DSG Forum:

Ubuntu : Linux

Helix

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8 months 1 week ago

( note: this isn't meant as a be-all end all install tut, just the basic steps to get Ubuntu up and running without hassle, if your tech savvy - reading this won't make you smarter. )

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Well, for any of you that are Linux curious, but don't want to sit with the effort of understanding the technical aspects - there are two great options - Ubuntu and Mint, two noob friendly flavors.

Mint : http://www.linuxmint.com/

Ubuntu : http://www.ubuntu.com/

With that said, I'll be focusing on Ubuntu - I haven't had the opportunity of having a go at Mint just yet.

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First off, you'll need the ISO

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

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To see the minimum system requirements.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SystemRequirements

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Choose the latest version and start your download,
the file is just under 700MB, so it might take a while
on slower connections. If your worried about dropped information ( lost data due to a bad connection ), use a download manager and even better, if your manager supports it, get the MD5 Checksum.

[ DownThemAll! - a download manger for Firefox has the ability to have the MD5 checksum hash added in the download box. ]

( using the MD5 hash is not necessary, but could save you time and frustration if your on a slow connection like I am : my download took 9 hours! )

The MD5 hash your looking or should correlate to the name of the file you downloading, all hashes can be found here.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuHashes

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Ok, after your download has finished, and you want to check the integrity of your download, you'll need do a MD5 check as well,
just use the same hash sum you used in your download manager.

How to do the MD5 check:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM

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Now that you've done the check to see if your downloaded ISO is in good shape, it's time to burn it to a CD-R..

*whoo! it's getting exciting now!*

How to burn the ISO:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto

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After following those easy steps, and having burned the ISO to disc,
it's time to test this bad_boy out!

The disc can now be placed in the drive of the machine you want to load Ubuntu on.

If the machine does not boot from the CD, ( for instance, some laptops go right to Windows boot-up. ) all you have to do is set the preferred boot-device to CD drive as priority by accessing the system's BIOS at start-up, this is usually achieved by pressing the ESC key multiple times when the computer boots, but the key used varies from machine to machine.. F-Keys like F8 and F10 are sometimes used on laptops for accessing the BIOS.

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After setting the Cd-Drive boot priority in the BIOS. it's all clear sailing, you should be greeted by Ubuntu's pre-loader which gives you the install options, the rest is up to you! :D

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NOTE: It's a plus to have INTERNET connectivity after installation, for driver updates and adding codecs for media.

( when attempting to play media with unsupported codecs, Ubuntu will access the INTERNET to download these codecs for you..for example, the first time you play an MP3, it will download the codecs needed, the same applies to video codecs. )

I'll have to make a list of what codes and programs would make a more rounded desktop.

..time for research..

I hope this is enough to get you into Ubuntu and to start exploring!