Ubuntu-Linux Installation Tips

PC has already Windows XP OS installed and we want to keep it.

Dual-Boot Installation

NOTE:
If you attempt to install Windows on a hard disk that has Ubuntu, Windows will
overwrite Ubuntu.

Pre-installation Steps

1. Check how the disk is partitioned

Go to Control Panel and switch to Classic View.
Administrative Tool Computer Management Storage Disk Management.
2. Check how much free space is left.
My Computer Properties

NOTE: Ubuntu needs at least 3GB of free space (the base installation takes 2GB),
more if we plan to install a lot of programs

3. Clean the Disk.

Start All Programs Accessories System Tools Disk Cleanup
4. Write Down:
- usernames and passwords
- Phone number of your dial-up connection and technical settings
- DSL/Cable modem settings
- IP address
- make and model of:
graphic cards, modems, DSL/cable cards, sound cards, harddisks, CD/DVD
My Computer Properties Hardware Tab

Installation Steps

Step 1: Prepare the Windows Partition

Scan the Disk for Errors
Defragment Hard disk
Ensure Windows is shut down correctly

Step 2: Boot from the DVD-ROM

Make sure the BIOS setup program has the CD-ROM Drive in the Boot Sequence before
the main Hard Disk.

Step 3. Language Settings

Choose the Language in which you want the Ubuntu boot Menu to appear

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Step 4. Select from the Boot Menu
Select Install Ubuntu

Step 5. Choose a Language for Ubuntu

Step 6. Select your Country and Time Zone

Step 7. Confirm your keyboard layout

Step 8. Repartition your Hard Disk

Resize the existing Main Partition
(install Ubuntu in the newly created free space)
Partitions
o Device: logical representation of the hardware device in Ubuntu
o Type: file system type (NTFS or VFAT are windows file systems), ext3
indicates the Ubuntu partition, and swap indicates the swap file partition
o Mount Point: this is how Ubuntu can access the partition once it is up and
running.
The mount point for the main partition is root: /
The mount point for the swap partition is not assigned by the user
Ubuntu makes non-Linux File systems (such as windows NTFS) available
by mounting them. Example of mount point: /windows or /dos
Rule of thumb: if the physical SRAM is smaller than 1 GB the size of the
swap partition should be set to 2x the physical SRAM, else to 1x the
Physical SRAM)
o Format?: indicates whether the partition will be formatted during
installation
o Size: size of the partition (in megabytes)
o Used: how much disk space has been consumed (in megabytes)

Step 9. Enter a Username

It must be one word without any spaces in it
You can use uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers, but not symbols and
punctuation
The username cannot start with an Uppercase letter

Step 10. Import Documents and Settings of existing accounts from your
Windows Partition

Sep 11. Confirm Installation Choices

Step 12. Wait for installation to complete

Step 13. Reboot and Start Using Ubuntu

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