Feature mapping

Migration playbook

1. 1

   Inventory and group mapping

   Export your IGEL UMS device list and directory structure. In VelaOS, create matching groups (you can nest one level deep). If your IGEL directory is deeper than 2 levels, flatten it — our recommendation is to use tags for the extra dimensions.

2. 2

   Translate profiles to policies

   For each IGEL profile, create a VelaOS policy. The policy editor has 10 sections covering the same ground. Not every IGEL setting has a 1:1 map — some are Android-native (e.g. Device Owner restrictions), some don't exist (e.g. ICA/RDP session broker settings, which live in the Workspace/Horizon app itself).

   Use the built-in templates as starting points: Kiosk, VDI thin client, Shared desktop.

3. 3

   Hardware pilot (20-50 devices)

   Before touching production, pilot 20-50 Pi 5 devices alongside the IGEL fleet. Same users, same VDI farm, same network. Measure:

   • VDI session launch time
   • Thermal under sustained load (Pi 5 peaks around 80°C; active cooler recommended)
   • USB peripheral compatibility (headsets, printers, smartcard readers)
   • Multi-display (Pi 5 supports dual 4K60 HDMI)
4. 4

   Bulk-flash devices

   See the Bulk-flash guide. Summary: preload an enrollment bootstrap JSON on the boot partition, flash SD cards in parallel using a SD duplicator, devices enroll on first boot without touching each one.

5. 5

   Wave migration

   Don't big-bang. Migrate in waves:

   • Wave 1 — helpdesk team (5-10 devices)
   • Wave 2 — early adopters + IT friends (50 devices)
   • Wave 3 — one department or site (100-200)
   • Wave 4+ — rest of fleet

   Keep the IGEL fleet running in parallel for at least 30 days. Swap devices back if a wave uncovers regressions.

6. 6

   Decommission IGEL UMS

   Once all devices migrated and stable for 30 days, export IGEL audit logs for compliance retention, then shut down UMS servers. License cancellation goes to IGEL support.

What you'll miss (be honest)

• Broad x86 hardware support — IGEL runs on 80+ x86 thin clients. VelaOS is Pi 5-first; we don't (yet) support x86. If you have Wyse/HP/10ZiG hardware in fleet, those devices can't run VelaOS today.
• UC/AV peripheral certifications — IGEL has extensive headset/camera/speakerphone validation. Our list is growing but shorter. Critical peripherals should be tested in your pilot.
• ICA / RDP bundled settings — IGEL profiles have direct knobs for session broker URLs, SSO tokens, etc. In VelaOS these live inside the Citrix Workspace / Horizon Client app's managed config (app_config bundle).
• 24/7 phone support (enterprise) — we have it, but our ecosystem is newer.

What you gain

• ~60% lower 3-year TCO
• Modern REST + webhooks API (vs IGEL's SOAP)
• Pi hardware telemetry (thermal, CPU governor, fan, RTC, power, storage wear)
• Ring deployment with auto-pause
• Smart groups with rule evaluation
• Policy diff viewer and version history
• AI-ready JSON Schema endpoint (GET /policies/schema)
• Actually-written documentation (this site)

Next steps

• Quickstart — flash your first Pi
• Bulk-flash 100+ devices
• Full IGEL feature comparison matrix