How to Install Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

By : Jino George, M.Sc Christ University

You can get the complete step by step procedures for installing ubuntu 10.10 from the following links:

https://help.ubuntu.com/10.10/installation-guide/i386/installation-howto.html or

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall



The following are the precautions to be taken in few of these steps.

Loading

Wait for the CD to load and start the process. This may take a long time but don’t press any keys until the CD is loaded.

Welcome

Once the CD is loaded, you will be able to see the Ubuntu default wallpaper. Before proceeding select the default language for the system. You can even select your local language also.

Preparing to install Ubuntu

In this step, Ubuntu 10.10 tells whether your computer meets the minimum requirements. You need at least 2.6 GB of free space and you need to be connected to a power source.

Allocate drive space

This step shows three options (refer the links for details) to partition your disk for Ubuntu. Partitioning does not occur until you finalize the installation, so you can decide to abort the installation at the very last minute if you require. After finalizing the installation, however, the hard disk will be re-partitioned and all existing data stored on it will be lost. Ensure that you have made and tested a backup copy of all important data.

Swap space: At a minimum, you need 1 GB of combined ram + swap space. For hibernation, you need at least as much swap as you do RAM. So, if you have 256MBs of ram (the minimum needed for ubuntu), you should have 756MBs of swap.
Creating the root partition: The root partition is akin to the "C" drive in Windows. You will need at least 4GB, double if possible. This will allow you more space to install programs. Select Logical, Ext3 and set it to use the remaining space. Lastly enter the mount point as /.

· Creating the home partition: This step is not necessary but will allow you to keep your settings and files in the event you reinstall Ubuntu. Set it up as you would the home partition but choose /home as the mount point.

Keyboard layout

This window is for selecting your keyboard layout. Click the “Figure Out Keyboard Layout” button if you don’t know your keyboard’s layout. Normally available keyboards are USA (the default selection).

Who are you?

Here, you will have to type in your name, a username and a password. Please note that the computer’s name will be selected automatically (you can change that if you want at this stage) and the password is a must. The installation begins now.