The Official Ubuntu Book, 3e: Installing Ubuntu
- Choosing Your Ubuntu Version
- Getting Ubuntu
- Installing from the Desktop CD
- Installing from the Alternate Install CD
- Summary
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
- Choosing Your Ubuntu Version
- Getting Ubuntu
- Installing from the Desktop CD
- Installing from the Alternate Install CD
- Summary
IF YOU ARE READING THIS, it is fairly safe to assume that you have made the decision to give Ubuntu a try. You will find that Ubuntu’s flexibility manifests itself not only in its powerful and extensible operating system but also in how you evaluate and install it.
Trying Ubuntu is simple. The Ubuntu desktop CD is a special “live” CD. You can use this disc to run Ubuntu from the CD itself without Ubuntu removing or even coming into contact with your hard disk. This is ideal if you are already using another operating system like Windows or Mac OS X; you can try Ubuntu by running it from the CD, and you don’t have to worry about it overwriting the data on your hard disk.
Choosing Your Ubuntu Version
The developers behind Ubuntu have worked to make the software as easy and flexible to install as possible. They understand that people will be installing Ubuntu on different types of computers (desktops, servers, laptops, and so on) and using different types of computers (PCs, 64-bit computers, Macs, and so on). To cater to everyone, there are two Ubuntu CDs that can be used. The DVD with this book is equivalent to the desktop CD with additional packages included.
- Desktop: The desktop CD is the one recommended for desktops and laptops. With this CD, you can boot Ubuntu from the CD and, if you like it, install it. Note that this is the default option on the DVD or CD.
- Alternate install: The alternate install CD is recommended for use in any scenario where the desktop version is unusable (e.g., not enough RAM) or inflexible (e.g., automated deployments or special partitioning requirements). With this CD, you boot into an installer and then run Ubuntu when the installation is complete.
Ubuntu 8.04 officially supports two main computer types, or architectures:
- i386: This supports all Intel or compatible processors except those that require AMD64. This includes the new Apple hardware.
- AMD64: If you are using a processor based on the AMD64 or EM64T architecture (e.g., Athlon64, Opteron, EM64T Xeon, or Core2), you should choose this version.
Regardless of your architecture, you can choose between the desktop and alternate CDs depending on your requirements. For example, for your Intel Core Duo laptop you could use the i386 desktop CD, while for your Xeon server you would choose the i386 alternate CD.
Other Ubuntu Distributions
In addition to the official Ubuntu release, some additional distributions, including the following, are based on Ubuntu but are slightly different.
- Kubuntu: Kubuntu is Ubuntu, but instead of using the GNOME desktop, Kubuntu uses the KDE desktop. See http://kubuntu.org or Chapter 8 for more information.
- Xubuntu: The Xubuntu distribution replaces the GNOME desktop environment with the Xfce 4 environment. Xubuntu is particularly useful for those of you who want to run Ubuntu on older hardware. See http://xubuntu.org for more or Chapter 10 for more information.
- Gobuntu: Gobuntu is a version of Ubuntu that deploys only software that lives up to a strict enforcement of software freedom principles. See Chapter 10 for more information.
Additionally, Edubuntu is a version of Ubuntu aimed at educational use and schools. It is no longer distributed on its own install CD. To install it, you should install the base or default desktop version of Ubuntu first and then use the Edubuntu CD as an add-on to install the Edubuntu environment and applications.
With a range of different distributions and options available, Ubuntu is flexible enough to be used in virtually all situations.
Is It Still Ubuntu?
Some of you may be reading about Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and Gobuntu and wondering how different they are from the regular Ubuntu release. These distributions differ mainly in which applications and desktop interface are included. As such, they may differ quite a bit, but the underlying OS and software install system is the same.