The DVD supplied with this book also contains a number of other Ubuntu editions that are saved as ISO files—representations of an entire CD-ROM that can be easily transferred across networks and the Internet. They will take up an entire CD when copied, and can also be opened and treated like optical discs if you have the right software.
Although the installation procedures for other varieties of Ubuntu are similar, they are not identical to the directions in this chapter for installing the standard desktop edition. In fact, there are so many distros that there’s simply not enough room in this book to detail the installation process for each. Therefore, when installing an alternative edition, you should keep your eyes open, carefully read all the prompts and information provided during the process, and use your common sense when making choices and entering information.
The ISO files are located in the distros folder and are detailed in Table 2-1.
Table 2-1. The distributions provided on the DVD
Filename | MD5 hash | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso |
| Ubuntu: the main release that uses the GNOME desktop |
kubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso |
| Kubuntu: the version of Ubuntu that uses the KDE desktop in place of GNOME |
xubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso |
| Xubuntu: the version of Ubuntu that uses the Xfce desktop in place of GNOME |
mythbuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso |
| Mythbuntu: a version of Ubuntu configured to act as a standalone Myth TV Personal Video Recorder |
ubuntu-9.10-netbook-remix-i386.iso |
| Ubuntu Netbook Remix: a version of Ubuntu enhanced specifically for running on Netbook PCs |
In order for you to verify that the ISO files are uncorrupted, Table 2-1 also contains the MD5 hash values for each one. These are unique strings that will be quite different if even one single byte of an ISO file is changed, compared to the original file.
To check the files using Windows, you can download a utility such as winMD5sum from http://www.nullriver.com/index/products/winmd5sum. After installation, you can compare a file’s hash value against the string value for the original ISO shown in Table 2-1. If the values are the same, you can be sure that the file is an exact copy of the original.
On Mac OS X, you can use the Disk Utility program, located in the Utilities folder, by dragging an ISO file to Disk Utility’s dock icon. Then select the ISO file and go to the Images menu, where you should select Checksum → MD5.
If you wish to install any of these alternative distros, you can do so either by using a virtualization program such as VirtualBox (see the section Virtual Installation) or by burning them to CD or DVD and performing a full installation (see the section Full Installation).
If you are reading an electronic version of this book, you won’t have access to the DVD and will need to download the ISO image file that you want to install. This will also be the case if the edition you need isn’t on the DVD.
In either case, Table 2-2 lists the main URLs for downloading the various ISO distributions.
Table 2-2. List of URLs for downloading different editions of Ubuntu
Distribution | URL |
|---|---|
Edubuntu | |
Eeebuntu | |
Kubuntu | |
Mythbuntu | |
Ubuntu | |
Ubuntu MID Edition | |
Ubuntu Netbook Edition | |
Ubuntu on ARM | |
Ubuntu Server | |
Ubuntu Studio | |
Xubuntu |
You can also access all past and present releases (since version 6.06) at http://releases.ubuntu.com.
In case you’re wondering, the MID edition is a version of Ubuntu specially tailored for use on very small PCs. It uses a different desktop and icon layout that is more suitable for the small screen size. Netbook Remix (renamed to Netbook Edition beginning with version 10.04) is a version created to run well on Netbooks such as the Eee PC range, which also has its own edition. And the ARM version is for use on ARM processor technology. None of these is covered in this book, so you will need to refer to their internal and online documentation. However, there are more details on the other versions in Chapter 15.
If you wish to try out either Kubuntu or Xubuntu in particular, Chapter 15 shows how you can easily add either (or both) onto a standard Ubuntu desktop installation with a few simple commands, which can save you a lot of time compared with installing them separately. You will then be able to choose between the different distributions when you log in.
Once you’ve downloaded the ISO file you need, you should burn it to a disc (see the following section) or perform a virtual installation from the ISO file (see the section Virtual Installation).