Installing Ubuntu 13.04

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Note:If you are planning to install Ubuntu on a Windows-preinstalled computer built after 2010, please read this first.

If you're installing Ubuntu on a Mac, read this

After you have gotten Ubuntu and made a bootable USB from it, you're ready to install Ubuntu!

If you are using a standard Windows or build-your-own PC, there should be a special key you press to boot via USB or CD/DVD. If you don't know what that is, search for your model computer.

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If it's booted up correctly, you should see this mostly dark screen appear. You can just wait or, if you want special boot options, you can press any key during this screen to get those special boot options to appear.

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You should get an option to either Try Ubuntu or Install Ubuntu. I would highly recommend selecting the Try Ubuntu option.

This will allow you to try out Ubuntu without affecting your current Windows installation (assuming you're coming from Windows, as most new Ubuntu uses are).

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Once the desktop has loaded up, if you decide you like Ubuntu enough to install it, double-click the Install Ubuntu 13.04 icon to start the installation process.

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Select your language and then click Continue.

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If Ubuntu recognizes your internet connection (should definitely for a wired connection, might for your wireless), you can choose to Download updates while installing and Install this third-party software.

If you don't know who Richard Stallman is or what the difference is between open source and proprietary software is, you most likely want to select that second option. It will require a working internet connection, though.

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If Windows is already on your computer, you'll then be presented with three options

  1. Install Ubuntu next to Windows
  2. Replace Windows with Ubuntu
  3. Do something else
If you are reading this guide, most likely you'll want to install Ubuntu next to Windows.

Before you do this, make sure your Windows installation is fully backed up. In the eight years I've been using and installing Ubuntu, I've never had a dual-boot corrupt or destroy the Windows partition, but this highly unlikely event still could occur. So back up! You should be backing up any way.

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Once you've chosen to install Ubuntu alongside Windows as a dual-boot, you'll have the option to drag the division to the left or the right to allocate more space to Windows, more to Ubuntu, or about an even split for both.

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After you decide on your changes, this is the real turning point. Once you click Continue here, the Ubuntu installer will begin resizing your existing Windows partition, make space for Ubuntu, and start installing Ubuntu.

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Select your time zone.

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Select your keyboard layout.

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Fill out your first user's information.

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Then you just wait for Ubuntu to finish installing. Depending on your computer's specifications, this can take anywhere between ten minutes and a half hour, usually closer to ten minutes.

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When the installation is done, you'll have the option to reboot into your permanent Ubuntu installation or continue using the live session.

If you set up Ubuntu alongside Windows, when you reboot, you'll have the option to pick Windows or Ubuntu. The first time you boot into Windows, Windows may do a disk check. Let the disk check complete—don't skip it.

1 comment

  1. Let me see if you can help me.

    My entire life I was… “tied”, to Windows. And as web developer I have needs of a better environment.

    Recently I was able to by a new PC, replacing an old one and I could finally try Ubuntu.

    However I can install it. I have downloaded the AMD64 ISO file several times and burned it but when booting, after the purple screen, I receive a black screen with a yellow dollar sign in a red background.

    Probably there is a problem with my PC hardware, who knows.

    If it helps, I have a Intel Core i5 IvyBridge 3.7 Ghz, 8 GB RAM, HD 500 GB and an ASUS ASUS P8H61-M PRO motherboard.

    I also have a graphic card, but it’s an old Nvidia.

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