How to Install Ubuntu Linux:

A first time user’s guide to the world of Open Source

Mike Castner
ENGL 202C: Section 012
Ms. Sara Woolfitt
November 15, 2010
Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Required Materials ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Download and Assemble the Install CD ........................................................................................................ 5
Booting into Linux ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Language Selection / Install vs. Try ............................................................................................................... 9
Timezone Selection ..................................................................................................................................... 10
Keyboard Layout ......................................................................................................................................... 11
Partitioning ................................................................................................................................................. 12
User / Username / Password / Hostname / Automatic Login .................................................................... 14
Review Options / Initiate Install.................................................................................................................. 16
Installation .................................................................................................................................................. 17
Remove Disc / Reboot................................................................................................................................. 18
Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................................... 20
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 20

2|Page
Introduction

If you are reading this guide, than you obviously have an interest in becoming familiar with the
mythical technology called Linux. While that name can invoke various emotions among different
people, it is the purpose of this guide to reduce one often-cited emotion among its readers:
confusion. Indeed, this guide will show you how to safely install Ubuntu Linux on a computer
with no prior experience or knowledge needed. It will show you how to go from visiting their
website to booting into your new, fully installed operating system in a few easy steps!

With that said, this guide is meant for a very specific and exclusive group...which is to say that it is
meant for absolutely everyone! Whether you’re completely new to Linux or a veteran
command-line cowboy, this guide can function as a valuable reference for anyone looking to
install this system on a computer. There are no particular user requirements for reading or
following this guide, except for an open mind and an interest in technology (though experience in
using both the mind and technology will be quite useful in completing the steps to follow).

This guide will cover every step of the process, including where to go to obtain the ISO image for
the CD, how to burn it to a disc, how to boot the disc, and then how to actually install Ubuntu so
that it can be used. The logic behind the steps, as well as some of the underlying technology, will
also be explained to further benefit the reader.

CAUTION: Moving beyond this introduction will bring you into a series of steps that can result in
COMPLETE AND TOTAL DATALOSS ON A SYSTEM. It is recommended that you start out
using a computer with no sensitive data and no other operating systems installed, just in case
things don’t go smoothly. Doing things wrong could completely wipe out all data on the
computer, so DO NOT PROCEED with this process unless you are comfortable losing everything
on the computer you are installing Ubuntu on. If you’re still interested, read on.

3|Page
Required Materials

In order to install Ubuntu on your computer, you will need the following items:

1 Ubuntu 10.04 x86 Desktop Install Image (ISO Format)

1 Blank CD-R
1 Computer with following components:
Blank SATA or IDE Hard Disk
Optical CD-ROM Drive
x86 (Intel or AMD) Processor
Keyboard
Mouse
Monitor
1 Additional Computer to Reference Guide and Burn CD

Most of these items should already be in your possession, one that may not be is the Ubuntu 10.04
x86 Desktop Install Image. The guide will formally begin by showing you how to obtain and
burn this important file.

4|Page
Download and Assemble the Install CD

The first step in the install process is to create the installation medium, which in this case would be
a CD that we can put into the computer, boot off of, and install Ubuntu with. These CDs can be
obtained in a variety of ways, including through mail order (free of charge), but this guide will
assume that you are completely impatient and need the CD immediately. We cannot simply
download a physical CD, so we must get the next best thing: an ISO file. An ISO file contains all
of the data that can be found on a physical disc, without actually being on the physical disc itself.
It is a common format used to distribute operating systems, games, software, and other pieces of
technology that have seen a rise in digital distribution techniques. Ubuntu hosts ISO files for their
operating system directly on their website, http://www.ubuntu.com. The first step is to visit this
website.

Figure 1: Ubuntu's Main Website

Once here, you will notice a large, red button saying “DOWNLOAD UBUNTU.” This is not a
setup, so feel free to click this button and move to the next step. This will take us to a download
page, where we will have to select a few options before hitting the next big, red button. First of
all, we want to make sure that we have the proper release of Ubuntu. In this case, we will be using
the 10.04 LTS release, with LTS standing for “Long Term Support.” This is the more
traditionally stable system, with end-user support lasting for five years on both server and desktop
computers. The LTS version of Ubuntu adds a touch of stability and support that is well-suited to
a first-time user. Next, we need to make sure that we are downloading the correct image for our
computer’s processor architecture. This will either be 32-bit or 64-bit. This simply refers to the
number of bits a computer’s processor can handle at a given time, which will either be 32 or 64.
Any computer that can run a 64-bit operating system can also run the less-powerful 32-bit system
in its place, without the added benefits. The same principle obviously does not work in reverse.
For simplicity’s sake, we will be selecting 32-bit for this option.

5|Page
The end result should look like the following image, if it does, select download.

Figure 2: ISO Download Page

The ISO file will start downloading, and may take a while depending on your internet connection.
You can either read ahead, to familiarize yourself with the next steps, or spend time on other
pursuits (I would recommend learning Chinese checkers or perhaps reading a classic novel).
After the image does eventually finish downloading, you will need to burn it to a disc. If you are
using Windows 7, this couldn’t be simpler. Right-click on the image file and hit burn to disc, as
seen below:

Figure 3: ISO Burning Process

6|Page
Then, select the drive which you have your blank CD-R in and hit burn. Once this process
completes, you will be ready to move onto the actual install process! The window for the burning
process will look something like this:

Figure 4: Burn in progress

NOTE: If you have an older version of Windows, there is a popular ISO-Burning utility called
ImgBurn, which will be able to burn the ISO file to the CD-R. If you are on an Apple computer
running OS X, you can use the built-in Disc Utility Tool to burn the ISO file to the CD-R, though
installing Ubuntu on a Mac is FAR OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THIS GUIDE.

STEPS IN BRIEF:

1. Go to http://www.ubuntu.com
2. Click on “Download Now”
3. Select Architecture / Version
4. Download ISO
5. Burn ISO to Disc

7|Page
Booting into Linux

Now that we have a fully functional Ubuntu LiveCD, we can install Linux onto the computer of
our choice. Take the CD-R that you have burned, and put it into the optical drive of the computer
that you wish to install Linux on. Power cycle (or “reboot”) the computer to begin the boot
process. In other Linux distributions, this would be a much more difficult and interactive ordeal,
but in Ubuntu, the system will automatically detect and configure the hardware that you have
installed to best work with Linux. You can simply sit back and watch the system boot up. Once
it arrives at an interactive menu asking you whether or not you want to “Try or Install Ubuntu,” the
boot process is complete.

STEPS IN BRIEF:

1. Remove CD-R from computer

2. Insert CD-R into computer where Ubuntu is to be installed
3. Power Cycle / Reboot computer
4. Wait for system to fully boot into interactive install

8|Page
Language Selection / Install vs. Try

We have now arrived at our first interactive menu within a Linux environment, and are working
inside of an actual Ubuntu Linux instance. The LiveCD now gives you the option to select your
Language of choice (in this case, English / English U.S.), as well as the option to either try Ubuntu
or install it. This is referring to the ability of the LiveCD to be used as an actual operating system
directly off of the install CD, without it affecting the actual system that it is being used on. This is
a good way to get a feel for what Ubuntu is actually like to use, though it is not recommended to
save any important files within this trial instance, as all work done will be lost when the system is
rebooted or turned off.

We would, of course, prefer to install Ubuntu in full and dive right into Linux. For this reason, we
will select our Language and then hit “Install.”

Figure 5: Language Selection Screen

STEPS IN BRIEF:

1. Select desired language

2. Select install option

9|Page
Timezone Selection

The installer will now ask us where exactly we are installing Linux from, a crucial part of the
process if we actually want our clocks to be synced to the Ubuntu Server clocks (this becomes
important when installing and updating software, as the server’s will use timestamps as a security
check). Simply select the most relevant location (in this case, New York City) and hit “Next.”

Figure 6: Timezone Selection

STEPS IN BRIEF:

1. Select correct timezone

2. Hit “Next”

10 | P a g e
Keyboard Layout

This step can be a point of great confusion for first time Linux users, as they are uncertain as to
what kind of keyboard they have (there are hundreds of possible layouts). One rule of thumb that
makes this process a bit easier is this:

“If you don’t know your keyboard layout, your keyboard layout is USA.”

This can be changed along with the language of this guide, but in the majority of cases, the layout
will be a standard QWERTY USA format. Unless you know you have a special keyboard layout,
select USA and then hit next.

Figure 7: Keyboard Layout Selection

STEPS IN BRIEF:

1. Select correct keyboard layout

a. Usually USA
2. Hit “Next”

11 | P a g e
Partitioning

WARNING: This is where things begin to get a bit more serious. Up to this point, we can simply
turn off the computer and none of our Linux install experience will have affected the machine at
all. If you carry on with this guide, particularly with the partitioning step, changes will be written
to disk and data WILL BE COMPLETELY ERASED. If this is not a desirable outcome, then DO
NOT complete the partitioning step. If you wish to continue installing Ubuntu, please read on.

Partitioning the hard drive can be a very difficult process, depending on what your desired
configuration is, and used to be made much more difficult in the days of command-line
installations (in which the user would have to create, write, format, and configure each individual
partition). Luckily, within Ubuntu, this process couldn’t be any easier. If Ubuntu detects a
second operating system, it can automatically install so that the two share a single hard drive, and
can be switched between whenever the user wants. If Ubuntu detects nothing on the drives, it can
simply format the entire drive for Ubuntu and move on. We will want to do the latter, as
dual-booting requires additional configurations outside the scope of this guide. In this menu, you
will simply select “Erase and Use Entire Disc,” and then hit “Next.”

Figure 8: Partitioning Screen

12 | P a g e
As was mentioned above, this will erase all existing partitions and data contained on the disc, and
overwrite them with Linux information. More technically, the installer will create three
partitions:

Boot partition -- necessary in order to go from stage 2 to stage 3 in the Linux boot process
Swap partition -- core component of system memory management within Linux
Root partition -- where most of the operating system / user files reside

This step will take a while to complete, and is the most likely to throw errors that will end the
installation process. Once / if it completes, it will bring you to a screen asking for numerous user
inputs.

STEPS IN BRIEF:

1. Select “Erase and Use Entire Disc”

2. Hit “Next”
3. Wait for partitioning process to complete

13 | P a g e
User / Username / Password / Hostname / Automatic Login

The next screen will ask for some important information that will help configure your system for
initial use. First of all, it will ask you for your full name. This is so the system can personalize
menus, and begin configuring e-mail and document editing programs so that it can learn and auto
fill your name in the necessary places. Simply type in your name, and then move on.

The next box asks you what name you want to use to login to the computer. By default, it will use
your first name in all lowercase letters. It is important that you make this username both SHORT
and LOWERCASE, as you will be typing it often in Linux and will want it to be easy for both the
system and for you. You can go with the default, or change it to something like “user” or
“coolguy.” After you land on a username, move on to the password box.

This is the single most important part of this process, as your password will define the security of
your system. Even if you stay consistent with updates, install an Intrusion Detection System,
have multiple firewalls running, and actively monitor suspicious network packets, you will not be
able to protect your computer if it has a weak password to begin with. This password allows you
to make major changes to your system, and will allow anyone else to make these changes as well if
compromised. Traditionally, UNIX passwords can be anywhere to the tune of 150 characters,
quite a lengthy password. For practical use, however, the user should have at least a 14 character,
alphanumeric password with special characters included. This will certainly thwart most brute
forcing attempts.

Figure 9: System Options Screen #1

14 | P a g e
Next, you will need to name your computer. This is not simply for the system itself, but for other
computers on the network that will use the name and MAC Address to piece together a profile of
the system. Keep this in mind when choosing a name for the computer, as a lengthy computer
name will cause trouble in the networking stages.

The last option to be aware of is one asking you how you want the initial system login to behave
when the computer is started. They range from insecure and convenient to very secure and very
inconvenient. You will have to weigh the advantages of each one, as the automatic login will
drop you right onto your desktop after the computer boots, saving you the time and effort of
logging in. On the other hand, the required login / decryption options ensure that there will be no
unauthorized access to personal data or the system itself. When you have decided how paranoid
you wish to be, click “Forward” to move on.

Figure 10: System Options Screen #2

STEPS IN BRIEF:

1. Fill out required name field

2. Fill out required username field
a. Make short and lowercase
3. Fill out password field
a. Password should be alphanumeric
b. Password should include special characters
c. Password should be between 14-150 characters
4. Choose login behavior for system
5. Click “Forward”

15 | P a g e
Review Options / Initiate Install

The final interactive step before the installation is initiated is the review of all the options you have
just entered. The system will show you exactly what it is going to do, and this is your last chance
to back out of the install before the system files are copied over, the bootloader is modified, and
other major changes are made.

WARNING: If you have decided that you don’t want Linux installed, at any time during this
process, then now is the time to quit out of the install process. Moving any further will result in a
fully functional Linux system, and nothing else.

Carefully review the options for spelling errors, wrong options that were checked, or any other
potential mistakes. Move back through the installation process if necessary to correct these
errors, otherwise initiate the install.

Figure 11: Configuration Review

STEPS IN BRIEF:

1. Check to make sure there are no errors in your proposed system configuration
2. Correct any errors that exist
3. Click “Install” to initiate process

16 | P a g e
Installation

Now, the installer will create the partitions that you specified, the user you outlined, and a desktop
environment full of feature software to complement the base Linux kernel. This process involves
a lot of optical / hard disk activity and can take between five and twenty minutes depending on the
speed and age of the hardware used.

Figure 12: Installation in Progress

WARNING: It is important to make sure that the computer stays powered on during this process,
as an unexpected shutdown would require the user to start the installation over from scratch.

Once the installation has completed, you will see the following dialogue box:

17 | P a g e
Figure 13: Installation Complete

This signals the end of the installation process, and almost the end of our guide.

STEPS IN BRIEF:

1. Simply wait for install to finish

a. Should be between five and twenty minutes
2. Make sure computer does not lose power

Remove Disc / Reboot

Now, we need to exit the LiveCD environment and boot into the system that we have just installed.
Since the computer will automatically boot off of the LiveCD again if we leave it in the drive, we
need to remove the CD and set it aside for future use (depending on how well this install went).
Once this is completed, we simply need to power cycle the computer and wait for our real system
to boot! It should take less than a minute to arrive at either a login prompt or a desktop, and the
end result should look like this:

18 | P a g e
Figure 14: Installed Linux Desktop

If you see this desktop, congratulations! You have officially installed Linux, and can move
forward to more complex goals (learning programming languages, VIM, EMACS, NMap, world
domination, etc.). Before you run away, let’s take a look at some resources that can help you if
you did something wrong (or if something goes wrong in the future).

STEPS IN BRIEF:

1. Remove CD-ROM from drive

2. Power cycle computer
3. Wait for Ubuntu Desktop to arrive at login prompt / desktop

19 | P a g e
Troubleshooting

There are tons of Ubuntu resources out there to help end users, which is one of the reasons that it
makes an excellent starting Linux distribution. First of all, there are the official Ubuntu Forums,
found at http://www.ubuntuforums.org . This site encompasses an entire community dedicated to
helping each other solve issues and discover new and useful ways to use Linux. People are
friendly, courteous, and above all helpful. This is an excellent place to go with beginner
questions!

Next, for a less interactive and more immediate experience related to installing software or
common functionality in Ubuntu, is the popular tweaker website known as Psychocats
(http://www.psychocats.net). This website contains dozens of guides relating to popular software
installation requests, and provides excellent step-by-step tutorials with visuals and explanations
(much like this guide). This is well worth checking out, even if you don’t have a problem, as you
may find a new feature that you want to add to your system.

Finally, if you want to go straight to the official lines of support, you can contact Canonical (the
company in charge of distributing and maintaining Ubuntu Linux) directly. You can access their
online consumer desktop support service at the following address:
http://www.canonical.com/consumer-services/support. There are very few issues that they will
be unable to deal with, as you will be speaking with individuals responsible for writing the code
that this system runs on! If you cannot find answers through Ubuntu Forums, Psychocats, or
Canonical itself, then there are no answers to be had.

Conclusion

If you are reading this paragraph, allow me to restate my congratulations! You have stuck with it
through a process that is occasionally confusing, frustrating, and extremely complicated. I hope
that this guide helped you understand some of what you were doing, and provided you with
resources to help you troubleshoot your own issues in the future, as well as learn things on your
own about Linux! To recap what you accomplished, you successfully downloaded and burned a
Linux LiveCD, booted into a system installer, configured options within the installer, and initiated
the actual system installation. This hopefully resulted in a very stable and very free Ubuntu
Desktop operating system! Please don’t hesitate to share this guide, or to utilize it again if you
wish to install Ubuntu on another computer! Thank you for reading!

20 | P a g e
Peer Review
Rating: 10/10

Matt did a great job helping me out with this, especially since I switched from Gentoo Linux to Ubuntu
Linux pretty late in the game. I consulted with him about whether or not Gentoo was feasible, and he
really helped me weigh my options. He was also kind enough to read through a second rough draft
with me, and give me some improvement ideas. Truly, a stand-up guy.

21 | P a g e