How to install Ubuntu Minimal Server on Your Computer
You’re ready to start working with Ubuntu Minimal Server, and you’ve purchased your copy of the program from your favorite retailer of software applications and services. Now what do you do? How do you use the program once it’s installed on your computer or laptop? You’ll find out in this step-by-step guide to installing Ubuntu Minimal Server on your computer. By following this guide, you’ll have Ubuntu Minimal Server installed within half an hour, and then you can go ahead and start using it right away.
Things you need
- A computer with an internet connection
- A USB flash drive of at least 4GB or a blank CD or DVD
- An Internet connection for downloading the software, if you’re using a flash drive
- A blank CD or DVD, if you’re installing from a disc.
- Some time and patience!
Step 1 – Download Ubuntu 18.04
The first step is downloading the latest version of Ubuntu from the official website. Select Download, then select your preferred file type (either .iso or .img). Download and save it in a folder of your choosing.
The next step is to burn this file onto a DVD, which you can do by selecting Write image file to disc. Select your writable DVD from the list, and follow the instructions that appear onscreen.
The last step is installing Ubuntu Minimal Server onto your computer. Insert the DVD into your computer’s optical drive and select Install for beginners.
Step 2 – Create Installation Media
Now you are ready to start installing the server. First, download the installation media for your desired version of Ubuntu (14.04 LTS or 16.04 LTS). The installation media is a downloadable ISO file that can be burnt onto a disc, written onto a USB stick or copied over an existing hard drive. Choose whichever method you prefer and insert it into your computer’s CD/DVD drive or plug in the USB stick with installation media inserted into your computer’s USB port. Follow the prompts from there and once complete, you will have successfully installed Ubuntu Minimal Server on your computer!
Step 3 – Erase HDD and Create Partitions
When erasing your HDD, it is important to know how many partitions you want. If you are not sure, I recommend following the example and creating two partitions: one for your home directory and the other for swap space. This is because if you only have one partition for everything, it will fill up quickly. Even if you are a beginner and not sure what the best decision is, remember that the most important thing right now is getting your computer working properly. You can always make adjustments later on down the road when you have time to experiment with different setups.
Step 4 – Boot From Live Media
Once you are booted from the Live Media, you will be presented with the option of downloading an installation image. Navigate through the menu and select Install Ubuntu. You will then be prompted for a username and password. This information is not saved anywhere, so make sure that you remember it.
Step 5 – Install Operating System
The final step is installing the operating system. Select Install Now and press Enter. You will be prompted for a password. Type in your desired password, confirm it, and press Enter. Follow the instructions given by the installation wizard. It is important that you select the Install third-party software option during this step. This will allow you to access applications such as LibreOffice, GIMP, and Mozilla Firefox through their respective programs after installation has completed.
Step 6 – Set Hostname and Password
Set the hostname and password. The default hostname is minimal, but you can change it if you want. To change the hostname, edit /etc/hostname and replace minimal with a name of your choice. Then edit /etc/hosts and replace every occurrence of minimal with your new name for the machine. After that restart networking for the changes to take effect: sudo service networking restart . Finally, set a password for root by running sudo passwd .
Step 7 – Add your username as an administrator user, then reboot
This is the last step in installing your server. To reboot it for the final time, type reboot. Congratulations! You have successfully installed your server.
Step 8 – Update package lists and upgrade installed packages
You can also manually update the package lists by running the following commands: sudo apt-get update and then sudo apt-get upgrade. The update command will make sure that you have the latest information about which packages are installed on your system, and the upgrade command will take care of installing any updates to those packages. Running these commands may take a while, so it is best to run them at an opportune time.
Step 9 – Reboot the server for final time
The final step is to reboot the server. This will be the last time you need to use a keyboard or monitor with your server. Make sure you are connected via SSH before proceeding with this step, as it will not be possible once the server has been rebooted.
After you have rebooted your server, make sure that no other users are logged in and press CTRL + D to disconnect from your computer’s terminal session. You should now see a screen that says login: with a username of root and an empty password field in front of it. Press Enter and then type in reboot followed by pressing Enter again.
