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3/02/11 6:00pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/gettingstarted-with-linux-how-toinstall-linux-on-your-computer) 113,925 (http://whitsongordon.kinja.com)

Getting Started with Linux: Installing Linux on Your Computer (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/gettingstarted-with-linux-how-to-install-linux-on-yourcomputer)

NIGHT SCHOOL (HTT

(http://lifehacker.com/5774997/gettingstarted-with-linux-how-to-install-linuxon-your-computer) 97 (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/gettingstarted-with-linux-how-to-install-linuxon-your-computer#replies)
Like 91

So you've decided to give Linux a shot, and you've found a distribution that suits you. But how do you actually get it installed? Here, we'll show you how to create a live CD or USB drive, boot into Linux, and install it on your system. Whether you've played around with live CDs (http://lifehacker.com/#!5157811/five-best-livecds) and drive partitioning (http://lifehacker.com/#!292972/partition-and-image-your-harddrive-with-the-system-rescue-cd) before or this is your first time, this guide will get you up and running with Linux in just a little bit of time. It isn't the most straightforward process, but if you're reading this, you're probably experienced enough with a computer to pull this offit just takes a bit of legwork. Note: If you're installing Linux on a Windows computer, the process shouldn't be too difficult (though you may want to brush up with our previous installation guide (http://lifehacker.com/#!193474/hack-attack-how-to-triple+boot-windows-xp-vista-andubuntu) while you're here). If you're installing on a Mac or Hackintosh, however, you'll need to perform a few extra steps, so definitely check out our triple booting guide for Macs (http://lifehacker.com/#!5531037/how-to-triple+boot-your-mac-with-windows-and-linux-noboot-camp-required) and Hackintoshes (http://lifehacker.com/#!5698205/how-to-triple-bootyour-hackintosh-with-windows-and-linux), even if you aren't triple booting.

Burning a Live CD or USB Stick

There are a few different methods for installing Linux on your computer, but generally, the most popular way is by downloading and burning a live CD (which has its own uses besides just installing Linux (http://lifehacker.com/#!5531900/use-an-ubuntu-live-cd-to-test-your-pcsmemory)). I'll show you how to do both here. The live CD method is probably easier, so go that route unless you're on a netbook, or otherwise can't burn a CD.

The Live CD Method

Y ou'll have to get your live CD from the net, so head to your distribution's home page (like Ubuntu's (http://www.ubuntu.com/))and look for a downloads section. Most will make it pretty easy to find. In addition, many sites will even host BitTorrent downloads of their distribution too, which will be a little fasterso if you see a link for "alternative downloads (http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/alternative-download)", check that out. Otherwise you can probably download it directly from the site.

Y ou'll probably have a few different choices when you download. For example, some distributions have netbook-optimized versions, while others (like Ubuntu) will offer different versions based on the desktop environment (http://lifehacker.com/#!5762081/wtf-desktopenvironments-gnome-kde-and-more-explained) they come with. And, most will have 32- and 64-bit versions available as well (if you don't know which one's right for you, we've written a handy guide to help you out (http://lifehacker.com/#!5431284/the-lifehacker-guide-to-64+bitvs-32+bit-operating-systems)). Generally, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out which one you want. When in doubt, just go with the 32-bit desktop version (sometimes labeled "i386"). Once your .ISO file is done downloading, open up your favorite burning program and burn that sucker to a blank CD. It's pretty easy to do on Windows 7 (http://lifehacker.com/#!5139424/how-to-burn-isos-in-windows-7). Once it's done burning, restart your computer. Wait for the "press any key to boot from CD" prompt, and then press a key. Once the CD boots up, it'll give you the option to try out Linux or install it. Go ahead and click install. If you want to try it out, though, go for ityou'll be able get a pretty good feel for what the desktop is like. When you're ready to install, you can usually launch the installer right from the desktop.

The Live USB Method

The Live USB method requires previously mentioned (http://lifehacker.com/#!5042630/unetbootin-creates-usb+bootable-linux-the-easy-way) Unetbootin (http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/) for Windows. All you need to do is download it, start it up, and you can manage everything from right inside the program. Pick your distribution from its list (remember to pick the right version, as described above), pick the drive letter that corresponds to your thumb drive at the bottom, and hit OK. If Unetbootin doesn't list your distribution, you can still download an ISO as described in the live CD method and point Unetbootin to that file instead. Booting from your USB drive will take a few extra steps over the live CD method. While your computer is probably set to check your CD drive for bootable discs, it probably isn't set to check your USB ports. So, with your newly created live USB stick plugged in, restart your computer and enter your BIOS setup (usually by hitting a key like Delete when you first start upyour computer's splash screen will let you know when you first turn on your computer). Head over to the "Boot" section of your BIOS and find the section for changing your PC's boot order. Y ou'll want to move your USB hard drive to the top of the list. Save your settings and exit the BIOS. When your computer reboots, it should take you to the Unetbootin menu, from which you can boot into your Linux live session (as described in the live CD method).

The Installation Process

The installation process will be slightly different for every distro, but in general setup should guide you through the necessary steps pretty easily. Assuming you're installing Linux alongside another OS like Windows, though, there are a few things you'll want to pay attention to.

Partitioning Your Drive

When the installer asks you where you want to install Linux, you'll have to partition your drive. We've gone through how to do this (http://lifehacker.com/#!5531037/how-to-triple+bootyour-mac-with-windows-and-linux-no-boot-camp-required) a few times before (http://lifehacker.com/#!193474/hack-attack-how-to-triple+boot-windows-xp-vista-andubuntu), and it's usually pretty simple to add new partitions from the free space on your drive.

EXPAND

Ubuntu's installation should partition the drive for you automatically, and unless you have any special needs (like if you're on a Mac), you can breeze right through the installation with no problems. If not, you may be given a more advanced partitioning tool, and you'll have to create the partitions yourself. If this is the case, you'll actually want to create two new partitions. One is for the operating system itself, which I'd format as Ext4. Give it at least 10 GB of space, and set the mount point as
/

. Y ou'll want to create the second partition for what's called swap space. This essentially helps your computer manage memory more effectively and keeps it running fast. If you have a small amount of ram (one or two GB), you'll want your swap partition to be twice as large as the amount of RAM you have. If you have 3 GB or more, you can probably just make a swap partition that's the same size as the amount of RAM you have.

GRUB and Other Bootloaders

Linux is going to install a new bootloader for you called GRUB. It's going to replace your normal bootloader and give you the option to choose between Windows and Linux at startup. In general, you shouldn't have to do anything heremost distros will install GRUB by default, and it should work correctly out of the box. Just note that Mac users will want to install GRUB on the Linux partition itself (http://lifehacker.com/#!5531037/how-to-triple+boot-your-macwith-windows-and-linux-no-boot-camp-required), and Windows users will need to be careful since if you reinstall Windows, you'll lose GRUB and have to reinstall it yourself (http://lifehacker.com/#!5242235/recover-the-grub-menu-on-a-dual+boot-system). Of course, if you prefer something a little prettier, you can mess around with previously mentioned (http://lifehacker.com/#!5696245/burg-gives-your-multi+boot-screen-a-big-facelift) Burg (http://code.google.com/p/burg/), but we'd recommend doing that after you get your Linux installation up and running.

That's it! To boot into your newly installed Linux partition, you just need to restart your computer. When you do, it'll take you to the GRUB menu, which will let you choose whether to boot into Linux or Windows. From there, you can play around with your new Linux installation. It'll probably come with quite a few apps installed, some you'll recognize and some you won't, and you can poke around in the settings and see what's available to you. If you're lucky, most of your hardware will work. If you're unlucky, you'll have a few quirks with your hardware, and if you're really unlucky, your Wi-Fi won't work out of the box and you'll have to work just to get connected to the internet. Luckily, we'll be talking all about getting your hardware working tomorrow, so check back with us then!
Discuss

34 discussions displayed because an author is participating or following a participant.

Author is participating kon324 (http://kon324-old.k It may be coming towards the end of this week's night school, but a question: If I do play around with this, like I'm planning on doing this weekend, and then just ultimately want to revert back to my one Windows partition, how hard is that to do? I'm guessing in Windows I can just wipe the Linux partition and then extend the Windows partition back into it, right? Is there any trick to getting rid of GRUB? Or does GRUB only load if it detects more than one OS? Anything else that has to be done?

Author is participating TheFu (http://thefu-old.kinja. If you are afraid, local LUGs (Linux User Groups) have Linux "InstallFests" all the time. They will be happy to help. Y ou may find that someone nearby will make a housecall and provide one-on-one help. Try the LiveCD before attempting an install. It is the best way to validate almost all your hardware is compatible. Beware of Canon printers and their non-support for Linux. There are other manufacturers that are nonsupporters too. IMHO, their Windows support is less than ideal too. I don't recommend new users try the latest release. New users should start with the "stable" release unless there is a specific issue that a newer release corrects. Ubuntu LTS is safest.

3/02/11 6:28pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37400668#comments)

IrishCheerioLadd (http://iris If you do htis from Windows, do not reboot. I've had this problem. GRUB overwrites the Windows bootloader. Y ou might be able to pull it off without shutting down Windows with this method [support.microsoft.com] (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392.) This shouldn't be needed though ;).

3/02/11 6:56pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installin

Whitson Gordon (http://whits I had no idea about these InstallFests. Pretty cool stuff!

3/02/11 6:35pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37400876#comments)

I personally have never had any trouble Mercurivs (http://mercurivs. @kon324: If you just want to play around a bit, you can skip the GRUB bootloader necessity by installing Ubuntu thru its Wubi installer interface. This lets you uninstall it from inside Windows Add/Remove Programs. Since this virtualizes a filesystem within your Windows partition, you kind lose some computing performance, although not enough to impact seat-of-the-pants desktop performance. Also fun is using LinuxLive USB Creator to create a USB-bootable install on a flash drive. Unetbootin only makes Live CD equivalents of bootable discs but LiLi USB Creator can make live Linux installs that actually save user info once you log out and shutdown. TheFu (http://thefu-old.kinja. These days, Linux installs 90% of the time, but when it goes badly, lets be honest, it can go really badly. Most of the time, it is something simple that a tiny gap in computer knowledge prevents the user from solving. We all have those tiny gaps in knowledge or lapses in memory. The latest release that isn't specifically "stable" is often full of new ideas that aren't fully cooked. Staying with the LTS version , will be very stable, programs will work together, and only stable programs will be in the package manager. Companies use LTS time.
xor24 and 16 others...

installing the latest release, but your'e right you can't go wrong with LTS.

3/02/11 7:17pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing

versions to avoid hassles for 3-5 yrs at a 3/02/11 6:50pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37401270#comments)

Author is participating

ZeroCool898 (http://hgott80 I am surprised you didn't mention WUBI which does the entire Ubuntu 10.10 install and setup for you.

[www.lugwash.org] (http://www.lugwash.org/) is near Ann Arbor, MI. Whitson, you should stop in and say hello.

3/02/11 7:52pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37403143#comments) [mail.ale.org] (http://mail.ale.org/) is near

Atlanta, GA and we have South, Central, ZeroCool898 (http://hgott80 EDIT: I see someone did in the comments. I am using it as my primary OS and haven't had any issues. Just installed CrossOver (to try) and Wine today. NW, and GA-Tech sub-groups. I drive just 10 minutes to the nearby meetings. [www.lalugs.org] (http://www.lalugs.org/) is Los Angeles. Seems there are over 10 local LUGs there.

3/02/11 7:57pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37403276#comments)

To find your local LUG - google "{your Whitson Gordon (http://whits I tried not to overcomplicate it, especially because (afaik) WUBI's Ubuntu-only. town/metro} LUG Linux" and get involved. Ask when the next "InstallFest" is and they will probably have one. Our group has pretty good presentations every month. Recent topics - A Timely Introduction to IPV6, forevermac (http://foreverm To make a USB stick on a mac, you're going to need to use the command-line. There's a way to do it with Disk Utility, but familiarizing yourself with the command line when dealing with Linux (any distro) is a good idea. Once you have your .iso file, you're going to need to change it to an .img file so we can use dd. Y ou'll need to run: hdiutil convert -format UDRW -o ~/path/to/output.img ~/path/to/input.iso Now that you have an .img file, you can install it on your USB stick. First, we'll need to know what disk your USB stick is, so run: diskutil list Find your USB stick in the list and make a note of the device name (it'll be something like /dev/disk2). Now that you have this, you need to unmount your device: diskutil unmountDisk "/dev/disk2" Replace /dev/disk2 with whatever your USB stick was. Now that you've unmounted your USB stick, you can run: sudo dd if=/path/to/your.img of="/dev/disk2" bs=1m This should run fine. If it doesn't work and says something about 1m not being a valid number, change 1m to 1M. Now that you have the file on the USB stick, all that's left to do is eject it: diskutil eject "/dev/disk2" Walternate (http://hayden01 I shall never doubt the great Flash Gordon again! *Ewok worship sound in Ep. VI* Whitson Gordon (http://whits Thanks! Man, I love Unetbootin. Wish I could run it on OS X, though. - Networking & Network Security Basics, Author is participating - VirtualBox demonstrated. playdoh (http://playdoh-old.k virtualization I hear a presentation on KVM is being planned. Coincidentally, I used Unetbootin today extremely painless. Download, run, pick your
Whitson distro and a Gordon few minutes later your booting

3/02/11 8:00pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37403369#comments) javabean_elpaso and 3 others... Author is participating

3/03/11 2:54am before reading (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installin this article and it was

up in your OS of choice from your USB. Nice article Whitson!

3/02/11 7:10pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing

3/02/11 7:18pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing

Author is participating Walternate (http://hayden01 Hooray! I was afraid this wasn't going to get posted today. Thanks LH.

3/02/11 7:53pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installin

Whitson Gordon (http://whits Pshhh. No faith! ;-)

3/02/11 7:59pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installin

3/02/11 8:22pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installin

2 participants
Limbero

mrjeremiahross (http://mrje I installed about 6 linux version on my laptop for testing, each with it's own virtual box. Virtual Box is great if you have the extra RAM. If you don't want an isolated network adapter, you will need to give access to a

Now you can safely remove your USB stick and restart your computer. On a mac, hit the Option key to get a menu of things to boot from, and your USB stick should show up. Disclaimer: I have used this before, but I didn't check the commands by running them this time. I'm not responsible for any data loss incurred by your use of this. Commands checked against ubuntu.com and a makeuseof article.

NIC card on your PC; otherwise you won't be able to access any server apps remotely.

3/03/11 7:38am (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installin

rmardo (http://rmardo-old.ki yeah i do the same thing. but i was wondering if adding more than 4GB RAM will benefit the any VMs? assuming the host OS is 64bit.

3/03/11 9:06am (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installin

3/02/11 7:08pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37401782#comments) mrjeremiahross (http://mrje

Whitson Gordon (http://whits Y ou're awesome. Thanks for adding this tidbit for those that don't have access to Windows. 3 participants

What I read on the internet and what is reality are two different things. From what I understand, 8GB is optimal if you are going to keep the VM running regularly or will have multiple running at the same time. I have considered it, but haven't been hitting my ceiling as of yet.

3/02/11 7:18pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37402108#comments)

BonyChief (http://bonychief. One very good practice is to keep the "/" and "/home" on separate partitions. That way you can reinstall the OS or install another flavour of Linux without losing your data.

3/03/11 9:27am (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installin

3 participants Gonza (http://gonza.kinja.co

3/02/11 10:46pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37406023#comments)

shkm (http://shkm-old.kinja. It can also help with full encryption of the home directory in some distros, though Ubuntu plays nicely without requiring a partition.

For some reason, I prefer the method on pendrivelinux.com, using Universal USB Installer, maybe it's the same method beneath, but it work just as good. Also, you should mention Plop Boot Manager, a litlle jewel that enable pre-P4 machines , to boot from USB

3/03/11 2:45am (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37407833#comments)

mrgreen3 (http://mrgreen3. Worth noting that having /boot separate can help too [ext2 around 100mb] swap is a bit a sore subject really depends on age of machine and amount of ram you have.

With it, I was able to boot Puppy Lucid, from a crappy P2 with 128MB of RAM, and actually be able to browse using an old PCMCIA Wifi, no configuration nor driver installation...and it was quite usable, granted, sites, but most of the web works fine using

3/03/11 4:56am (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37408623#comments) that machine was never designed for flash zakany001

SeaMonkey , when FF,Chrome and Opera, are just too heavy, and Dillo (the built-in browser) is just too basic.

3 participants timgray (http://timgray.kinja One thing to remember, Running linux does require having linux capable hardware. Many low end peripherals like canon printers and off brand scanners DO NOT WORK with linux because the maker of those devices are hostile to linux. For the longet time Broadcom wireless cards and hardware was unsupported because broadcom was hostile to linux. Still to this day any linux laptop I have has the broadcom wireless cards swapped out for an intel based card. I also favor Nvidia for video hardware over ATI but ATI has been getting better. Printers, I hate to say it but HP is king if it's an inkjet or all in one. I HATE HP inkjets as they gouge people on ink prices, my favorite is epson and my epson printer is supported Epson artisan 835. I print over network perfectly. Dont need to bother with scanning

3/03/11 5:02am (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installin

timgray (http://timgray.kinja pendrivelinux is also one of the only ways to get linux on a tablet PC like a fujitsu stylistic

3/03/11 5:24am (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installin

SenorValasco (http://senorv The Universal USB Installer is much better than Unetbootin...has more current versions of some of the distros.

3/03/11 6:36am (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installin BrokenDragon

as that printer scans to a thumbdrive and is more convenient than using linux scanning software. Right now Linux supports more hardware than windows. Lots of "used to work on XP but does not on vista/7" hardware works fin under linux while windows has abandoned it. I have several webcams and a force feedback joystick from microsoft that work perfect under linux but windows 7 tells me "sucks to be you, it's unsupported"
3/03/11 5:33am (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37409039#comments)

rawfan (http://rawfan.kinja. The driver-argument is pretty much gone. Since Apple switched to CUPS (common unix printing system) as its default printservice, the manufacturers are forced to deliver drivers for that. So Linux users profit very much from this switch by Apple. Currently I don't know anyone who as problems with their printers. Old Canon printers might pose problems, though. Regarding WiFi. I believe there are currently no chipsets, that don't work. Even the cheapest off-brand USB-adapters work without a hitch (at least as good as in Windows and usually with better signal quality). 3G adapters work great, too, btw. As for nvidia. There are some laptop-chipsets which are so customized, that the default drivers have problems resulting in high CPU. But all together I have far less problems getting hardware to run under Linux than under Windows. That goes for old and new hardware.
3/03/11 7:12am (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37410937#comments)

forevermac (http://foreverm My biggest gripe is now that ATI hates Linux. I have an NVidia chipset right now, and it's great with linux, but the new MacBook Pros (I'm looking at an upgrade next generation or generation after that) are ATI, so presumably their support for graphics acceleration/compiz isn't very good.
3/03/11 3:59pm (http://lifehacker.com/5774997/getting-started-with-linux-installing-linux-on-your-computer?comment=37427498#comments) rawfan

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