How-to: Install Ubuntu on your brand new WIndows pc

Ok. This will be schematic.
You've bought a new computer. The Operating System is Windows (Vista, Seven, wathever).
You want to switch to Ubuntu: let's start.


1. Connect to the internet and download the latest Ubuntu release: 9.10. If you want the 9.04 or the 8.10.

2. Burn a CD with the release you want.

3. Launch a defrag on your computer. It's a program that put the files of your hard disk at the beginning of the driver (look for it in the Control Panel).

3.1 It is better you partition your hard drive using the instructions in the right column.


4. Now restart the computer. At boot press F12 or ESC to enter the boot options and choose your CD/DVD driver as the first option.

5. Save and exit and, with the Ubuntu CD in your drive, restart the computer.

Now you'll access the Ubuntu start menu.
Choose your language and then Install.


Now you are installing your Ubuntu operating system on your pc.
First you'll choose your language, then your location, then your keyboard. Then the partition manager will start.
Choose the manually partition. Now you'll see your hard disk situation.
[Edited]

You'll have a big disk that will be "NTFS" and that will have 25 gigabytes or more used. Re-demension this partition to a dimension of 50 gigabytes (or more if you have the intention to use Windows a lot).
Then create a partition in this free space, format it with "ext3" or "ext4" (I'm using ext4 with no problems at all, but somebody says it can create datalosses) and set it as mount point "/" (that means root). Leave about 4 gigabyte not used.
In this 4 gigabyte create a swap partition.
Now if you have got another partition (notably the D: Windows partition, where you should store your data) set is as mount point /windows/Data (as you'll use this partition as storage). If you've got not... go on.
If you've followed the instructions on the right you'll have something like this:
- a NTFS partition of about 12 gigabytes
- a small NTFS partition
- a bigger NTFS partition that is the Vista/Seven installation partition
- a swap partition
- a linux partition (ext3 or ext4)
- a NTFS data partition
You'll mount the / (root) on the linux partition, the swap on the swap one (easy...) and then you'll mount the data partition as /windows/Data.
[End editing]


Now it's time to set up your user's account details. And the password (don't forget it... never!).
Now go on and then... INSTALL.
It will take half an hour and then you'll have your Ubuntu working. At boot time you'll have the chance to choose which OS to start: Windows or Ubuntu, so don't worry too much.


Welcome to the UBUNTU world! You'll enjoy it!


Problems you can have:

- if you ow to run defrag... well, if your pc is really new it doesn' matter. This program simply move all of the file at the beginning of the hard disk. Why you need this? Because you will create new partitions on your hard drive and this means that if there are files everywhere in the drive they will probably be deleted. But if your pc is new it is not so important, just create the partition for Windows of a dimension double the space yet in use.

- after the partition manager part you should have your hard drive like this:
  • NTFS of about 50 gigabytes
  • ext4 of... wathever, as root /
  • swap of 4 gigabytes, as swap
  • NTFS of as much you have, as /Windows/Data
On root is where Ubuntu will be installed.






Probably, instead of partitioning the drive during the installation, it is better to use something like GParted. Just download and burn the cd, then reboot the system with the GParted cd inside and partition as above: 1 ntfs, 1 ext3, 1 swap, another ntfs (the biggest one) for the datas.
The 1st ntfs should be a resizing and not formatting, else you'll lose your Vista system. Remember that Vista usually creates some additional partition. A small of about 13 GB, the big installation (you recognize it because more than 20 GB are used) and a third of about 4 GB. Don't delete this partitions if you still want to have a full operational Vista (or Seven) operating system. Just resize the main one.
In the free space you'll have create an extended partition, then a 4 GB partition as SWAP, than a 50 GB partition as ext3 or ext4 (check the internet to choose the better one) and then all the remains as a NTFS.





Comments

Anonymous said…
I should notify my friend about your post.
Nittalope said…
Thanks... always remember to look for other documents online if you don't know well how to do this. Check and check, and when you are up to, just enjoy the ride!

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