Installing Ubuntu Linux

Don't be scared! I'm here with you and we are going to make sure both you and your data are safe! Lets begin our journey by visiting the Ubuntu Linux website to start the download of the Ubuntu Linux LiveCD which we will use to do our install. The link will open in a new window so you can start the download, simply pick your location, click Begin Download and choose a location to save the ISO image, then return to this guide so we can start to backup your data.

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The first thing we will want to do is decide what files we want to backup. This can include; e-mail, browser favorites, videos, music and it's generally a good idea to backup your entire /home folder on Linux or My Documents folder on Windows. What any particular user needs to backup before installing Ubuntu Linux generally depends on the user. A good rule of thumb is to start with your /home or My Documents folder and branch out from there as needed.

There are literally hundreds of programs you can use to backup your data before installing Ubuntu Linux. Obviously we cannot discuss each and every program in this article but suffice to say any program designed for the purpose of backing up your data will generally get the job done.

You may also choose to backup your data manually. Should you know exactly what data you want backed up, you can simply use your favorite burning program to backup this data to DVD. Keep in mind that, depending on the amount of data you want backed up, you may need several DVDs before you are done. These days though, DVDs run less than a buck a piece, so this shouldn't be a problem.

Once you have your data backed up you can breathe a sigh of relief. Your data is safe and you now have a backup of your important files on DVD to store following your Ubuntu Linux install. At this point we are going to need that Ubuntu Linux LiveCD ISO we started to download in the previous section. As soon as the download has completed you can continue on with this guide. In the next section we will take that ISO image you downloaded and write it to CD or DVD.

Most modern PCs will already be setup to boot from CD/DVD. Generally the boot order is CD/DVD drive and then your hard disks followed by any firewire and network drives. In most cases you can insert your newly burned Ubuntu Linux LiveCD, reboot your PC and your PC will detect and boot the LiveCD. In some cases you will have to make changes to your boot order in your BIOS. This only needs to be done if you are unable to boot the LiveCD because your CD/DVD drive is not set as the first boot device.

If you need to make changes to your BIOS it is always a good idea to consult your hardware documentation just to be safe. The BIOS is a chip on your motherboard (mainboard) so that is the documentation you will be looking for, specifically what key to press during the booting of your PC to access the BIOS and how to change the drive boot order within the BIOS. Access your BIOS, change your boot order so that your CD/DVD drive is the first boot device, save changes and reboot. Your Ubuntu Linux LiveCD should now boot.

You should now be at the Ubuntu Linux default desktop . Lets go ahead and install our Ubuntu Linux system!

Step #1: Double click the install icon .

Step #2: Select your default language .

Step #3: Select your default time zone .

Step #4: Select your keyboard layout .

Step #5: Prepare your hard drive for install. Please keep in mind that you only want to select the "Use Entire Disk" option if you have your data backed up and plan on having Ubuntu Linux as the only OS on your PC.

Step #6: Create an account , password and give your computer a name.

Step #7: Verify your install information and start the Ubuntu Linux install .

The Ubuntu Linux install should complete in under 15 minutes and at that point you are ready to reboot your system , remove the LiveCD and login to your new Ubuntu Linux system!

In part two of this series we are ready to take a look at the Ubuntu Linux default desktop.