Installing Ubuntu for the First Time
For a long time, learning how to work and install an open source operating system was something I always wanted to do. Recently I was given a five year old computer that was in pretty good condition, which gave me a great opportunity to install Ubuntu. Since Ubuntu started showing up on the commercial market (now coming pre-installed on some Dell machines) I knew I could probably put it on this machine without too many problems. Here are the steps I went through to start running an open source OS.
Step 1: Download Ubuntu CD Image (ISO)
The first step to installing Ubuntu is to download the operating system CD. This CD comes pre-packaged in an ISO format. You can take this ISO and burn it to CD using just about any burning software (Nero, Roxio, etc.). You can download the latest version of Ubuntu from here: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
Step 2: Run the Install
After you burn the Ubuntu system CD, all you need to do is boot to CD, then select “Install Ubuntu” from CD’s boot menu. Then, follow the step-by-step instructions. My installation took about 30 minutes.
Step 3: Run Ubuntu and Check Drivers
Once you have Ubuntu installed, you may need to install drivers for some of your computer’s devices. My donated machine, for example, had an Nvidia GeForce MX/400 video card, which started working perfectly once Ubuntu was installed. If you can’t get your video card to work, you may need to download software related to your video card through Ubuntu’s build in Synaptic Package Manager. Nvidia does offer many of their drivers in Linux versions.
Step 4: Customize
Once you have everything up and running, you can start customizing Ubuntu. I started by adding and removing software. Go ahead, see what is out there! I also started testing out Open Office, which comes installed on Ubuntu. Because of Open Office’s ability to open Word docs, I may leave Windows behind for good!