In light of Microsoft's latest move with Windows 10, many PC and laptop owners are seriously considering switching to alternative operating systems. There are several such (non-proprietary, with a friendly interface): Linux Mint, Ubuntu and Antergos (a fork of Arch Linux). The most acceptable for an unprepared user is Ubuntu. Its interface can be a bit confusing at first, but it's cleverly organized. Therefore, there are no difficulties in using it. Hence the logical question arises: "How to install Ubuntu on a PC or laptop?" The answer will be given in this article. But first, a little about the operating system itself.
What is "Ubuntu"?
"Ubuntu" is a free operating system from the "Linux" family, which is distributed completely free of charge and does notrequires no microtransactions to use. The basis of "Ubuntu" is the kernel "Linux" with some modifications. Several DUs can be used as the default working environment. For example, Ubuntu version 16.04 (the most popular and stable at the moment) uses the Unity environment. However, there are numerous forks of "Ubuntu". Each with its own environment: "Kubuntu" (KDE), "Lubuntu" (LXDE), Xubuntu (Xfce) and others. The choice of a specific fork depends on your needs and the power of the PC. If the computer is powerful, then you can install any edition of the operating system. If the PC is quite old, with a weak processor and a meager amount of RAM, then your choice is lightweight distributions "Lubuntu or" Xubuntu.
A feature of "ubuntu-like" operating systems is that they are developed by a free community of programmers under the sensitive and unobtrusive control of Canonical. Any user can modify the operating system and send their work to developers. His research (if they seem sensible) will certainly be accepted. And this is precisely the main difference between Linux and Windows. Linux is run by a whole community of specially trained people from different countries. And "Windows" is riveted by a bunch of programmers from "Microsoft". Hence the bugs and glitches, because it is impossible to test the new system on the computers of different users. However, it is time to turn to the main topic of the material. How to Install Ubuntuon computer? We will know soon.
Advantages of Ubuntu
The list of advantages of Ubuntu over Windows is very long. Let's start with the fact that this operating system uses only free software. This means that you don't have to pay to use it. After installing updates, the OS does not require a reboot. But the main advantage of Ubuntu is stability. It refers to a "set it and forget it" type of OS. If you do not specifically pick something in the system, then it will last a long time. Many argue that Ubuntu is not a system for games. It is impossible to run toys on it. This is not true. Thanks to the Wine layer and its advanced version Wine-Staging, you can run almost all games and programs under Windows. So the question arises: "Why do we need an OS from Microsoft in this case?" In this regard, the interest in how to install Ubuntu is quite understandable.
Ubuntu system requirements
So, we figured out the definition and understood what the Ubuntu operating system is. The requirements for the computer in this OS are democratic. Modern versions readily run on a PC with any dual-core processor, 512 megabytes of RAM and any video card. Of course, we are talking about lightweight distributions. The most interesting thing is that the system requires no more than 10 gigabytes of free hard disk space. itmeans that the age of the hard drive does not matter. Even a 40 GB hard drive will do. Truly, Ubuntu is the most undemanding operating system of all currently in existence. Now let's move on to creating bootable media.
Creating a bootable USB flash drive from Ubuntu
So you decided to install Ubuntu for your own reasons. Let's assume that you have already downloaded the distribution image. If not, then it can be found on the official website for free. For computers with 64-bit architecture, it is recommended to download the Desktop AMD64 version, and for 32-bit PCs (if there are any) - Desktop i386. Ubuntu installation always starts with choosing a program to create a bootable USB stick. Under "Windows" the most adequate utility is Rufus. Only this program can adequately record Linux distributions. And you don't need to change anything in the utility settings. You can leave everything as it is. You just need to insert the USB flash drive into the slot and select the downloaded distribution image in Rufus. Then you just need to click on the "Start" button. The program will start recording. It will end in five minutes. Now you can restart your computer and go to BIOS settings.
BIOS settings
This is a very important step, since not every BIOS version adequately responds to bootable media with Linux. Most problems are observed when UEFI and SecureBoot are enabled. So, after rebooting, you immediately need to enter the BIOS settings. On differentcomputers may use different keys. But most often it is F1, F2, Enter or Del. Then you need to set the boot priority (Boot Priority) and select our flash drive as the first boot device. You also need to disable SecureBoot and enable Legacy boot mode. After that, you need to press F10 and restart your computer. Ubuntu will start downloading as soon as you start your computer. Moreover, the installer will first offer options: either immediately launch the installation manager, or run the operating system in Live mode (to "feel" it). Better choose the second one.
Starting the installer
After the Ubuntu desktop has loaded, you can take a short tour of the operating system. View all menus, examine the list of installed applications, delve into the settings. All this can be done in Live mode. You can also connect to the Internet and open a browser to search for some information.
But the possibilities of such a system are limited. How to install Ubuntu from Live mode? Very simple. There is a shortcut on the desktop of the operating system that says "Install Ubuntu". You need to double-click on it. The installation wizard will appear, prompting you to select the installation language. Select "Russian" and click "Next". The next step, the installer will prompt you to connect to the network and select the installation options for proprietary software. We connect to the network, but ignore the installation of the software. For an unexpected error may occur (especially whenusing laptops with hybrid graphics).
Disk partitioning
This is a very important step. The launch of Ubuntu (and all subsequent operation of the operating system) depends entirely on this step. As for the correct layout of disks among experts, there is still no consensus. One thing is clear: a beginner should not go into manual disk partitioning. If you want to install Ubuntu next to Windows, then there is a special item in the markup manager for this. If you don’t need Windows for nothing, then you can select the item “Erase the disk with Windows and install Ubuntu”. It will be much easier. The installer will partition the disk into the necessary volumes and turn on paging (if required). But if you still if you decide to do it manually, please note that the OS itself requires a 10 gigabyte Ext4 format partition with a mount point "/". For the swap partition, you need to select the "swap" type and size depending on the amount of RAM (preferably twice as much). All the rest of the space will remain under the partition with the mount point "/home" and the format Ext4. After successfully partitioning the hard disk, click the "Next" button and continue further configuration.
Select layout, create user and password
The next step, the installer will prompt you to select your country of residence and keyboard layout. For the first case, select "Russia", but as the default layout, choose English. itdue to the fact that in Ubuntu "out of the box" layout switching is not configured. And without English, it will be impossible to set a username and password. After selecting the location and layout, press the "Next" button.
Now a window will appear asking you to create a new user and come up with a username and password. You can choose any login, but there are some recommendations for the password. The fact is that in Ubuntu version 16.04 (and in any other) the lion's share of applications is installed exclusively using a password. Therefore, you need to choose a password that can be easily remembered and quickly typed. But it doesn't have to be very simple. Also in this window, you can select the login options (automatic or with a password) and decide whether to encrypt your home folder. It's up to you to decide. After clicking on the "Next" button, the process of installing the operating system and downloading the necessary localizations will begin.
We figured out how to install Ubuntu. A step-by-step instruction of such a plan will help everyone. Now it remains after the installation is completed, click "Restart". Now it is necessary to analyze the main actions that are absolutely necessary to perform after installing the system.
Installing required updates
This is also a necessary step, because without updates it will not be possible to install a lot of equipment correctly. A message about the need to update will appear immediately after the launch of the full version of the operating system. You just need to press the button"Install" and confirm your action by entering a password.
The installation time for updates depends on the amount of downloaded packages and the speed of the Internet connection. But the process does not interfere with the normal operation of the system. In addition, after installing all the updates, you do not need to restart the computer (hello, Windows). A reboot may be required only after the necessary drivers have been installed. So, we have already figured out how to install Ubuntu on a computer. Now you need to figure out how to install the necessary applications.
Installing applications in Ubuntu
Now about installing software in Ubuntu. The desktop does not contain any understandable information. There is nothing at all. But then there is a sidebar, which has a certain number of labels. And here you need to select the button that says "App Store". To run this item, you will need to enter a password. After opening the store window, you will see app categories and a search bar. If you know the name of the program, then it will be enough to drive the name into the search - and the program will give you the number of available packages with a similar name.
If not, you'll have to search by category. When the desired application is found, you will need to double-click on the name and in the window that appears, click the "Install" button. The installation process will start immediately. Its progress can be seen in the status bar at the bottom of the window. All other applications are installed in the same way. You can also use the terminal and certain commands to install. But forbeginners it's too hard.
Conclusion
So we figured out how to install Ubuntu on a PC or laptop. There is nothing difficult in this. The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions and not engage in amateur performances. As a result, your computer will please with speed and adequate performance. Over time, Ubuntu could easily become your primary and only operating system.
