Ubuntu 10.04 LTS “Command Line Install”
Posted On July 20, 2010 at 08:52 in How2, Ubuntu
Intro
To install Ubuntu, at least 384 Megabytes of memory are required. However, it is possible to install Ubuntu on a PC with only 128 MB of RAM, with a full Gnome desktop.
Here’s how…
Prerequisites
* A PC with 128 MB of memory or more.
* A CD-Rom drive
* 3 Gb of free space on hard drive.
* An Ethernet card recognized by Ubuntu
* Internet connection (preferably Ethernet).
The Internet connection is necessary because the installation is done via the network. Download and burn the installation CD of Ubuntu (MinimalCD): here.
This ISO image (13 MB) allows installation of Ubuntu directly via the internet.
Installation
* Boot from the minimal CD and choose “Command-line install”.
* Proceed with the installation of the system. At the end of the installation, after rebooting, you get a text mode.
* Login with the username and password you chose during installation.
(Plymouth errors can be ignored.)
Installing core packages
Then, install the base packages below to get a graphical desktop (Gnome).
sudo apt-get install gnome-core gdm gnome-system-tools network-manager-gnome human-theme x11-xserver-utils tangerine-icon-theme gnome-themes-ubuntu gnome-themes-selected ubuntu-artwork jockey-gtk gnome-screensaver xcursor-themes gnome-utils file-roller
(Note: It is possible to have an lighter GUI with JWM or IceWM , but you lose the benefits of the Gnome/Ubuntu integration.)
Reboot: (sudo reboot): You can now login to your GUI.
You may get a popup error about “FastUserSwitchApplet”: Just click the “Remove” button.
Installing additional software
When choosing software, it is recommended to avoid heavy ones such as OpenOffice.org.
Here are some recommended packages for a basic system:
sudo apt-get install gcalctool brasero chromium-browser abiword gnumeric vlc p7zip-full ubuntu-restricted-extras
Details:
* Chromium : Chromium is lighter than the Firefox browser and based on Webkit (like Chrome or Safari).
* gcalctool, a calculator.
* brasero : CD/DVD burning application.
* abiword is a word processor lighter OpenOffice.org Writer.
* gnumeric spreadsheet is a good alternative to OpenOffice.org Calc.
* VLC is a media player (audio/video) that can play almost any format.
* p7zip-full can read many different archive formats (cab, rar …)
* ubuntu-restricted-extras: Flash plugin, Java, codecs, Microsoft TrueType fonts, etc..
* The system is already provided with Evince, a PDF reader.
You are with a basic system for surfing the internet and perform office duties.
Thanks to Seb-Sauvage for this tip.
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