21 April 2005

Ubuntu Laptop Install

Notes on installing Ubuntu Linux (Hoary HedgeHog)

Here is what I'm installing on:
Dell Inspiron 9300
2Gb DDR2 533Mhz
2.0Ghz Pentium M
17" WUXGA (1920x1200)
60Gb 7200rpm HDD
256Mb Nvidia Go 6800
Ethernet and b/g wireless
Bluetooth

Getting started

* I download and burned Ubuntu Install CD
* Restarted computer hitting F12 to open boot menu and select boot from CDROM

Installation Process

* Answered various questions about Location, Language Keyboard

Configure the network
It found two network cards: eth0 (the 10/100 card) and eth1 (the wireless card) and wants me to pick which one to use while installing Ubuntu. Since I'm not plugged in, selecting Wireless (I have the WEP key)

It failed to find my access point, so I entered the SSID
I entered the WEP key
It tried to configure with DHCP, but failed. Hmm.. may have to plug in
I plugged into the network, hit Go Back and picked eth0; OK, that worked
I entered the hostname

Partion disks
I've been trying to decide whether to install a dual boot system or a Linux only system.
Since this is a brand new laptop, and I've not spent any time tweaking windows, I figured I'd blow away Windows and partition the whole thing for Linux.

For good measure I screwed around with resizing the existing Windows partition. I halved the size. The installer told me it shrunk, but I didn't try rebooting to see if it still worked.

I went back to guided partitioning and selected Erase entire disk
Since this is a personal machine, single user, I accepted the default of a 57Gb / ext3 partition and a 2.5Gb swap partition. I'm sure there is a superior filesystem to ext3 that I should be using, but I don't feel like researching it.

There also seem to be options for installing the Logical Volume Manager, but I'm thinking I don't need that.

I committed the partition and Ubuntu continued with the installation.

No comments: