Setting up Ubuntu

This guide shows how to make a Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat) set up desktop that includes full-fledged replacement for a Windows desktop is a. It brings all the software with which you as user needs and a similar form of a Windows desktop in familiar. The advantages are obvious: You get a secure system without DRM restrictions that works to conserve resources and also works on old hardware and the software is free.

here are of course different ways such a system set up, so this guide without warranty.

1 Introduction

To replace the Windows desktop, is to bring the Ubuntu Desktop the following software:

Graphics:

• GIMP - free, free replacement for Adobe Photoshop
• F-Spot - application for managing digital photos for the GNOME desktop
• Google Picasa - application for managing digital photos

Internet:

• Firefox
• Opera
• Flash Player 10
• FileZilla - multithreaded FTP Software
• Thunderbird - e-mail and news software
• Evolution - combines e-mail, calendar, address book, and To-Do list management functions
• aMule - P2P File-Sharing Anwendung
• Transmission BitTorrent Client - Bittorrent-Software
• Vuze - Java Bittorrent Software-
• Empathy IM Client - Multi-Platform Instant Messaging Software
• Skype
• Google Earth
• Xchat IRC - IRC Software

Office applications:

• OpenOffice Writer - replacement for Microsoft Word
• OpenOffice Calc - replacement for Microsoft Excel
• Adobe Reader
• GnuCash - Accounting system, similar to Quicken
• Scribus - Open Source Desktop Publishing (DTP) application

Sound & Video:

• Amarok - Audioplayer
• Audacity - free, free cross-platform audio editor
• Banshee - audio player, can encode / decode different fomat and Apple iPod music sync
• MPlayer - media player (video / audio), with WMA support
• Rhythmbox Music Player - audio player similar to Apple's iTunes, with support for iPods
• gtkpod - software similar to Apple's iTunes, supports iPod, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iPod photo and iPod mini
• XMMS - audio player such as Winamp
• dvd:: rip - A program to copy DVDs
• Kino - free, free digital video editor
• Sound Juicer CD Extractor - CD ripping tool, supports a wide variety of audio codecs
• VLC Media Player - MediaPlayer (Video / Audio)
• RealPlayer - Mediaplayer (nur für i386 Systemen)
• Totem - mediaplayer (Video / Audio)
• Xine - media player that supports multiple formats, plays DVDs
• Brasero - CD / DVD Brennprogramm
• K3b - CD / DVD Brennprogramm
• Multimedia Codecs

Programming:

• KompoZer - WYSIWYG HTML editor like Macromedia Dreamweaver, but so far (still) not as feature-rich
• Bluefish - text editor, suitable for many programming and markup languages
• Quanta Plus - web development environment, including a WYSIWYG editor

Others:

• VirtualBox OSE - allows the old Windows desktop as a virtual machine under your Linux desktop to run to leave, so you need not completely abandon Windows
• TrueType fonts
• Java
• Read / write support for NTFS partitions

A large part of our applications are already included in the Ubuntu Repositiories, some were made by the community of Ubuntu developers and users.

You certainly have noticed that some applications were listed twice, as the two besipielsweise CD / DVD burning software (Brasero, K3B). If you know what is best for you, you need not of course the other programs to install. However, if you want to have rather a small selection, it is useful to refer to the applications of the list. The same is true for various music players like Amarok, Banshee, Rhythmbox, XMMS or browsers (Firefox, Opera).

I will in this guide the user name falko use. Please replace it with your own user name.

2 Installing The Base System

The installation of the base system is easy because the Ubuntu installer does not offer many options so that you can not go wrong.

Download the Desktop Edition Ubuntu 10.10 as an ISO image here:  http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download download, burn to CD and boot your computer from the CD

Choose your language and click on  Install Ubuntu installation to start

On the next screen, we see some of the requirements for the installation of Ubuntu 10.10. The system used should be at least 2.6 GB of free space on the hard drive should be connected to the power for the system to not shut down during installation and should be connected to the Internet with. Please activate the checkbox while installing updates download and install this third-party software (this will install the necessary software to FLASH, MP3 and other media files to process) and click on with Forward. 

Now we come to partition our hard disk. Normally option is to delete everything ide: Erase entire disk and use the good it be you want to customize your partitions and you know you made ​​it or know exactly how you want to partition the drive. The option Erase and use the entire disk is a large / partition for us to create.

Select the hard drive that you want to select for the Ubuntu partition.

Then select your time zone.

If necessary, change the keyboard layout.

Give your real name, your desired user name with a password, and click the Forward.

According Ubuntu is installed. This may take some time, so be 'a little patience ...

After installation, one will ask you to re-start the system. Please click on  Restart Now.

Your new Ubuntu system starts. Log in to your desktop one of your own chosen username and your password that you specified during the installation.

Now we can use the base system ..