mixer wrote:When I go to the Ubunto website, it's not clear at all what to download...
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
The link posted above is the download link of Ubuntu in
ISO image. Before you begin, you need to determine if your computer is running 32 bit or 64 bit architecture and if you want Desktop or Server Edition using version 8.04 LTS or 8.10.
Ubuntu 8.10 (32 bit) Desktop Edition will be the default selection when you visit the website. Select a download location near you and click "Begin Download" button. Save ISO image to desktop.
If you're not sure what architecture you're running, leave the make and model of your computer or the make and model of your processor here.
mixer wrote:...and how to use it
Ubuntu ISO image comes with a Live CD, a full installation and
Wubi. The ISO image is already bootable.
Getting Started....
1. Burn the ISO image to a blank CD-R using your favorite burning software.
For burning ISO, I used ImgBurn.
2. Leave the burned CD-R in your CD-ROM drive.
If autorun pops up after you're done burning, click "Cancel" button.
3. Restart computer.
4. After the boot process is completed, your computer should boot from the CD-R.
5. Select a language using the cursor key and hit enter.
6. Highlight and select "Try Ubuntu without any change to your computer" and hit enter. This will load Ubuntu Live CD.
Another option of running Ubuntu is through USB flash drive. As of Ubuntu 8.10 Desktop Edition, this tool comes bundled with Ubuntu. In order to use this tool, you need to be running Ubuntu from Live CD, full installation or through
Wubi. In Ubuntu, go to
System --> Administration --> Create a USB startup disk. Use the ISO image you downloaded earlier or use the CD you burned. This tool will retrieve the necessary files from the CD/ISO and place them on the USB flash drive.
Flash drive needs to be formated to FAT16 or FAT32 file system for this to work.
Another way of running Ubuntu is through
Wubi. This program comes officially bundled with Ubuntu ISO image since version 8.04. If you want to go this route.....
1. Make sure Windows is running.
2. Pop the CD-R you burned earlier into the CD-ROM drive.
3. Select the first entry you see in the autorun menu and click "OK" button. If autorun is disable, browse Ubuntu CD and look for wubi.exe.
4. Follow instructions in the installation window.
5. Restart computer when installation is completed.
5. When the computer boots up, a new entry will be added to the Windows bootloader. Highlight and select "Ubuntu".
6. Experiment with Ubuntu.
For further explanation on how Wubi works, please refer to
Wubi FAQ.
If you're not sure of anything, just ask here.