14 DAY TRIAL // So you've heard about Ubuntu everywhere on the Internet and you've decided to install it on your computer (just to see if what you heard about it is true or not) and you don't know how to do it? Look no further! This guide will make things very simple for you, as it will teach you, step-by-step, how to install the latest version of Ubuntu operating system (current version is 8.04 LTS codename Hardy Heron) on your PC in no more than 10 minutes (depending on your computer specs, of course). Are you ready? Let's start!
Step 1 - Download the Ubuntu 8.04 Desktop ISO image, that corresponds to your hardware architecture (i386 or amd64), from here.
Step 2 - Burn the ISO image with your favorite CD/DVD burning application (on Windows, you can use one of the following applications: Nero, CDBurnerXP, Roxio etc) on a blank CD at 8x speed.
Step 3 - Insert or leave the CD in your CD/DVD-ROM device and reboot your computer. Select your language when asked:
Then select the second option "Install Ubuntu" and hit Enter:
Step 4 - Wait for the CD to load into RAM, and when the installer appears, select your native language and click the 'Forward' button:
Where are you?
The second screen will feature a map of the Earth with little red dots, so you can select your city/country. Upon the current selection of your location, the time for the final system will adjust accordingly. You can also select your current location from the drop down list situated at the bottom of the window. Click the 'Forward' button after you have selected your desired location.
Test your keyboard
On the third screen, you will be asked to select the keyboard layout that suits you best (default is U.S. English). You can also test your keyboard on the little text input field situated at the bottom of the window. Click the 'Forward' button when you have finished with the keyboard configuration.
Hard disk partitioning
Hold on, don't leave just yet! The hard disk partitioning is an easy task, so I am quite sure you will manage to handle it too. You have three options:
1. If you want to keep your existing operating system (e.g. Dual boot with Windows XP), select the first option: "Guided - resize the partition and use the freed space". 2. If you want to delete your existing operating system and you want to let the installer to automatically partition the hard drive for you, select the second option: "Guided - use entire disk". 3. Manual is the third choice at this point and I strongly suggest you to use it if you don't have any other operating system installed and your hard drive does not contain important data on it. Follow the instructions below:
Choose the hard drive partition (or entire hard drive if you don't have any partitions) you want to format and click the 'Delete partition' button to delete the selected partitions. In the end, you should have a single entry called "free space", select it and click the 'New partition' button to create the 'root' partition. Select "Primary" for the partition type, set the size of the partition (in megabytes), leave the "Location for the new partition" and "Use as" options as they are and select the mount point "/" (just like in the image below).
You should still have a "free space" line, select it and click the 'New partition' button to create the 'home' partition. Select "Logical" for the partition type, set the size of the partition (in megabytes), leave the "Location for the new partition" and "Use as" options as they are and select the mount point "/home" (just like in the image below).
You should still have some "free space" left, so select it and click the 'New partition' button to create the 'swap' partition. Select "Logical" for the partition type, set the size of the partition (in megabytes) twice your RAM (e.g. if you have 512 RAM, set the size to 1024), leave the "Location for the new partition" option as it is and set the "Use as" option to 'swap'.
WARNING: Be aware that all the data on the selected hard drive will be ERASED and IRRECOVERABLE!
Click the 'Forward' button to continue with the installation.
Who are you?
Here you must do exactly what the title of this step tells you to do. You must fill in a couple of fields with your real name, the name you want to use to log in on your Ubuntu OS (username), password and the name of the computer (automatically generated). Once you have finished with this step, click the Forward button again (for the last time).
Are you really ready for Ubuntu?
If you have successfully arrived at this point, then you are definitely ready for your new Ubuntu operating system. So, what are you waiting for? Click the 'Install' button NOW!
The Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) operating system will be installed...
Step 5 - After approximately 8 to 10 minutes, a pop-up window will appear, notifying you that the installation is complete and you need to restart the computer in order to use the newly installed Ubuntu:
You've probably clicked the 'Restart now' button, because you were very excited to see your new Ubuntu operating system at work. Well then, have fun using it!