Ubuntu Karmic 9.10 Part1

How to find out which version of Ubuntu you're using

Open the command terminal and type:

lsb_release -a

How to find out which kernel you are using

uname -r

Newer Versions of Ubuntu

* Ubuntu has a six month release cycle, with releases in April and October.
* Lucid Lynx (10.04 LTS), scheduled for release in April 2010, will be the next LTS (Long-term support) version.
* Mighty Mandrill (10.10), scheduled for release in October 2010. This will not be an LTS version.

Older Versions of Ubuntu

* Jaunty Jackalope (9.04) (supported until October 2010)
* Intrepid Ibex (8.10) (supported until April 2010)
* Hardy Heron (8.04 LTS) (Long Term Support version with desktop support until April 2011 and server support until April 2013)
* Gutsy Gibbon (7.10) (no longer supported)
* Feisty Fawn (7.04) (no longer supported)
* Dapper Drake (6.06 LTS) (Long Term Support for server until June 2011; desktop no longer supported)


General Notes

* Ubuntuguide is unofficial and is not associated with Canonical Ltd.
* Ubuntu allows a user to accomplish tasks from either a menu-driven Graphical User Interface (GUI) or from a text-based command-line interface (CLI). In Ubuntu, the command-line-interface terminal is called Terminal, which is started: Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal.

Text inside the grey dotted box like this should be put into the command-line Terminal.

* Many changes to the operating system can only be done by a User with Administrative privileges. 'sudo' elevates a User's privileges to the Administrator level temporarily (i.e. when installing programs or making changes to the system). Example:
sudo bash

* 'gksudo' should be used instead of 'sudo' when opening a Graphical Application through the "Run Command" dialog box. Example:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

* "man" command can be used to find help manual for a command. For example, "man sudo" will display the manual page for the "sudo" command:

man sudo

* While "apt-get" and "aptitude" are fast ways of installing programs/packages, you can also use the Synaptic Package Manager, a GUI method for installing programs/packages. Most (but not all) programs/packages available with apt-get install will also be available from the Synaptic Package Manager. In this guide, when you see

sudo apt-get install package

you can search for package in Synaptic and install it that way.

* Many instructions use the text editor "nano" (which is universally available in Linux). However, it is often easier to use the text editor "gedit" in Ubuntu instead.
* "Applications" means the bottom-left (or upper-left) button, akin to the Start button in Microsoft Windows.
* If you are using the 64-bit version, replace any "i386" with "amd64"

Installing Ubuntu

Warning: Ubuntu Desktop edition installer no longer allows a custom installation of GRUB, and it now uses GRUB2, which allows very little customization. DO NOT USE the Karmic Koala Desktop edition if you use a boot partition, use multiple OS (more than 2), or chainload bootloaders. The Ubuntu installer will overwrite your Master Boot Record and you will later be forced to recreate it. This is a serious flaw in Karmic Koala. Use the Ubuntu Server edition instead (and then later add the ubuntu-desktop).
Hardware requirements

Ubuntu Karmic Koala runs well with as little as 384 Mb RAM. (The installer requires a minimum of 256 Mb RAM, while the alternative installer can run using only 192 Mb RAM.) Netbooks can run Ubuntu Karmic Koala.

The install takes between 3-4 Gb hard drive space, and 8 - 10 Gb will be needed to run comfortably.

If you have an older computer with less memory than this, consider Xubuntu (if between 256 Mb and 512 Mb RAM) or PuppyLinux or DSL (if less than 256 Mb RAM).

Warning: The new Linux kernel supplied with Karmic Koala has a flaw in the motherboard / CPU fan sensor modules. It requires that your hardware be compatible with existing drivers, or your computer will slow to a crawl and then freeze. See this section for a more thorough discussion.
Fresh Installation

Download the latest ISO image from Ubuntu 9.10. See this guide for burning the ISO image to a CD.

Use the CD for installation.
Dual-Booting Windows and Ubuntu

Rarely, a user may experience problems dual-booting Ubuntu and Windows. In general, a Windows OS should be installed first, because its bootloader is very particular. A Windows installation usually occupies the entire hard drive, so the partition needs to be shrunk, creating free space for the Ubuntu partition. (You should clean up unnecessary files and defragment the drive before resizing.) The Windows partition can be resized from within Windows Vista using the shrink/resize option in the Administrative Tools --> Disk Management tool. If using Windows XP (or other Windows OS), use GParted partition manager to shrink the Windows partition and thereby leave free space on the hard drive for the Ubuntu partition.

After shrinking the Windows partition, you should reboot once into Windows prior to installing Ubuntu. This allows the Windows system to automatically rescan the newly-resized partition (using chkdsk) and write changes to its own bootup files. (If you forget to do this, you may later have to repair the Windows partition bootup files manually using the Windows Recovery Console.)

If done this way, there is no problem installing Ubuntu as the second operating system and it is done automatically from the Ubuntu LiveCD. Allow the Ubuntu LiveCD to install to "largest available free space."

A Windows partition should be at least 20 Gb (recommended 30 Gb), and a Ubuntu partition at least 10 Gb (recommended 20 Gb). Obviously, if you have plenty of disk space, make the partition for whichever will be your favoured operating system larger. For a perspective on other partitioning schemes, see this Psychocats Guide to Partitioning or this Ubuntu intro to alternative partitioning.

Alternatives include:

* Wubi (Windows-based Ubuntu Installer), an officially supported dual-boot installer that allows Ubuntu to be run mounted in a virtual-disk within the Windows environment (which can cause a slight degradation in performance). Because the installation requires an intact functioning Windows system, it is recommended to install Ubuntu in this manner for short-term evaluation purposes only. A permanent Ubuntu installation should be installed in its own partition, with its own filesystem, and should not rely on Windows.
* EasyBCD, a free Windows-based program that allows you to dual-boot Windows Vista and Ubuntu (as well as other operating systems) by configuring the Vista bootloader.

Installing multiple OS on a single computer

Warning: Ubuntu Desktop edition installer no longer allows a custom installation of GRUB, and it now uses GRUB2, which allows very little customization. DO NOT USE the Karmic Koala Desktop edition if you use a boot partition, use multiple OS (more than 2), or chainload bootloaders. The Ubuntu installer will overwrite your Master Boot Record and you will later be forced to recreate it. This is a serious flaw in Karmic Koala. Use the Ubuntu Server edition instead (and then later add the ubuntu-desktop).

If you want to install more than 2 operating systems on a single computer, check out these tips.