Edubuntu 12.04 - 14.04 LTS Installation Guide

Requirements and Preparation

Note: This document describes installing Edubuntu 12.04 and above up until version 14.04.

Installing Edubuntu is easy! We try our best to explain the installation process in a way that will allow practically anyone to be able to install it. If you find any step in the least bit confusing or hard to do, feel free to contact us and we will attempt to correct it!

System Requirements

For a Standalone Installation

• Processor: of 1ghz or above
• Memory: 512MB of RAM (1GB recommended)
• Disk: 20GB of disk space depending on options
• Graphics: If you plan to use the netbook interface, you will require a graphics card that supports 3D acceleration on Ubuntu. Most netbooks are supported very well and shouldn't be problematic.

If you don't understand any of the above: Most computers made in the last 3 years should be fine, and many older computers too.

When Installing an LTSP Server

• Processor: Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad as recommended minimum. Simpler CPUs will work, but at a performance penalty.
• Memory: 512MB for the server itself, and between 256MB and 768MB of RAM per client, depending on the demands of the users. Typically, you would want at least 4GB RAM for 20 LTSP users, and ideally at least 8GB. Note that you can also use local applications (called local apps) to shed some memory usage to the thin clients.
• Disk: 20GB Depending on options. It's recommended that you keep the /home partition on fast disks for optimal performance, refer to the post-install section in this document for more information on setting up a home partition on RAID.
• Network: LTSP can be very demanding on local network resources. It is recommended that you have at least 1 gigabit connection to the server for every 15 thin clients, and at least 100mbit connections to the thin clients from your switches.

LTSP Thin Clients

LTSP allows you to set up a diskless environment. If you don't want to set up an LTSP server, then you can skip this section.

• CPU: Intel i686 compatible CPU. Most processors will work just fine. Geode and older Via CPUs are not supported.
• RAM: 128MB minimum, more RAM is required for running local applications.
• Networking: 100mbps network card that supports PXE or similar netbooting.

Installation Media

Download Edubuntu

If you haven't had a chance to download Edubuntu yet, visit our Downloads page to find out where and how to get it.

You will need a blank USB flash/hard disk with a capacity of 4GB or a blank DVD to write the Edubuntu image to.

Using a USB Disk

If you would like to use a USB disk for installation media, you will need an already running Ubuntu, Kubuntu or Edubuntu system in order to use the USB Startup Disk Creator Tool.

Click on the "System" menu, then "Administration", then "Startup Disk Creator". You will then be presented with a dialog that will allow you to prepare a startup disk. Select "Other..." and choose the Edubuntu ISO file you have downloaded earler. In the next section, choose the USB disk that you would like to write it to and click on "Make Startup Disk". If you don't have enough space to install, you can use the "Erase Disk" button to clear it out first.

Using a DVD

You can use your favourite DVD burning software to write the image to a DVD. If you're using Ubuntu, you simply have to right-click on the file you have downloaded, click on "Write to disc..." and follow the on-screen instructions.

Set Computer to Boot from Media

Now that you have prepared your installation media, it's time to tell your computer to use it. When your computer starts up, it should start up from the installation media you have prepared. If it doesn't, you might have to press the "F12" button on your computer's keyboard to select it. This differs from computer to computer, it will usually display briefly which button you should press to achieve this. On some computers, you might have to enter it's configuration utility by pressing the delete or "F2" button. This also differs between computer manufacturers. For more information, refer to your computer's manual or feel free to contact our community lists for further assistance.

If your computer is an Apple computer, you will have to boot from a DVD and hold in the Alt key from the moment you have started it up. It will recognise the Edubuntu DVD as a Windows CD, click on it to proceed to the next step. If you would like to keep your OS X installation, you might prefer to use Bootcamp. Please refer to the Apple documentation provided with your system for further information on Bootcamp. Also, please note that only the 32bit DVD will work on Apple computers due to a bug in the Apple firmware.

Installation

Starting the Installation Process

Insert the selected installation media and start the computer up. If you did everything correctly, you will be presented with the display below. We will include screenshots for the rest of the installation process. If you would like to see a bigger version of any of these screenshots, simply click on it.

Use the arrows on the keyboard to select a language and then press the Enter key. If your computer has less than 1GB of RAM, choose the "Install Edubuntu" option.

If you have chosen to try Edubuntu, you will be presented with an Edubuntu Desktop. To Install Edubuntu, double-click on the "Install Edubuntu" icon on the desktop. If you have chosen the "Install Edubuntu" option then the installer will start automatically without a desktop session.

Select Language

The rest of the installation should be quite intuitive. We recommend that you read the instructions anyway. Select your language and click on the Forward button. If you would like the system to be updated as part of the installation process, choose "Download updates while installing". This feature requires an Internet connection. If you would like to play certain types of media files or need additional hardware drivers, select "Install this third party software".

Edubuntu Options and Partitioning

On the Edubuntu options dialog, you will be able to select optional extras such as the Unity interface and LTSP. Unity is Ubuntu's default interface in 11.10. LTSP transforms your computer in to a terminal server, if you don't know what that is, you probably don't want it.

Next you'll be shown a list of all Edubuntu packages grouped by age range. You can unselect any that you think you won't need. These can always be added again using the Software Center.

On the Disk Setup page, you can choose how Edubuntu should be installed. Edubuntu installs a complete operating system to your computer. You can choose to install Edubuntu side-by-side with your existing operating system, erase the entire disk and start from scratch, or if you want a slightly more complicated set up, you can choose the advanced partitioning tool to specify custom partitioning.

Review Partitioning and Select Timezone

The installer will display a summary of the changes it plans to write to your disk. Review the changes and click on Forward.

Select your location. Note that the locations are divided into timezones, so it might not contain your town or city. If you are unsure, choose a city close to you that matches your timezone.

Select Keyboard Mapping and Enter User Details

Select the keyboard mapping you are using. Note that this may be different from your country or language setting. If you are unsure, click on "Figure out keyboard layout" and the installer will choose the correct keyboard layout based on your input.

In the user setup dialog, you will be requested to set up the administrator user on the system. The username cannot start with a number, and must be lowercase letters only. If you make mistakes, the installer will warn you about it. It is recommended that you require a password to log in to the system.

Installation Slideshow

The rest of the installation is automated, and will take between 15 and 30 minutes depending on the options you have selected and how fast your computer is. During the installation process, we present you with a slideshow to introduce you to Edubuntu.

Completion of Installation

When the installation completes, you can hit the "Continue Testing" button to continue using the Live environment, or the "Reboot" button to start up your new system.

Reboot machine

When you reboot your system, the installation media will eject and the system will prompt you to remove it and restart the computer. Remove the disc or USB disk and press enter to restart.