Ubuntu is a new Linux distribution based on Debian, easy to install, which plays nice to other operating systems already on your computer. It is accessible even to the greenest of newcomers. Definitely a software to try (even by seasoned Linux enthusiasts on the look for new toys).

If you are looking for a Linux distribution easy to install, which plays nice with other operating systems, like Windows for instance, then Ubuntu is a distribution for you. I have installed their 4.10 version, called Warty Warthog on October 5. Despite the relative youth of this distribution, it has been easy and pleasant to install, making it a distribution of choice for a newcomer to Linux, or for more seasoned users wanting a distribution up and running in about one hour or less.

The first appeal of Ubuntu to me is their dedication to free software, as one can read on their web site, in all the meanings of the word. Ubuntu adheres to the Open Source social contract (as we can read about in the Debian community for instance) and philosophy. Which means, especially for newcomers, that one can get support on the Web without having a required fee impeding your access to information resources. It is especially worthwhile if you are treading new grounds being the first Linux user in your environment and need support online.

Another plus for a newcomer is the relative small quantity of documentation, which makes it easy to find what you are looking for without having to filter through thousand of pages on the Net. They have produced a very look alike slideshow . A very powerful tool to help you install Warty, as an image is worth a thousand words of explanation.

Good news, they use Wiki, which allows for fast community development of documentation. Bad news, they use Wiki, which requires getting accustomed to for a newcomer to Linuxdom. A definite card up their sleeve is the extensive documentation available on the Web by virtue of its very close kinship to the Debian distribution (on which Ubuntu is based).

The second major appeal of this distribution is its use of recent software, or software versions : kernel, installer, automatic detection, use of gnome 2.8 by default, use of the apt-get packages manager. Apt-get is a powerful and user-friendly way (my personal opinion) to retrieve and install new software, and graphic interfaces are available in Ubuntu for apt-get (synaptic, aptitude). It might not say much to newcomers to Linux, but apt-get is a solid tool I favor over other methods of managing packages. It never gave me any grief, which I can not say the same about rpm package managing.

On installation, the kinship of Ubuntu with Debian is very noticeable. We could almost call them twins (look at the pictures from the slideshow). One gets the feeling of installing a different (as in more recent) version of Debian, if you are familiar with Debian installing.

I installed the software right away on my system, without reading any documentation on how to install this distribution, not even looking at the slideshow (not the recommended way to proceed. I suggest to true newbies to check the slideshow before). My only previous knowledge of it was a recommendation from a fellow Linuxbasics.org user, and having read one review on Distrowatch.

I downloaded an ISO image using BitTorrent (warning: only use BitTorrent with a computer protected by a firewall. - - Also, if you leave the BitTorrent window opened for a while after the file has finished downloading, you give back by letting others get Ubuntu for free too from you). I burned the image, slapped Warty in the CD-ROM drive, and rebooted my system.

Of course, it is highly recommended to consult the installation documentation before installing. It is fast reading, and is very representative of the process. The 24 first slide are about the installation process (on a total of 80).

As I had a Linux system on my drive before, my partitions were already there for my install (hdb1 as /boot, 32 Meg size, ext2 filesystem; hdb2 as swap, 512 Meg size, hdb3 as /, 15 Gig size, ext3 filesystem). Usually, however, if you only have one hard disk drive, it will be referred as hda.

Once the CD booted, I read the first screen. I tried “expert” with some arguments, but that did not work, so I ctl-alt-del and restarted “expert” without any argument. It started installing fine, and from there, it was a breeze, I just answered the questions (follow the slideshow for help if you need it), and I landed with a functional network install in 65 minutes from the start (unlike the slideshow, which installed entirely from the CD, in 35 minutes). The Ubuntu server responded very well, with download speeds of an average of 230 kb/s (good for me).

When installing, in case of doubt, go for the default selections, EXCEPT for the step about partitioning, which you have to choose carefully, or else.

A word of caution to newcomers and people not used to have two operating systems on the same “box”. Be very careful of your selections when at the stage of partitioning, as you can wipe a whole drive out in a few seconds (and that means Windows is gone, and everything else on the drive). The default install setting is using the whole drive. If you wish Ubuntu to co-exist with another OS, look carefully at slide 4 of the slide show, and select the manual partitioning. It has a neat tool, and if you read twice before committing to a choice, you should not have a problem. It took me two trials to do it, though, as I only figured out that when you have selected a partition, every line on the display can be modified if selected. Very straightforward when you catch the trick. (Study slide 10 carefully… and when you get there on your install, read your selections twice before saying yes).

From there on, the install was a breeze, with no hard questions asked. A plus with Linux is that you can always edit your system later (after the install is done) to modify your selections, to fit your needs as you discover them. The only extra selection I used was the ipv6 protocol, as I am on a local network at home. The rest was standard. My only regret was not to have chosen 600 x 800 screen display (I went higher), as Gnome icons are small. But this can be fixed later. I chose grub as the bootloader, and it installed nicely and without any problem, detecting my Windows install and creating a no-hassle dual boot. My first successful automated install of grub.

Overall, that installation was easy, fast, painless, and it respected the integrity of the rest of my system. Slide 16 of the show shows you a picture of the grub bootloader. After install, you can add a bootsplash (nice background image) if you are into graphic displays for your computer, by following the instruction found at http://wiki.ubuntulinux.org/artwork.

Overall, I rate this as a very good and very promising distribution, accessible even to the greenest of newcomers. Although some glitches are reported here and there (this is a very new distribution), I did not encounter any at all. Of all the distributions I have used (11 in all), it has been the most pleasant to get and install. It plays very nice with Windows, even with grub as a bootloader. It detected successfully my hardware as easily as Knoppix does when loaded.

Definitely, a distribution to try (even for seasoned Linux enthousiasts always on the look for new toys) and a community which seems tolerant to basic questions. Ubuntu is now a permanent resident on my system.

Jisao

Created by Jisao