How to install Ubuntu : The Ubuntu Installation Guide

how to install Ubuntu
The Ubuntu installation guide: last updated September 2009

Table of contents

- Install from CD
- Install with Wubi
- Install in EXT3 Partition
- Install from USB

When it comes to installing Ubuntu, there are so many useful snippets of information on blogs and guides all over the internet. If you Google “How to install Ubuntu”, you’ll see what I mean.

For an Ubuntu beginner or curious Windows intermediate user however, there’s no single, simple source of information when it comes to trying out your first Ubuntu installation. One thing I have noticed is that there’s a lot of technical jargon and sometimes unnecessary terminal commands in lengthy forum posts, but no simple “how to” guides, which I think  might put some people off! A shame, when you think about how easy Ubuntu is to install, use and tweak to look really cool!

This post will talk you through your first Ubuntu installation, hopefully teaching you everything you need to know to give Ubuntu a try without breaking or removing your existing Windows installation. The end result will be a “vanilla” Ubuntu Installation running simultaneously with your Windows installation using either the GRUB bootloader, or WUBI, depending on how far you’d like to go on your first Ubuntu experience.

Ubuntu desktop - running Compiz

I hope my guide makes installing Ubuntu an enjoyable, simple experience. By the end of the guide you should have a dual boot Windows / Ubuntu machine that happily plays music, video, and acts as a perfectly usable home office computer with Openoffice 3.0. For the really adventurous you could even run Windows XP inside Virtualbox, which is linked to later on in the guide.  The Ubuntu OS is unique and seriously cool, so, enjoy the trip.

The all new Ubuntu login screen

If you’re planning on installing the latest version of Ubuntu (Jaunty Jackalope 9.04) you can install Ubuntu straight from the CD inside Windows or from a USB stick and the install process can takes care of formatting your hard drive partition for you. You might not yet have a spare partition to do this, so I’ve covered shrinking your existing Windows partition to make space for Ubuntu here.

How to install Ubuntu from CD

1) Download the Ubuntu ISO from http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download and save to your desktop

2) Burn the ISO image to a blank CD using Roxio CD creator or similar:

burn a disc image with roxio

3) Run the CD from “My Computer” – the CD should ask permission to run at which point you’ll see this option screen:

Install Ubuntu with Wubi

4) If you’d like to install Ubuntu using Wubi, select “install inside Windows” and follow the instructions. Installing with WUBI is ideal for a first taste of Ubuntu as you can remove from add/remove programs in Windows later on. This install process is really easy but you don’t get the same performance as if Ubuntu had a separate partition running on its EXT3 file system. The following screens are all based on the Wubi installer process, so you can follow the rest of the instructions below.

If you’d like to install Ubuntu separately to Windows, then skip to point 7) below.

Here’s what you see next:

Wubi installer

If you’ve got the space on your hard drive, go for 30gb or more for the installation size.

5) Now configure your installation using the simple settings options. You can specify the location of the Ubuntu installation on your Windows partition, the size of the Ubuntu installation, the Ubuntu flavour (Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, etc), your preferred language, and a username and password for the Ubuntu system.

When you click install, you’ll see this screen:

As soon as the files have finished downloading, you’ll see this:

Time to reboot Wubi installer

6) That’s it! Click reboot now, and select “Ubuntu” on the startup screen. You now have a fully functional dual boot Windows / Ubuntu machine.

Install Ubuntu on a single (EXT3) partition (separately to Windows)

7) Click “Demo and full installation” and your computer will restart and boot into Ubuntu.

It’s worth saying at this point that you’re about to install Ubuntu on an entirely separate drive partition. That means, you need to make sure you have enough space on your computers hard drive to accomodate the new setup. Keir Thomas found that a partition less than 4gb would lead Ubuntu to crash during install in his first look at Ubuntu 9.04 over at Lifehacker.

Here’s a guide on how to resize or shrink your Windows Vista partition. Follow those instructions before you reboot into the live version of Ubuntu and you’ll have a really easy time during the following steps. Maybe you’d like to install from a USB? Let’s have a quick look at the process of installing from a USB before we continue:

Here’s how to install Ubuntu on a USB drive from Windows Vista:
8) Format your USB stick with a FAT32 partition from Windows. You can get to the format dialogue by opening My Computer and right mouse clicking the removable drive icon. Click “Format” and follow the settings in the image below. You need a minimum 2gb USB stick.

format your USB drive in Windows Vista

9) Download UnetBootin. UNetbootin allows for the installation of various Linux/Ubuntu distributions to a partition or USB drive, so it’s no different from a standard install, only it doesn’t need a CD. The coolest thing about the application is that it’s a “portable” app. You don’t need to install it into Windows meaning UNetbootin will run on your Windows PC without “admin” privileges.

using unetbootin to install the new ubuntu jaunty jackalope

The new version of Ubuntu isn’t in the Distribution list supplied with UNetbootin yet, so use the downloaded Ubuntu ISO from earlier on. Add the ISO using the “Diskimage”, make sure your USB drive is selected below and click OK.

The ISO transfers to the USB pretty quickly, so soon after you click OK you’ll see this screen:

unetbootin complete

10) That’s it – when the installation process is complete, restart your computer and make sure it’s set up to boot from USB. On my HP Laptop, pressing F9 on the boot screen shows a boot order menu. Selecting “USB Hard Drive” follows a black screen, an Ubuntu logo, and finally, your new Ubuntu desktop appears.

Completing your Ubuntu installation, step by step

Installing Ubuntu is so easy that it requires very little effort past this point. If you’ve managed to repartition your hard drive and restart your computer you’ll sail through the next few steps:

11) Click “install” on the live desktop (top left)

vanilla Ubuntu desktop

12) Choose your language in the welcome screen

welcome1

13) Choose your location

Choose location

14) Choose your keyboard layout

welcome31

15) Set up your disk partition. This is probably the most “technical” part of the installation. When I shrunk my Windows Vista drive volume, I never formatted the new partition, which means the “use the largest continuous free space” option works nicely:

Set up a disk partition for Ubuntu

16) Choose your username and password:

Choose your Ubuntu Password

17) Migrate your Windows documents and settings

Migrate your Windows settings

18) You’re now ready to install your new Ubuntu installation

Ready to install

19) When the installation has finished, restart your computer (you’ll be instructed to remove your cd rom or USB drive). You’re now ready to begin using Ubuntu!

Useful tips and resources for Ubuntu

Over the months, I’ve compiled a number of useful tips and hints to get you started in using your new operating system. Here’s a few that people have found most useful:

When you first login you’ll notice the system beep is a little annoying. Here’s how to turn it off. Having problems setting up your wireless network? Use this guide to set it up. Want to run Office 2007 or Windows XP from inside Ubuntu? Use this guide to install Virtualbox. Want to have that amazing 3d cube desktop? You’ll need to install Compiz. Want to make your installation look absolutely amazing? Check this post for a beautifully minimalist Ubuntu desktop powered by Conky. Finally, why not try installing boxee inside Ubuntu to watch a lot of great, free TV!

Ubuntu is a brilliantly simple, easy to use, free and powerful operating system. I hope this guide helps you get on your way. Any feedback? Leave comments below.

122 Responses to “How to install Ubuntu : The Ubuntu Installation Guide”

Leave a comment
  1. Antonio Andrade
    Posted February 11, 2010 at 5:17 pm | Permalink

    You save my live and my Aspire One!
    Thanks a lot!

    • Posted February 12, 2010 at 1:59 pm | Permalink

      Awesome! I had a Revo and it was much faster with Ubuntu!

    • ponce
      Posted July 21, 2010 at 3:16 am | Permalink

      ohw….??really?

  2. Andrew
    Posted February 11, 2010 at 10:22 pm | Permalink

    i was thinking, could you post regarding how to install application on ubuntu? thanks. it would be a great help.

    • Posted February 12, 2010 at 1:59 pm | Permalink

      Hi Andrew – I’ve mentioned Synaptic package manager as a good place to start. Instructions below!

  3. alex
    Posted February 12, 2010 at 9:21 am | Permalink

    how do i install application software on my ubuntu and play music or any other thing

    • Posted February 12, 2010 at 1:58 pm | Permalink

      Hi Alex

      A really good place to start is Synaptic package manager.

      To launch Synaptic, choose System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager

      Amarok makes a good music player!

  4. Bruce
    Posted February 21, 2010 at 3:21 am | Permalink

    Ubuntu works great. But I made a mistake, and loaded it wicw. It shows up on my start up screen two times. How do I remove one of them/ Thanks.

  5. Posted February 26, 2010 at 6:51 pm | Permalink

    I suddenly find that i have no sound and cannot find the loud speaker icon. Otherwise the latest Ubuntu works just great. i cannot understand why so many people flock to “windows”

    • Bruce
      Posted February 26, 2010 at 7:59 pm | Permalink

      Look at yout bottom panel on your screen, there will be a arrow on there. Click on it and it will display output level. Your sound may be muted. If so just uncheck mute, and you will have sound.

    • Bruce
      Posted February 26, 2010 at 8:00 pm | Permalink

      I should have clarified, that the arrow is actually a speaker, it just looks like a arrow.
      Click on it, and go from there.

    • arun anto
      Posted April 21, 2010 at 6:22 am | Permalink

      i’m actually using window7 rit now

      i’m planning to switch ovr to ubuntu

      bt b4 tat i wud lik to kno whether all application that run in windows will run on ubuntu

      my laptop is bit old (5yrs) windows 7 isnt wrking proprly
      ram 1.2 gb
      hrd dsk 80 gb

      pls help me out

    • Mike
      Posted March 14, 2010 at 9:21 pm | Permalink

      People flock to windows because it’s pre – loaded on their computers, they’re used to its layout, and they fear compatibility. The average person doesn’t understand that you have a choice in your OS, if they even know what an OS is. When you throw in the fact that windows is sold on 91% of the computer market, you encompass all the people who really have no business owning a computer. I loathe windows, personally, but thanks to my constricting budget, I can’t afford to purchase a Mac, and I’m not really that fond of Linux, either. Maybe it’s because my experience is Mandriva 2007, which crashed every other week, so I spent half my time rebuilding the file system.

    • Mark Lammas
      Posted July 24, 2010 at 3:39 pm | Permalink

      Try Ubuntu Karmic Koala rather than Mandriva. I’ve been running Ubuntu on an ancient IBM desktop with only 512 megs of RAM and it’s hardly ever crashed, and never needed more than a simple reboot to cure it. Software installation is a no-brainer using either the new Ubuntu Software Centre or Synaptic Package Manager.

      Mark L

  6. Bruce
    Posted February 26, 2010 at 8:04 pm | Permalink

    I like ubuntu, but how do you get system tools to work? It’s not listed in my applications or anywhere else, and I need it. Thanks.

    • ponce
      Posted July 21, 2010 at 3:19 am | Permalink

      yes. . . me too i like ubuntu,i want to learn on how to install this system.plsss…help me guys and give me some info with regard to ubuntu.

  7. caleb
    Posted March 4, 2010 at 6:53 am | Permalink

    hey i hv regarding ubuntu can we use usb drive as partition and install ubuntu in it and can we use it any where any any system

  8. Sam
    Posted March 4, 2010 at 11:22 pm | Permalink

    Hi I installed Ubuntu 9.10 via WUBI a while ago and now would like to put it on a separate partition. I’ve heard that LVPM (Loopmounted Virtual Partition Manager) can do this but is only officially supported and tested on 8.04 and below. Is there any other way to do this without losing any of my settings?

    Thanks!

  9. Posted March 8, 2010 at 10:18 pm | Permalink

    I’ve now eradicated all traces of Windows from my home computing. Now to get an Ubuntu sticker to place next to the somewhat ironic “I’m a PC” sticker on the back of the Dell (on which I drew “TV” in black marker over the “PC”, as that’s the only thing I used it for).

    • Bruce
      Posted March 8, 2010 at 10:28 pm | Permalink

      Look at the ebay site. I just saw Ununtu stickers for laptops on ebay a few minutes ago.

    • ponce
      Posted July 21, 2010 at 3:21 am | Permalink

      hello…have a nice day…will you plsss help me to find a love one in your country??hehehehehehe…

  10. Posted March 9, 2010 at 5:43 pm | Permalink

    Thankyou for the great tutorial!

  11. Hugh E Torrance
    Posted March 12, 2010 at 8:03 pm | Permalink

    To install with the command line is actually easier than synaptic…for example to install VLC medai player you put up a terminal (shell,Konsole etc) and type…
    sudo apt-get install vlc hit enter and your done.

  12. Farhan
    Posted March 17, 2010 at 4:13 am | Permalink

    will above trutorial is enough to install kubuntu in my pc?

  13. Nicos
    Posted March 29, 2010 at 6:19 pm | Permalink

    …All easy until it comes to the most obvious:
    installation on a second hard disk.
    Neither Wubi nor UNetbootin can help. The first is usefull only for an under windows installation (and finally it doesn’t always work), the second cannot see the second hd(!!!), it deals only with partitions on the first. Then, as they suggest, the only option left is an installation cd. Ok, why not one may think. But, when time comes, the tools repeatedly threaten to partition your existing first disk, to act on the first drive, for which there is absolutely no reason. Well, are you brave enough? haven’t you quit yet? Just look at the “details” about Ubuntu and there it says that.. DO NOT USE the Karmic Koala Desktop edition for multi boot… fine. Then go to the forum and read. Yes. All these “sudo” commands.
    Well, thank you for your work, but i am not so brave neither so ready to work a week on the issue. I appreciate the whole work but i would prefer a system that would be more straightforward and less threatening, even if of much less usage.

  14. Rich
    Posted March 30, 2010 at 1:07 am | Permalink

    My Windows 95 machine crashed and I was unable to access my files. I did some research, found information on Ubuntu and subsequently created an Ubuntu boot disk which allowed me back into my computer to view my files. My son then attempted to install Ubuntu on the hard drive since he was tired of booting from a cd. He wasn’t sure what he was doing as now when I log on I can no longer find my files. They seem to have disappeared. Is it possible that these files were deleted during the installation process? If so, is there any way to retrieve them? Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

  15. RGC
    Posted April 12, 2010 at 10:02 am | Permalink

    Hi
    I was trying to install ubuntu 9.10 on my desktop.
    I’m installing it in an empty space
    at the begining part of the HDD, and another (an extended FAT 32 partition) exists occupying all the rest.
    My doubt is where the installer places de swap partition?
    if this blank space is 40GB it will take for let’s say 39 for the ubuntu proper and 1 for the swap?

  16. ryan b
    Posted April 14, 2010 at 3:33 pm | Permalink

    WUBI ohhhhh.. very easy to install… but wireless connection is hopeless… using
    WUbi my signal strength weakens 40% comparing to using WIndows XP. sluggish when using your browser. after un installing it… its still there on my DOs boot up i have to
    go to a lot of things til i remove it on my Boot menu… crazy!

  17. J cYuUd
    Posted April 19, 2010 at 5:56 am | Permalink

    wui…. kren nE….!!! tHanKs nE dah dah bLokX…., Q LikE……! :-)

  18. raj
    Posted April 21, 2010 at 12:02 pm | Permalink

    hi…… i installed ubuntu 9.10 using the install inside windows options……. after rebooting the system i selected ubuntu…. but im gettin “stdin error:0″
    wat should i do??? plz help!!!

  19. Dharanidharan R
    Posted April 22, 2010 at 1:41 pm | Permalink

    This is very useful to all Ubuntu beginners.
    Thank you…

  20. Nicos
    Posted May 7, 2010 at 5:25 pm | Permalink

    I got 10.04 version.
    WoW.
    All issues solved. The easiest installation ever with Wubi, without the slightest doubt, a few clicks in only a few minutes.

  21. chitty
    Posted May 12, 2010 at 3:42 pm | Permalink

    that sucks i got ubuntu 18.90 version and its yuck

  22. jaiveer
    Posted May 16, 2010 at 7:39 am | Permalink

    i have downloaded the program and while installing at the end it is giving error ” u dont have permission ” plz will any one help me to solve this prob.

  23. Posted May 23, 2010 at 8:08 am | Permalink

    very nice and detailed guide thanks alot

  24. Maneesh EM
    Posted May 24, 2010 at 6:55 am | Permalink

    Hey … this is interesting ,very nice and helpfull
    Thankssss

  25. harry
    Posted May 25, 2010 at 3:50 am | Permalink

    hello when i down load ubuntu it comes like iso format. when i double click on this file its asking me which format u want to open.. any one can help me regarding this

    • midhun
      Posted May 25, 2010 at 4:37 pm | Permalink

      An ISO file, often called an ISO image, is in fact an “image” of an entire CD or DVD. The entire contents of a disc can be perfectly represented in a single ISO file.

      Burn the ISO image to a blank CD using Roxio CD creator or similar

      Burning the ISO image file to a CD or DVD is a bit different than just burning the file. You’ll need to choose the “burn image” or “write image” option in your burning software and then choose the file.

  26. Hugh
    Posted May 25, 2010 at 6:43 pm | Permalink

    harry,burn it slow at around 8 x and verify the burn,just about any burner will do,K3B and Brassero are my favourites but you can use Nero or any equivalent.

  27. bob
    Posted May 29, 2010 at 7:41 pm | Permalink

    the software is great unfortunately there is no driver for a belkin F5D8500 usb wifi unit so its not possible to connect to the net . so it looks like my love affair with ubuntu will be short and sweet .

    • Posted July 26, 2010 at 11:48 am | Permalink

      For those who think they need to use LINUX specific drivers, its not so. You can use ndwrapper to use your WINDOWS drivers to run your Linux programs.

      For those who want to try Linux, or wish to dual boot the 8.04 version wubi is probably best. you can also use a later version an set up a USB drive with a permanent partition, then when you need linux, just log out of windows shut down & plug in your USB drive and instant LINUX machine. No risk. No fuss unless your dopy son to delete all the info without making a back up for the data on a removable media.

      anyone here wants help go to the Ubuntu forums where there are volunteers and no doubt someone has gone through what you have experienced and then the command line only becomes a cut and paste jobbie.

      Ubuntu does not need a control center but for the windows users who are used to such things look at System > Control Center.

      To Install any software go to System > Administration > Software Sources > put in your user login password > tick all the boxes including restricted > close the box and it will do this little dance. Then go back to System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager. Put a search term in the search box, say divX an dyou should see ffmpeg > to install it just double-click on it> APPLY and the software will do the rest as long as you are connected to the net through a cable or wifi.

      Voila you can watch DVD’s and even Blu ray…. a good choice for a media player is VLC, it works on all operating systems. You can get it for your windows machines to.

    • Posted July 26, 2010 at 11:49 am | Permalink
  28. CantankerousDave
    Posted May 31, 2010 at 6:14 am | Permalink

    As much as I like the OS, the installer annoys the hell out of me. Who thought it would be a good idea to only offer users the options of wiping the entire HDD or using ALL available free space? Seriously? Triple-booting with WinXP, Snow Leopard, and Ubuntu works just fine – but Ubuntu doesn’t need to take up 80GB of my drive space. I’ve tried creating a placeholder partition in XP to take up all but 15GB, but when I do, Ubuntu’s installer greys out the “Forward” button on the final step of the process (where you enter your user name and password). And it helpfully doesn’t tell me what it’s finding fault with. Thanks, guys. And when I install using the “all available free space” method, I can’t resize the extended partition and logical drives that the installer created, not even booting into the gparted CD.

    Any suggestions on how to create a Ubuntu install that isn’t ludicrously oversized? I’m not a Linux guru, which is why I find the lack of options in the installation wizard so annoying.

    Thanks.

  29. yalmove
    Posted May 31, 2010 at 6:24 am | Permalink

    Thanx for information about installing from usb coz i always failed when installed ubuntu 10 use cd (i dont know why?). Ill do it asap…………

  30. Raja
    Posted June 2, 2010 at 10:19 am | Permalink

    whenvr i press “enter” to install Ubuntu…da machine doesn’t respond….can anybody suggest any remeady?

    • Posted July 26, 2010 at 11:53 am | Permalink

      IS your BIOS set to allow running off of a dvd/cd drive?

  31. Sunil Bhaskaran
    Posted June 14, 2010 at 1:17 pm | Permalink

    1. Dear Raja Please try another Ubuntu installation CD.
    2. Check the system requirements. But try it and get it installed in the system. I am sure that you will nJoy the system.

  32. rohithrnair
    Posted June 18, 2010 at 2:41 pm | Permalink

    now i’m using windows xp. i don’t want to use the full available space for ubuntu installation.i only prefer a 20gb of my 80gb free hard drive what do i do?

    • Posted July 26, 2010 at 11:56 am | Permalink

      the instructions on this web site is good.
      Follow them step by step.

  33. J.Prabu M.C.A.,
    Posted July 5, 2010 at 12:44 pm | Permalink

    Hi This is very useful for me to install ubuntu without any problem..

  34. kenneth
    Posted July 14, 2010 at 2:41 pm | Permalink

    hi am new in linux versions , i started installing ubuntu but when it reaches 59% it shows me error message it due to my disk or hard disk or my lence is old can the cause but if is cd or one of those Why FEDORA finished the installation please help me, i will in touched
    thanks

    • Posted July 26, 2010 at 11:55 am | Permalink

      Sounds like you need more disk space, more information would be helpfull too. More than it reaches 59% and goes for tea. How big s your HDD? what version of windows. ? can your machine take USB boot drives? How much space is free on the drives?

  35. Posted July 19, 2010 at 7:34 pm | Permalink

    Awesome tutorial man and extremely easy to follow. Is their any chance you can make a tutorial for installing linux slackware and also is it possible to install it manually without a disc.

    Thanks and again great tutorial.

  36. Praveen
    Posted August 10, 2010 at 4:33 pm | Permalink

    i burned the image, tried installing, but as soon as i run wubi.exe, there appears a dialog box saying ‘no cd , cannot run cd menu’…… any help plz????

  37. Machi
    Posted August 22, 2010 at 9:50 am | Permalink

    Ya, really a wonderful explanation…. but i had a doubt that should i need an internet connection to dowonload the app even i had a CD…..

  38. Posted August 26, 2010 at 6:23 am | Permalink

    i have downloaded ubuntu 10.4 desktop edition from internet, but unfortunatly not able to install ubuntu from it, please help..

  39. Satmech
    Posted August 26, 2010 at 2:06 pm | Permalink

    CAN I INSTALL LINUX ONTO A SEPERATE DRIVE IN MY PC WITH xP .

    I.E. C drive has xp and D drive has ubuntu

  40. Posted August 27, 2010 at 7:20 am | Permalink

    Great tutorial. Its very easy to understand. I love Ubuntu 10.04…Its stylish ;)

  41. cusmore
    Posted August 27, 2010 at 8:44 am | Permalink

    after downloading the language while on installation mode… after that my pc is stucked but not hanged beacause the numlock is working… then i reset it and not booting…

  42. Posted August 28, 2010 at 10:28 am | Permalink

    how do i install application software on my ubuntu and play music or any other thing

  43. Posted August 28, 2010 at 10:30 am | Permalink

    thank you for sending cd
    give me some important tricks in ubuntu

  44. Aniruddha
    Posted August 30, 2010 at 5:28 am | Permalink

    thanks for the wonderful explanation..
    please make some how to use ubuntu basic (most frequently used) features tutorial too if possible for beginners like me..
    and if you do please let me know on this email address..

  45. Krish
    Posted August 30, 2010 at 9:22 pm | Permalink

    I am trying to install within windows option. But it’s failing with error showing log file path. Even I am not able to find the log. Suggestions and help will be appreciated.