MaximumPC 2006 01

Install and

5 Configure

Once the disks are

partitioned, you’ve done

most of the hard work.

The Ubuntu installer

will install the grub boot

manager, automatically configure it to work

with any other OSes you have installed, and

restart your computer. When you restart,

you’ll need to choose your time zone, and

then you’ll create a user account. Enter

your full name, your desired username, and

a secure password.

This is a good time to talk about

Ubuntu’s lack of a traditional Unix-style

“root” administrator account. Instead of

having the all-powerful root, Ubuntu gives

the account you create during the install

permission to use “sudo,” which provides

your account with temporary root-like

privileges. If you’re following online instruc-

tions that require root privs, you can

run the commands on your Ubuntu

install by prefacing the command with

sudo. For example, if you need to edit your

fstab file, you’d type sudo nano /etc/

fstab instead of nano /etc/fstab.

Once you’ve created your account,

the installer will configure apt-get, the

package management application that

Ubuntu shares with Debian. Ubuntu devel-

opers maintain several huge repositories

of software that is preconfigured to run

perfectly on Ubuntu. If you need to install,

say, OpenOffice, apt-get will automatically

download it from the Internet, then install it

on your system, all you need to know is the

name of the appropriate package.

Make certain you remember the username and pass-

word you select. If you forget, it’s probably easier to

just reinstall Ubuntu than reset your password.

6 Final Stages

The installer will reboot again and

install the actual applications you’ll

use on your system—think Firefox

and OpenOffice. Your last task is to

select the resolutions your desktop

will run at. When choosing your

resolution, make absolutely cer-

tain you don’t select any options

your monitor can’t display. If you

goof, you won’t be able to boot

into the GUI, and you’ll have to

either manually tweak the text file

that configures your display or

reinstall from scratch. You probably don’t

want to do either.

You can select as many resolutions as

you wish, but Ubuntu will default to the high-

est resolution when you boot the first time.

Once you select your setting, the machine

will reboot again, and the install will be done!

It’s crucial you select resolutions your

monitor supports. If you choose incorrect

settings, you can damage your display or

render the GUI inoperable.

7 What’s Next?

You’ve installed Linux! Ubuntu comes

with a ton of useful applications, including

Firefox, OpenOffice, and Evolution—an

Outlook clone. Everything you need to use

your computer on the web, for email, or for

basic office tasks is available to you out of

the box.

There’s still a ton of software out in the

world that’s available for you to try out. If

you need more software, we recommend

using the handy Ubuntu Add Applications

program. It’s right there at the bottom of

the Applications menu.

If you have problems—and you will—

the first place you should turn is Google.

There’s a ton of great Linux help info on

the net, and Linux weenies are notoriously

unhelpful if they don’t think you’ve at least

made an effort to find answers for yourself.

If you can’t find the answers you need on

the net, try posting in the Alt-OS Abode of

the Maximum PC forums (http://maximumpc.

com/forums/). Now get out there and enjoy

your Ubuntu!

JANUARY 2006 MA XIMUMPC 61

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