Installing Ubuntu

The "Developer" OS

Download ISO file

The latest stable version of Ubuntu that can support all the software we use is 20.04.

Download the required Ubuntu Desktop disk image file from here:

Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS (Focal Fossa)

The file is named ubuntu-20.04.6-desktop-amd64.iso.

Un-allocate Space

Ubuntu 20.04 requires ~8 GB for complete disk installation, but you need to have more utilities. A space of 100 GBs usually suffices, but that's your choice.

If you're planning to use Ubuntu as your primary OS I would highly recommend partitioning your SSD drive, and giving up 150 - 200 GB space instead.

Refer here to understand how to do this step:

PCs Articles - dummiesdummies

Steps to unallocate space on windows

Create a bootable USB drive

Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy wayRufus

Install Rufus, and upon starting the application should look like:

Insert the external flash drive, Rufus would automatically detect it as Device. Under Boot Selection choose the ISO file downloaded above. Leave Partition Scheme and Target System as defaults. Start the process.

Reboot and Change Startup Config

Reboot the system, keeping the startup disk connected, and Enter BIOS Menu. Reboot your system, and while it turns on, before your laptop's brand's icon shows up.

Repeatedly press the key (Keys to be pressed vary a lot, usually it isF2, confirm from ) until the BIOS Menu shows up, something like this:

Turn off UEFI Secure Boot and Legacy Boot (if available) settings. Now in the Boot Device Select Menu change the Boot Order to USB first. More info here:

BIOS settings for dual boot with Windows - BIOS settings for dual boot with Windows - TUXEDO Computers

Load Ubuntu Installer from Drive

While the USB-drive is connected, use that to load the OS.

Ubuntu Installation wizard will greet you. Rest steps should be kept as default unless you know what you're doing. The steps where you have to take care are:

• Tick the Install third party softwares for graphics and Wifi hardware [...]

• Under Installation Type Menu, choose Something Else and under that, use the unallocated partitions you created in Step 2.

Allocating Space

Distribute the unallocated space to 3 partitions, root, home and swap(recommended, if low RAM device) To create the first partition, the root partition, select the free space (the shrinking space from Windows created earlier), and hit on the + icon below. On partition settings use the following configurations and hit OK to apply changes:

• Size = at least 15000 MB

• Type for the new partition = Primary

• Location for the new partition = Beginning

• Use as = EXT4 journaling file system

• Mount point = /

It is recommended to place root partition onto primary partition on MBR scheme disks

Create the swap partition using the same steps as above.

• Size = 512 MB to 4 GB

• Type for new partition = Primary

• Location for the new partition = Beginning of this space

• Use as = swap area

Create the home partition using similar steps. Use all the available free space left for the home partition size. The partition settings should look like this:

• Size = all remaining free space

• Type for the new partition = Primary

• Location for the new partition = Beginning

• Use as = EXT4 journaling file system

• Mount point = /home

You can allocate more partitions for /boot, /tmp and /var

Press Install Now after verifying that you're good to go.

Confirm Installation

Now rebooting should greet you with a GRUB menu, with a choice of going for Ubuntu or Windows booting. More detailed dual-booting tutorial LINK

Move on to Basic Linux Setup