Installing Ubuntu GNU/Linux
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Contents |
Introduction
Ubuntu is a community developed, linux-based operating system that is practical for laptops, desktops and servers. It contains a myriad of applications, including a web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software, instant messaging and much more.
This article will guide you through a basic installation of Ubuntu. By the time you have read through this article, you should have a minimally installed Ubuntu desktop system, ready to install whatever applications or services you might need.
Requirements
- 1 ghz Pentium based CPU or higher
- 512 MB memory or higher
- 20 GB harddrive or higher
- Ethernet interface
- CDROM drive for installation
Or course we will also need a Ubuntu installation CDROM. At the time of the article being written, we are using Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy.
Ubuntu ships in a few different varieties for desktop usage:
- Kubuntu - KDE based distribution. This interface is more Windows-like
- Ubuntu - Gnome based distribution. This interface is more Mac-like
- Xubuntu - XFCE based distribution. This is for older CPUS and computers
These CDROM images can be downloaded at the following URL:
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
Installation Steps
Booting
Insert the Ubuntu installation CD into the system and hit ENTER to boot from it. This is a VERY graphic installation and boots up to what is known as a Live-CD environment.
Go ahead and choose to "Start or Install Ubuntu". This will boot the live CD and bring us up to a desktop that will allow us a few options in getting the system installed.
Live CD Install
The Live CD will let use take a look at a snapshot of what the system will be like before installing. As you might notice.. it is fairly intuitive and easy to navigate. We can start by clicking on the Install icon at the top left corner to start the install process.
Much of this process is pretty straight forward in setting up the computer. Simply choose your language, timezone, and keyboard layout options. Usually the defaults are enough, especially for those of us living in the United States.
Initial User Account
The Ubuntu installation requires that we enter a normal user account that will log into the system. By default, the root account is not enabled and the user will later use the "sudo" command to perform administrative tasks.
Enter the account information as well as the name you wish your computer to be known as on this screen to continue with installation.
Remember that the first blank is requesting a common name, such as "John Smith" and the second blank is the actual username used to access the system, such as "jsmith"
Partitioning the Disk
Of course for us to be able to install Ubuntu, we must create Linux filesystem and swap partitions for Ubuntu to use. If we are installing Linux on a dedicated drive, usually selecting the drive and choosing to "Erase entire disk" will suffice.
WARNING: Erasing the entire disk will do exactly what it says. Be sure you know what you are doing when you choose this option. If you wish to install Ubuntu on the first drive on your system, choose hda. For the second drive on the system, choose hdb and so on.
We can also optionally choose to manually edit the partition table. If you are familiar with Linux partitioning and mounting, then I might recommend using this option. If not.. the defaults will usually suffice.
From here we can just choose to "Install". Sit back and wait a while. After the system installs we will be prompted to reboot.
Post Install
Once the system reboots, we will be prompted to login. Of course we would want to use the username and password we provided earlier. Once logged in we need to make a few adjustments to make sure we can get any and all of the software we need for the system.
One of the first things we need to do is change and update the sources list for our package manager. Ubuntu, just like Debian, uses apt as a package manager to retrieve and install software from the internet.
The first thing we need to do is to open up a "Terminal" shell (On Kubuntu it is called "Konsole") and backup our sources list.
jsmith@ubuntu:~$ sudo mv /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.old Password:
Sudo uses the current users password for authentication to make sure administrative duties can be performed securely. Once the password has been entered the first time.. for the duration of the session we should not be prompted again.
Next we will populate a new sources list:
jsmith@ubuntu:~$ sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
If you are using the Edgy distribution you should be able to simply copy and paste the following into your sources.list
## Add comments (##) in front of any line to remove it from being checked. ## Use the following sources.list at your own risk. deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu edgy main restricted universe multiverse deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu edgy main restricted universe multiverse deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu edgy-proposed main restricted universe multiverse ## MAJOR BUG FIX UPDATES produced after the final release deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu edgy-updates main restricted universe multiverse deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu edgy-updates main restricted universe multiverse ## UBUNTU SECURITY UPDATES deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu edgy-security main restricted universe multiverse deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu edgy-security main restricted universe multiverse ## BACKPORTS REPOSITORY (Unsupported. May contain illegal packages. Use at own risk.) deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu edgy-backports main restricted universe multiverse deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu edgy-backports main restricted universe multiverse ## PLF REPOSITORY (Unsupported. Use at own risk.) deb http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com/repo/ edgy free deb http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com/repo/ edgy non-free deb-src http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com/repo/ edgy free deb-src http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com/repo/ edgy non-free deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu edgy-commercial main ## Beryl repositories for 3d desktop deb http://ubuntu.beryl-project.org/ edgy main deb-src http://ubuntu.beryl-project.org edgy main
We would then go ahead and save this file by hitting "Ctrl O" (ohh.. not zero) and then "Ctrl X" to exit. From here we need to get a few GPG keys that will allow us to access the repositiories we just added.
Paste the following commands in a terminal if you are browsing this page from your Ubuntu installation.
wget http://ubuntu.beryl-project.org/root@lupine.me.uk.gpg -O - | sudo apt-key add - wget http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com/repo/medibuntu-key.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -
Now we can run the update command to download the new list of available software:
sudo apt-get update
Optionally.. after editing the sources.list file, Ubuntu includes a graphical frontend for apt called Adept Package Manager. You can find it under your System menu, depending upon which version of Ubuntu you are running.
Cool Software
Mozilla Software
From here we can install cool software such as Mozilla-Firefox for web browsing and Mozilla-Thunderbird for email. These packages are listable in the Adept Package Mnager are by using apt-get.
Mutimedia Codecs
We might also need multimedia codecs and software to view and play content from various web pages. These packages would include the following:
- w32codecs - This includes the ability to play WMA and RAM files
- libxvidcore4 - This includes support for mpeg4 based content such as DivX and Xvid
- liblame0 - This includes support for Mp3s
- libdvdcss2 - This allows us to read and play commercial DVD's with decss encryption
- mozilla-mplayer - This allows integrated multimedia content to play in Mozilla
For a more complete list of what is available, check out ubuntuguide.org.
3d Desktop
One of the most popular and emerging technologies in Linux desktop distributions is the Beryl desktop. This package uses OpenGL to create 3d desktop environment with pretty amazing eye candy and effects.
Direct Redering
Before installing these packages, we need to make sure that Direct Rendering is set up on the computer we are using. Simply open a terminal and type the following command:
jsmith@ubuntu:~$ glxinfo |grep direct libGL warning: 3D driver claims to not support visual 0x4b direct rendering: No
If not.. dont worry too much, we have a few adjustments to make in order to configure Xorg correctly to use Direct Rendering. Xorg is the X-server that runs the graphical Window Manager you use to interact with your system. The Window Managers are GUI structures that run on top of Xorg that actually present the user with desktop arrangements, window decorations, and themes.
We need to make a backup of our current Xorg.conf and replace it with the follwing example. (One can also add the changes to their Xorg.conf file.
jsmith@ubuntu:~$ sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.old
Make a note of what video driver you are using under the Section "Device" of your xorg.conf. We will need to know that later when creating or editing the new xorg.conf.
jsmith@ubuntu:~$ sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Here is an example xorg.conf using an intel graphics chip:
# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the /etc/X11/xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man /etc/X11/xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg
Section "Files"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
# path to defoma fonts
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection
Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "i2c"
Load "bitmap"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
Option "XkbOptions" "lv3:ralt_switch"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
Driver "synaptics"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
Option "HorizScrollDelta" "0"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "stylus"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
Option "Type" "stylus"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "eraser"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
Option "Type" "eraser"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "cursor"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
Option "Type" "cursor"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device"
Driver "i810"
Option "RenderAccel" "1"
#Option "sw_cursor"
#Option "hw_cursor"
#Option "NoAccel"
#Option "ShowCache"
#Option "ShadowFB"
#Option "UseFBDev"
#Option "Rotate"
VendorName "All"
BoardName "All"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
Option "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" "true"
Option "DRI" "true"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 28-51
VertRefresh 43-60
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 28-51
VertRefresh 43-60
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad"
Option "AIGLX" "true"
EndSection
Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection
Section "DRI"
Group 0
Mode 0666
EndSection
So if one was using an ATI radeon as their video card, they would simply change the Driver line under the Device section to Driver "radeon" instead of "i810". If you are using an Nvidia Geforce card, go ahead and edit you xorg.conf and replace the driver line with Driver "nv" and then we will install the driver provided by NVIDIA seperately, using apt-get.
jsmith@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx nvidia-kernel-common
Once installed we would simply run the following command:
jsmith@ubuntu:~$ sudo nvidia-xconfig
This will replace the driver line for you in your xorg.conf and tell xorg to load and use the nvidia kernel module.
Now we can log out, restart the Xorg server and test out direct rendering. Go ahead and log out of the system and press Ctrl+Alt+Backspace to restart Xorg. You can also reboot if you wish. If you have any trouble launching the login window or logging back in via a GUI, you can login from the command line shell and replace your xorg.conf with the backup we made earlier by running the command:
jsmith@ubuntu:~$ sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.olf /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Then reboot and try configuring your xorg.conf correctly this time.
Beryl
Once we are back up in our Window Manager, we can double check if Direct Rendering is working yet. Again we can do this with the following command:
jsmith@ubuntu:~$ glxinfo |grep direct libGL warning: 3D driver claims to support visual 0x4b direct rendering: Yes
Once direct rendering is working, simply install the beryl packages:
jsmith@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get install beryl emerald-themes
This will install quite a few dependencies to run beryl. Once all of these are installed we can test it out to make sure it works. Click on the Beryl Manager icon that is created in your System Menu. This should launch a ruby tray icon. Once this tray icon exists, right-click on it, go to the "Select Window Manager" option, and make sure that "Beryl" is selected.
From here you will start to notice certain effects on your desktop. Try out a few keyboard shortcuts like "Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow". This will flip your cubic desktop. For more information on Beryl settings, open the Beryl Settings Manager from the tray icon or consult the following URL:
