- Download and burn a copy of the Ubuntu Alternate Install CD. (Note that you do not want the Desktop CD.) If you do not know how to burn an ISO file, click here for a guide.
- Once you have burned the CD, boot to it to begin the installation. For help booting to a CD, click here.
- Select the language for the boot CD. At the prompt, hit F4 to open up the installation modes. Select Install a command-line system. Select Install Ubuntu.
- Select the default install language. This will be the language used on the final system.
- Select your location.
- Select No to disallow the installer from detecting your keyboard layout. Then, select the origin and layout of your keyboard.
- Ubuntu will now load a few modules. Let this run.
- Select a name for your computer.
- Ubuntu will try to guess your location based on your IP address. If this is correct, hit Yes. Otherwise, hit No and select your time zone.
- "Partitioning" is taking a hard drive and making it useable by an operating system. If you do not have anything on the drive, select Guided - use entire disk. If you wish to install Ubuntu alongside Windows, select Guided - resize...
- Confirm the partition changes. This is the point of no return. Be sure all of your settings are correct.
- The base system will now be installed. This will take some time.
- Select a username. It cannot be root.
- Choose a password.
- Decide if you wish to encrypt your home directory. This is not necessary, but good for security. I generally leave this off.
- Enter your proxy information, or leave it blank for "no proxy".
- Ubuntu will now perform the majority of the base install. This could take some time.
- If you opted to wipe the disc earlier, you will be asked if you wish to install GRUB to the Master Boot Record (MBR). This is safe for clean installs.
- Ubuntu will ask if your system clock is set to UTC. If Linux is your only OS (as in, you performed a clean install), select Yes. Otherwise, select No.
- Installation of the base Ubuntu system is complete. Press Enter to reboot, making sure to eject the CD.
- Log in at the command prompt. Note that on *NIX systems, your password will not show up as asterisks.
- Use the following command to download my script: wget http://minimal-desktop.sublevel21.com/latest-stable.sh
- Use the following command to make the script "executable" (that is, able to be run): chmod +x latest-stable.sh
- Run the script by running the following command: ./latest-stable.sh (NOTE the period-slash in front of the script name. The script will not run without this.)
- The installation is fairly straightforward. During the installation, the screen may go blank. This is normal. Hit the Space Bar to wake the screen back up.
- Once the install has completed, you should reboot your computer. Press Y at the end of the script to do this.
- Congratulations! You now have a fully functional, minimal Ubuntu Desktop system.
Script version: 10.10.2-2011.01.18 || Guide version: 3.2-2010.01.18
