Otherwise, we’ll get started on how to do a simple installation.

READ THE FOLLOWING WARNING! If anything goes wrong if and when you try to install Ubuntu, don’t blame me. I will make these instructions as clear as possible and I will try my best to answer any questions you have about it.

DO NOT install Ubuntu on a ‘mission-critical’ system. I would heavily advise you to backup any data you would not want to lose in case anything happens, and if you don’t have a way to re-install your current OS, do NOT do this unless (a) you know exactly what you are doing, or (b) you plan to use the computer for Ubuntu only or as a test computer. Again, make sure anything you’re afraid to lose is backed up in a safe place, including your current operating system.

If that doesn’t deter you, read on.

What you’ll need for ubuntu:

• An internet connection (or access to one for long enough to download a 700 mb ISO)
• A computer – Laptop or Desktop, it doesn’t matter (as long as it can run something like Windows 2000 or XP)
• Basic (Preferably Moderate) knowledge of computers.
• A CD Burner and a blank CD

The major points of this guide are:

• Download Ubuntu
• Burn it to a CD
• Boot from the CD
• Install Ubuntu
• Enjoy!

1. Ok, first, you need to download the Ubuntu ISO. This can be found here, on the official Ubuntu website.The ISO may take quite a while to download, because it’s about  a full 700mb (an entire CD). The current version is 8.10 of Ubuntu, so if you can find someone with a copy, see if you can use theirs (make sure it’s not too beat up.)
2. Once you have the ISO, burn it to a CD with ImgBurn, InfraRecroder, Nero, or a similar CD burning program. This is important because the ISO must be extracted by the program – otherwise, it would be like running programs from a Zip archive (it can’t be done, is the moral here.)
3. Once your CD is ready, you need to boot from it. To do this, you need to press the key that gives you your boot menu. This is usually Escape, F1/F2, or F11/F12 depending on your bios. Boot from your CD drive, obviously.
4. If you want, you can tell Ubuntu to import settings from another OS, like Windows. This is probably a good idea. Otherwise, the install is very straightforward. You select the language, the keyboard layout, the time zone, etc.

Here is where it gets tricky. You can partition your hard drive, or just wipe all of it and use only Ubuntu (do this only if you hate Windows or have an old computer with no OS, or an expired license, etc.)

5. Decide if you want to partition your hard drive now or later (or not at all, in some cases).  The simplest way to do this is to let Ubuntu do it during the install. There is a slider during the install that lets you determine how much of your hard drive to use. I would say between 10 and 30 percent if you’re trying Ubuntu, and about 50 if you plan to use it more. If you have an old system, or an extra computer, or no Windows available, you can tell the instller to overwrite the entire drive. Remember that if you do that IT WILL ERASE ALL YOUR DATA!

6. Once Ubuntu is insalled, it will shut down and ask you to remove the CD dive from the tray. Do so and press enter.

7. Once Ubuntu boots, you need to log in with the username and password you put in during the install. Don’t forget these. Once logged in, click the circular arrows on the top menu bar. This is the updater. It will probably take a while to download and install all the updates, often they are specific to your hardware, etc.

8. If you’ve done all this, enjoy Ubuntu!

I hope this is clear enough… Comment or email me if you have any questions, because if something goes wrong, nobody wants to blame me. =D

What with, you ask? Well, computers.

I got an old dell from one of my friends. It’s a 9 year old piece of crap, but I installed Ubuntu.
For those of you who don’t know, Ubuntu is a distro (version) of Linux. It’s the most common distro, although it holds a very small share of users. But even a couple percent of millions of people is a lot. So I thought, Hey, I’ll post some random helpful tips about it for people who don’t know what they’re doing, or are just new, or inexperienced with Ubuntu. So if that’s good, good. If not, check back for posts about other stuff. Like politics. Or food. And maybe some movies and games and stuff. Whatever floats your boat.

Ask and you shall receive.