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Showing posts with label ubuntu 16.04. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ubuntu 16.04. Show all posts

Tuesday, 17 May 2016

Introduction



Last month saw the release of everybody's favourite Linux distribution, Ubuntu. I have spent the past couple of weeks reading other people's opinions, watching videos and listening to podcasts.

I have also spent some time trying out the latest offering and within this review I will highlight the new features, the bits I like, the bits I think are a little bit strange and the things I really don't like at all.

New Features For Ubuntu 16.04

Some people aren't interesting in reading a full review so I will list the new features here so that you can go about your day should you feel the need.


I am approaching the new features from the point of view of a standard desktop user as that is what Everyday Linux User is about.

Snap Packages

Ubuntu has introduced a new kind of package called snap. You might be thinking "wow that is just what we need, another package format". Actually in this case it is a really good idea.

Snap packages are installed as sandboxed software (much like Android apps) which means that they won't interfere with other parts of your system. This is more secure than standard package formats and the software won't be bothered by missing libraries and conflicts.

To find the new snap packages you need to open a terminal window.

You can search for snap packages using the following command:

snap find
This provides a list of packages. You can install a package using the following command:

snap install packagename
Unfortunately when I run these commands however I get the following error:
download snap "ubuntu-core" from channel "stable" (snap not found)
The number of snap packages available is currently very small but as a feature I suspect this is one for the future and one to look out for. Meanwhile if anyone wants to tell me why I am getting this error I would be truly grateful.

Linux Kernel 4.4

If you own a modern computer the 4.4 kernel released with Ubuntu 16.04 is a godsend. This prevents me having to perform so many tricks such as backporting in order to get wireless working on my Lenovo Ideapad Y700.

That isn't to say that the wireless problems go away completely. On the Ideapad there is still an issue which I will come to later on.

Python 3

This probably won't matter to the average user but if you dabble in Python development you should know that only Python 3 is installed by default and therefore your programs written for Python 2 will not work unless you install Python 2.

Gnome Software Replaces The Ubuntu Software Centre

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

In my review of Ubuntu 15.10 my comments with regards to the Ubuntu Software Centre were as follows:

"the main application for installing software in Ubuntu is the Software Centre and I think it has to be the biggest drawback for new users. 
Let's take the three applications listed in the previous section, Skype, DropBox and Steam. 
Each one of these applications is less straight forward to install than it should be using the Software Centre.
The answer by the Ubuntu developers is to remove it completely and use the Gnome Software manager instead.

This isn't to say that all the problems have been solved but it shows that the developers do listen.

Online Searches Disabled By Default

One of the least popular features added to Ubuntu in recent years was the inclusion of online searches within the Dash.

This has now been switched off by default although you can turn it back on if you so wish.

Other

Here are the rest of the announced amendments:

  • Gnome calendar included by default
  • Brasero and Empathy removed from the default installation (DVD burner and chat client)
  • Chromium is now version 48 and Firefox is at version 45
  • More supported languages
  • Bug fixes
  • Various Compiz and Unity amendments
  • LibreOffice is now at 5.1

How To Get Ubuntu 16.04

You can download Ubuntu 16.04 from http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop






Simply click the download button.

Note that by default you will get the 64-bit version. If you want a 32-bit version you will need to click the "alternative downloads and torrents link".

I am guessing that if you are using a 32-bit computer it is quite old and therefore might not be up to running Ubuntu 16.04.


You will be taken to a donation page where you can choose how much to pay for Ubuntu. There is a link in the bottom left corner which allows you to download it for free.


How To Create A Ubuntu USB Drive

If you want to create your own Ubuntu USB drive download Ubuntu and follow this guide.

How To Install Ubuntu

To dual boot Ubuntu and Windows 10 follow one of these guides:


Changes To The Installer

The Ubuntu installer has changed subtly since Ubuntu 15.10. 



















The pre-requisites screen has gone and there is also no longer a screen which asks you to connect to a wireless network.

After choosing your language you will see the above screen which gives you the option to download updates and to install third party software.

Note that the download updates is greyed out. This is only available if you connect to the internet.

For those of you wanting to take advantage of this feature connect to the internet before running the installer.






















You can connect to the internet by clicking on the network icon in the top right corner and by choosing your wireless network of choice. If you connect using a wired connection you won't have to do this.

The pre-requisites screen was largely pointless and so I am not surprised that it is gone. It used to have three options:

  • are you connected to the internet
  • are you connected to a power source
  • have you got 6 gigabytes of hard disk space
You didn't need to be connected to the internet to install Ubuntu and you didn't really need to be connected to a power source if you have enough battery left on a laptop and if you are using a desktop computer why wouldn't you be connected to a power source.

The minimum disk space requirement was also incredibly small and gave the false impression that you could get away with such a low amount. 

The decision to remove the network connection screen in the installer is probably a bit more strange. I would at least expect a link giving the option to connect to the internet so you could download updates if you want to.

Not really a deal breaker though.

First Impressions






















For the average user not much appears to have changed from previous versions of Ubuntu and I want to talk about this because I have watched this video which has a mini rant about Ubuntu and this one from what used to be the Linux Help Guy but who is now the Windows Help Guy.

The general upshot is that Ubuntu has become boring. The complaint is that nothing has changed in a few years. 

I watch most of the videos by VWestlife because he does produce interest and detailed reviews about old hardware and technology. He has never really been a Linux fan though.

I liken the "Ubuntu has become boring" thing with an old episode of the BBC sitcom "Fawlty Towers" whereby a lady complains about the view from a hotel window. 

The transcript from Fawlty Towers goes something like this:

  • Customer: "when i pay for a view I expect something more interesting than that"
  • Basil Fawlty (Owner): "but that is Torquay madam"
  • Customer: "well it is not good enough"
  • Basil: "well may I ask what you expected to see out a Torquay hotel window? Sydney Opera House perhaps? The Hanging Gardens Of Babylon? Herds of wilderbeest sweeping across the plain
The point is this. Ubuntu is now far more stable than it has ever been. There is no need to make massive changes to the user interface. They did that already 5 years ago and got seriously panned for doing so.

The changes over the past few years have been measured and one thing I really have to compliment the developers on is their ability to listen.

For instance when Unity was first released the menu bars were stuck at the top and there was no way of moving them. People complained and an option was put in to choose where to place the menus.

People complained about the shopping results and online results in the Dash. Options were put in to remove them or show them based on a setting.

Users complained about the Ubuntu Software Centre and the developers have done something about it.

Users wanted to be able to place the launcher at the bottom of the screen and the developers have implemented the ability to do so, although it is a terminal command:

Ubuntu is rock steady. Yes there are bugs and yes there are inconsistencies but there are bugs and inconsistencies with all operating systems including Windows 10.

A lot of the work with Ubuntu is going on behind the scenes, getting ready for a move to MIR and the introduction of snap packages. These just don't happen overnight.

All in all Ubuntu is much like it has been for the past few years. There is a panel at the top and a launcher down the left.

There are a whole host of keyboard shortcuts which can be used to manage the system.

Finally there is a dash interface for finding and launching applications.


As mentioned previously you can connect to the internet by clicking on the network icon in the top right corner.

Simply choose the network you wish to connect to and enter the security key.





Installing Software























The Ubuntu Software Centre has been replaced by the GNOME Software manager. 

The main screen highlights featured applications, editor's picks, recommended applications from a particular category (i.e. sometimes it will be graphics, other times audio etc) and finally a list of categories.



Clicking on a category pulls up a list of sub categories. The right panel will show the items within the sub category. By default you see the featured items within the category.

From the main screen you can also search for a package by name or description.


 All good thus far. I did however find some issues with the new package manager.

The package manager doesn't list anything that requires a command line. That means tools such as the youtube downloader don't appear.



























You can however install the Youtube Browser for SMPlayer which does allow you to download Youtube videos.

Slightly more worrying is the fact you can't install Steam.
























Another thing that doesn't appear are the restricted extras packages.



























Whilst you can install the third party codecs using the installer many people don't and many people use the restricted extras packages. (myself included).

The first program I recommend installing via the software manager is Synaptic.























A quick search in Synaptic for restricted extras brings up a complete list of packages.

A bug that appeared in the previous couple Ubuntu releases was that installing the restricted extras package via Synaptic or any other graphical tool failed because of a license agreement that didn't appear.


This bug has been fixed which means you can install the entire package using Synaptic.

I find it a little bit ironic that this bug has been there for at least 2 releases and now the bug has been fixed you can't find the software in the default graphical package manager.

Another package that can't be found in the Software Manager is Chrome. You can find Chromium but not Chrome. Like many other people I think Chrome is the only worthy web browser as it includes all the features that are required from a browser including the ability to play Flash videos and games.



In order to install Chrome I went to the Google website and clicked on the "Download" link.  An option appears for 64-bit Ubuntu/Debian. When you choose this option you can choose to save the file or open it.

Choosing the save option saves the file to your downloads folder. Clicking on the downloaded file opens up the installer in the Gnome Software Manager.

You would think it was plain sailing from this point on. Click "Install" and away you go. Unfortunately it doesn't work.

Back to the command line I am afraid. Open a terminal using CTRL, ALT and T and then type the following:

cd ~/Downloadssudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

It will fail to install.

Now run this command:

sudo apt-get install -f


Finally run this command again:


sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
It finally installs.





When it comes to installing Steam even Synaptic didn't help.

It was purely command line:

sudo apt-get install steam
 A license agreement will appear. Click tab to select the ok button and return to accept it.

Another screen will be displayed with the option to accept or decline the agreement. Use the tab key to select "I Agree". Then tab to "OK" and press return.

All in all the Software Centre may have gone but the pain lives on and in many ways the situation feels much worse than it was in Ubuntu 15.10. I think these issues need to be dealt ASAP.

Audio












The default audio player in Ubuntu 16.04 is Rhythmbox (and it has been for some time). It is probably one of the best Linux applications available and far surpasses anything provided by other proprietary operating systems.

Click here for a complete guide to Rhythmbox

LibreOffice

LibreOffice is the premier free office suite for Linux and for the average home user it has everything you need.

With a word processing packages, spreadsheet package, presentation package and drawing package you can easily write letters, books, produce budgets and create presentations.

It may not be Microsoft Office but for most people it actually has more than enough features. It is perfect for students.

Thunderbird





























The email client in Ubuntu 16.04 is Thunderbird. Personally I prefer Evolution but Thunderbird can easily be set up to work with common mail providers such as Google's GMail.

Video























The default video player is Totem.

You can choose to watch local video files or you can choose the search feature. There are a couple of default channels or you can choose to search various other channels such as Youtube.

Other Software

There are lots of packages installed by default so I won't list them all but here are the highlights:

  • Rhythmbox - Audio 
  • Totem - Video
  • Thunderbird - Email
  • Firefox - Web Browser
  • Shotwell - Photo Manager
  • Cheese - Webcam Viewer
  • LibreOffice - Office Suite
  • Transmission - Bittorrent Client
  • Gnome Calendar - Calendar

Hardware Support

This is a bit of a mixed report. Everything works fine on my existing Dell and Toshiba laptops.

I can connect to the Epson WF2630 printer. The scanner and printer work well.

I can also connect to a Western Digital MyCloud device.

My new Lenovo Y700 Ideapad had a few extra issues however. The Intel Wireless Network card needed some extra steps to get it working. 

The NVidia graphics card was picked up but then I was locked out at the login screen. I fixed the issue (which I will write about in another post) but it wasn't plain sailing.

Performance

On my Dell Inspiron 3521 is a little bit sluggish when using the Gnome package manager. The Lenovo Ideapad however runs like a dream and Ubuntu is the perfect operating system for it.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to suggest that better hardware provides better performance.

Moving The Launcher



You can now move the launcher to the bottom of the screen.

To do so open a terminal window and enter the following command:

gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.Launcher launcher-position Bottom

To set it back to the left side use the following command:


gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.Launcher launcher-position Left

 If you were hoping to put it on the right side then you will have to wait a bit longer for that.

Issues

For a long term support release I have come across lots of issues, most of which have been already covered.

The latest NVidia cards will probably get you into a loop at the login screen unless you use the Nouveau driver.

The latest Intel wireless cards don't work straight away.

The new software manager tool doesn't install Chrome, Steam or anything that requires the command line.

Summary

To summarise I want to go back to the title:

The Good

The developers do appear to listen to their users. Everything that people have asked for in the past few years has been implemented in one way or another.

The Bad

This is a long term support release and it feels like it isn't quite ready. I find it hard to believe that nobody working on Ubuntu tried a clean install, followed by installing some of the more popular applications like Chrome, Dropbox and Steam.

The Not Quite So Ugly

The Software Centre has gone.

This would have been great as a point release, say a 16.10 or a 17.04 because you expect some experimentation and you expect the odd cock-up.

The LTS release should be ready to go from day one with only minor issues. Sadly that isn't the case.

An Everyday Linux User Review Of Ubuntu 16.04 - The Good, The Bad And The Not Quite So Ugly

Introduction



Last month saw the release of everybody's favourite Linux distribution, Ubuntu. I have spent the past couple of weeks reading other people's opinions, watching videos and listening to podcasts.

I have also spent some time trying out the latest offering and within this review I will highlight the new features, the bits I like, the bits I think are a little bit strange and the things I really don't like at all.

New Features For Ubuntu 16.04

Some people aren't interesting in reading a full review so I will list the new features here so that you can go about your day should you feel the need.


I am approaching the new features from the point of view of a standard desktop user as that is what Everyday Linux User is about.

Snap Packages

Ubuntu has introduced a new kind of package called snap. You might be thinking "wow that is just what we need, another package format". Actually in this case it is a really good idea.

Snap packages are installed as sandboxed software (much like Android apps) which means that they won't interfere with other parts of your system. This is more secure than standard package formats and the software won't be bothered by missing libraries and conflicts.

To find the new snap packages you need to open a terminal window.

You can search for snap packages using the following command:

snap find
This provides a list of packages. You can install a package using the following command:

snap install packagename
Unfortunately when I run these commands however I get the following error:
download snap "ubuntu-core" from channel "stable" (snap not found)
The number of snap packages available is currently very small but as a feature I suspect this is one for the future and one to look out for. Meanwhile if anyone wants to tell me why I am getting this error I would be truly grateful.

Linux Kernel 4.4

If you own a modern computer the 4.4 kernel released with Ubuntu 16.04 is a godsend. This prevents me having to perform so many tricks such as backporting in order to get wireless working on my Lenovo Ideapad Y700.

That isn't to say that the wireless problems go away completely. On the Ideapad there is still an issue which I will come to later on.

Python 3

This probably won't matter to the average user but if you dabble in Python development you should know that only Python 3 is installed by default and therefore your programs written for Python 2 will not work unless you install Python 2.

Gnome Software Replaces The Ubuntu Software Centre

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

In my review of Ubuntu 15.10 my comments with regards to the Ubuntu Software Centre were as follows:

"the main application for installing software in Ubuntu is the Software Centre and I think it has to be the biggest drawback for new users. 
Let's take the three applications listed in the previous section, Skype, DropBox and Steam. 
Each one of these applications is less straight forward to install than it should be using the Software Centre.
The answer by the Ubuntu developers is to remove it completely and use the Gnome Software manager instead.

This isn't to say that all the problems have been solved but it shows that the developers do listen.

Online Searches Disabled By Default

One of the least popular features added to Ubuntu in recent years was the inclusion of online searches within the Dash.

This has now been switched off by default although you can turn it back on if you so wish.

Other

Here are the rest of the announced amendments:

  • Gnome calendar included by default
  • Brasero and Empathy removed from the default installation (DVD burner and chat client)
  • Chromium is now version 48 and Firefox is at version 45
  • More supported languages
  • Bug fixes
  • Various Compiz and Unity amendments
  • LibreOffice is now at 5.1

How To Get Ubuntu 16.04

You can download Ubuntu 16.04 from http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop






Simply click the download button.

Note that by default you will get the 64-bit version. If you want a 32-bit version you will need to click the "alternative downloads and torrents link".

I am guessing that if you are using a 32-bit computer it is quite old and therefore might not be up to running Ubuntu 16.04.


You will be taken to a donation page where you can choose how much to pay for Ubuntu. There is a link in the bottom left corner which allows you to download it for free.


How To Create A Ubuntu USB Drive

If you want to create your own Ubuntu USB drive download Ubuntu and follow this guide.

How To Install Ubuntu

To dual boot Ubuntu and Windows 10 follow one of these guides:


Changes To The Installer

The Ubuntu installer has changed subtly since Ubuntu 15.10. 



















The pre-requisites screen has gone and there is also no longer a screen which asks you to connect to a wireless network.

After choosing your language you will see the above screen which gives you the option to download updates and to install third party software.

Note that the download updates is greyed out. This is only available if you connect to the internet.

For those of you wanting to take advantage of this feature connect to the internet before running the installer.






















You can connect to the internet by clicking on the network icon in the top right corner and by choosing your wireless network of choice. If you connect using a wired connection you won't have to do this.

The pre-requisites screen was largely pointless and so I am not surprised that it is gone. It used to have three options:

  • are you connected to the internet
  • are you connected to a power source
  • have you got 6 gigabytes of hard disk space
You didn't need to be connected to the internet to install Ubuntu and you didn't really need to be connected to a power source if you have enough battery left on a laptop and if you are using a desktop computer why wouldn't you be connected to a power source.

The minimum disk space requirement was also incredibly small and gave the false impression that you could get away with such a low amount. 

The decision to remove the network connection screen in the installer is probably a bit more strange. I would at least expect a link giving the option to connect to the internet so you could download updates if you want to.

Not really a deal breaker though.

First Impressions






















For the average user not much appears to have changed from previous versions of Ubuntu and I want to talk about this because I have watched this video which has a mini rant about Ubuntu and this one from what used to be the Linux Help Guy but who is now the Windows Help Guy.

The general upshot is that Ubuntu has become boring. The complaint is that nothing has changed in a few years. 

I watch most of the videos by VWestlife because he does produce interest and detailed reviews about old hardware and technology. He has never really been a Linux fan though.

I liken the "Ubuntu has become boring" thing with an old episode of the BBC sitcom "Fawlty Towers" whereby a lady complains about the view from a hotel window. 

The transcript from Fawlty Towers goes something like this:

  • Customer: "when i pay for a view I expect something more interesting than that"
  • Basil Fawlty (Owner): "but that is Torquay madam"
  • Customer: "well it is not good enough"
  • Basil: "well may I ask what you expected to see out a Torquay hotel window? Sydney Opera House perhaps? The Hanging Gardens Of Babylon? Herds of wilderbeest sweeping across the plain
The point is this. Ubuntu is now far more stable than it has ever been. There is no need to make massive changes to the user interface. They did that already 5 years ago and got seriously panned for doing so.

The changes over the past few years have been measured and one thing I really have to compliment the developers on is their ability to listen.

For instance when Unity was first released the menu bars were stuck at the top and there was no way of moving them. People complained and an option was put in to choose where to place the menus.

People complained about the shopping results and online results in the Dash. Options were put in to remove them or show them based on a setting.

Users complained about the Ubuntu Software Centre and the developers have done something about it.

Users wanted to be able to place the launcher at the bottom of the screen and the developers have implemented the ability to do so, although it is a terminal command:

Ubuntu is rock steady. Yes there are bugs and yes there are inconsistencies but there are bugs and inconsistencies with all operating systems including Windows 10.

A lot of the work with Ubuntu is going on behind the scenes, getting ready for a move to MIR and the introduction of snap packages. These just don't happen overnight.

All in all Ubuntu is much like it has been for the past few years. There is a panel at the top and a launcher down the left.

There are a whole host of keyboard shortcuts which can be used to manage the system.

Finally there is a dash interface for finding and launching applications.


As mentioned previously you can connect to the internet by clicking on the network icon in the top right corner.

Simply choose the network you wish to connect to and enter the security key.





Installing Software























The Ubuntu Software Centre has been replaced by the GNOME Software manager. 

The main screen highlights featured applications, editor's picks, recommended applications from a particular category (i.e. sometimes it will be graphics, other times audio etc) and finally a list of categories.



Clicking on a category pulls up a list of sub categories. The right panel will show the items within the sub category. By default you see the featured items within the category.

From the main screen you can also search for a package by name or description.


 All good thus far. I did however find some issues with the new package manager.

The package manager doesn't list anything that requires a command line. That means tools such as the youtube downloader don't appear.



























You can however install the Youtube Browser for SMPlayer which does allow you to download Youtube videos.

Slightly more worrying is the fact you can't install Steam.
























Another thing that doesn't appear are the restricted extras packages.



























Whilst you can install the third party codecs using the installer many people don't and many people use the restricted extras packages. (myself included).

The first program I recommend installing via the software manager is Synaptic.























A quick search in Synaptic for restricted extras brings up a complete list of packages.

A bug that appeared in the previous couple Ubuntu releases was that installing the restricted extras package via Synaptic or any other graphical tool failed because of a license agreement that didn't appear.


This bug has been fixed which means you can install the entire package using Synaptic.

I find it a little bit ironic that this bug has been there for at least 2 releases and now the bug has been fixed you can't find the software in the default graphical package manager.

Another package that can't be found in the Software Manager is Chrome. You can find Chromium but not Chrome. Like many other people I think Chrome is the only worthy web browser as it includes all the features that are required from a browser including the ability to play Flash videos and games.



In order to install Chrome I went to the Google website and clicked on the "Download" link.  An option appears for 64-bit Ubuntu/Debian. When you choose this option you can choose to save the file or open it.

Choosing the save option saves the file to your downloads folder. Clicking on the downloaded file opens up the installer in the Gnome Software Manager.

You would think it was plain sailing from this point on. Click "Install" and away you go. Unfortunately it doesn't work.

Back to the command line I am afraid. Open a terminal using CTRL, ALT and T and then type the following:

cd ~/Downloadssudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

It will fail to install.

Now run this command:

sudo apt-get install -f


Finally run this command again:


sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
It finally installs.





When it comes to installing Steam even Synaptic didn't help.

It was purely command line:

sudo apt-get install steam
 A license agreement will appear. Click tab to select the ok button and return to accept it.

Another screen will be displayed with the option to accept or decline the agreement. Use the tab key to select "I Agree". Then tab to "OK" and press return.

All in all the Software Centre may have gone but the pain lives on and in many ways the situation feels much worse than it was in Ubuntu 15.10. I think these issues need to be dealt ASAP.

Audio












The default audio player in Ubuntu 16.04 is Rhythmbox (and it has been for some time). It is probably one of the best Linux applications available and far surpasses anything provided by other proprietary operating systems.

Click here for a complete guide to Rhythmbox

LibreOffice

LibreOffice is the premier free office suite for Linux and for the average home user it has everything you need.

With a word processing packages, spreadsheet package, presentation package and drawing package you can easily write letters, books, produce budgets and create presentations.

It may not be Microsoft Office but for most people it actually has more than enough features. It is perfect for students.

Thunderbird





























The email client in Ubuntu 16.04 is Thunderbird. Personally I prefer Evolution but Thunderbird can easily be set up to work with common mail providers such as Google's GMail.

Video























The default video player is Totem.

You can choose to watch local video files or you can choose the search feature. There are a couple of default channels or you can choose to search various other channels such as Youtube.

Other Software

There are lots of packages installed by default so I won't list them all but here are the highlights:

  • Rhythmbox - Audio 
  • Totem - Video
  • Thunderbird - Email
  • Firefox - Web Browser
  • Shotwell - Photo Manager
  • Cheese - Webcam Viewer
  • LibreOffice - Office Suite
  • Transmission - Bittorrent Client
  • Gnome Calendar - Calendar

Hardware Support

This is a bit of a mixed report. Everything works fine on my existing Dell and Toshiba laptops.

I can connect to the Epson WF2630 printer. The scanner and printer work well.

I can also connect to a Western Digital MyCloud device.

My new Lenovo Y700 Ideapad had a few extra issues however. The Intel Wireless Network card needed some extra steps to get it working. 

The NVidia graphics card was picked up but then I was locked out at the login screen. I fixed the issue (which I will write about in another post) but it wasn't plain sailing.

Performance

On my Dell Inspiron 3521 is a little bit sluggish when using the Gnome package manager. The Lenovo Ideapad however runs like a dream and Ubuntu is the perfect operating system for it.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to suggest that better hardware provides better performance.

Moving The Launcher



You can now move the launcher to the bottom of the screen.

To do so open a terminal window and enter the following command:

gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.Launcher launcher-position Bottom

To set it back to the left side use the following command:


gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.Launcher launcher-position Left

 If you were hoping to put it on the right side then you will have to wait a bit longer for that.

Issues

For a long term support release I have come across lots of issues, most of which have been already covered.

The latest NVidia cards will probably get you into a loop at the login screen unless you use the Nouveau driver.

The latest Intel wireless cards don't work straight away.

The new software manager tool doesn't install Chrome, Steam or anything that requires the command line.

Summary

To summarise I want to go back to the title:

The Good

The developers do appear to listen to their users. Everything that people have asked for in the past few years has been implemented in one way or another.

The Bad

This is a long term support release and it feels like it isn't quite ready. I find it hard to believe that nobody working on Ubuntu tried a clean install, followed by installing some of the more popular applications like Chrome, Dropbox and Steam.

The Not Quite So Ugly

The Software Centre has gone.

This would have been great as a point release, say a 16.10 or a 17.04 because you expect some experimentation and you expect the odd cock-up.

The LTS release should be ready to go from day one with only minor issues. Sadly that isn't the case.

16 comments
Posted at 22:26 |  by Gary Newell

Sunday, 8 November 2015

Introduction

Updated For Ubuntu 16.04

This is the 2nd guide showing how to dual boot Windows 10 and Ubuntu Linux.

The reason there are two guides is that the instructions differ enough between machines with a UEFI bootloader and a standard BIOS.

This guide focuses on computers with a standard BIOS. If your computer has a UEFI bootloader read this guide instead.

If you were using any version of Windows up to Windows 7 before upgrading to Windows 10 then it is likely this guide is for you.

Before going on however follow these simple instructions to find out whether your computer is UEFI or BIOS based.






















In the search box at the bottom of the screen type "System Information" and when the icon appears at the top click on it.

Halfway down the right panel there is an item called BIOS mode. If it says Legacy (or anything other than UEFI) then this guide will work for you.

Steps For Dual Booting Windows 10 And Ubuntu

The steps required for dual booting Windows 10 and Ubuntu are as follows:

  • Backup your Windows 10 operating system (optional but highly recommended)
  • Create a Ubuntu USB drive
  • Enable booting from a USB drive
  • Shrink the Windows 10 partition to make space for Ubuntu
  • Boot into Ubuntu live environment and install Ubuntu
  • Amend the boot order to make sure Ubuntu can boot

Back Up Windows 10

Before doing any major work on your system you should take a backup as it can be time consuming and expensive to fix your operating system without a decent backup.

I have written a guide (linked below) which shows you how to backup all of your partitions using a tool called Macrium Reflect. There is a free version of the tool available and the most this tutorial will cost you is time and if you don't have one an external hard drive or a spindle of blank DVDs.




Create A Ubuntu USB Drive

I prefer to use the Win32 Disk Imager tool for creating Linux USB drives as it generally provides a good success rate compared to other tools.

Click here for a guide showing how to create a Ubuntu USB drive.

The linked article shows you how to do the following things:
  • How to get Win32 Disk Imager, 
  • How to install Win32 Disk Imager.
  • How to format a USB drive.
  • How to create a Ubuntu USB drive
  • How to boot into a Ubuntu live environment
You will obviously need a USB drive for this purpose.

If you would prefer to, you can .

If after you have finished installing Ubuntu you want to get your USB drive back to being a blank drive again follow this guide which shows how to fix a USB drive after Linux has been installed on it.

Shrink Windows To Make Space For Ubuntu

If your computer only has one hard drive you will need to shrink your Windows 10 partition in order to make space for Ubuntu.

Click here for a guide showing how to shrink your Windows 10 partition.

Boot Into Ubuntu Live Environment

Make sure that the Ubuntu USB drive is plugged into the computer.

Booting into Ubuntu on a computer with a standard BIOS is a lot simpler than UEFI based machines.

Simply reboot Windows 10 and a screen will appear with two options:

  • Try Ubuntu
  • Install Ubuntu
Choose the "Try Ubuntu" option.


Install Ubuntu

The main installation of Ubuntu is the same for BIOS and UEFI based machines.

To start the installation click on the “Install Ubuntu” icon on the desktop.

After clicking on the “Install Ubuntu” option the following screen will appear:























This is the beginning of the installation process and you can select the language which is used to help you through the process.

Choose your language and click “Continue”.





The installer has changed a little bit for Ubuntu 16.04. The pre-requisites screen has been removed as has the option to connect to a wireless network prior to installing.


The preparing to install Ubuntu screen now simply lists the option to download updates (which is only available after you have an internet connection) and the option to install third party software for playing MP3 audio and watching Flash.

If you have a decent internet connection then you might wish to install updates during the installation.

To connect to the internet click on the network icon in the top right corner and a list of wireless networks will be listed. Click on the network you wish to connect to and enter the security key when prompted.

You will need to click the back button on the "preparing to install Ubuntu" screen and then click continue again when you are back at the welcome screen.

If you have a poor internet connection then I would choose not to connect to the internet. You can update your system after it has been installed.

You can choose to install the third party tools for playing MP3 audio as part of the installation process now by checking the box or you can do it after the system has been installed.

Click "Continue".



























The “Installation Type” screen lets you decide whether you want to install Ubuntu alongside Windows or over the top.

Choose the “Install Ubuntu alongside Windows Boot Manager” option.

Click “Install Now”.


If you do not see an option to install alongside Windows then you should click on the "Something Else" option. You may notice that it says the free space is unusable. If co click here for a guide to resolving this issue.

A window will appear showing you what is going to happen to your disk. By default the Ubuntu installer will create an ext4 partition for Ubuntu and all of your personal files and a swap partition used for swapping idle processes when memory gets low.

Click “Continue”.


























In order to set your clock correctly a map appears requiring you to choose your location.

Click where you live on the map or start typing it into the box provided and then click “Continue”.



























Select your keyboard’s language in the left pane and then the actual physical layout in the right pane.

Alternatively click on the detect keyboard layout option and it will more than likely do it for you.

Test out the keyboard layout that you have chosen by typing into the box provided. Specifically try out symbols such as the dollar sign, pound symbol, hash tags, speech marks, slashes and other special characters as these are the keys that tend to move around on a keyboard.

Click “Continue”.



The final step is to create a default user.

Enter your name and give your computer a name.

Enter a username into the box provided and choose a password and repeat it.

Click on the “Require my password to log in” option. I don’t really recommend anyone letting their machine log in automatically unless it is a virtual machine used for test purposes.

Finally click “Continue”.






















The files will now be copied to your computer.







When the process has finished you will have the options to continue test or to restart now.

Click the "Restart Now" option.

You will be asked to remove the USB drive and press enter.

Now when your computer reboots you will have options to boot into Windows 10 or Ubuntu.

Try them both out and hopefully you will have successfully installed Ubuntu alongside Windows 10.

What Next

Troubleshooting

If Ubuntu still will not boot after running EFI Boot Manager try reading this guide which aims to help with UEFI boot issues.

How To Install Ubuntu Linux Alongside Windows 10 (Standard BIOS, non-UEFI)

Introduction

Updated For Ubuntu 16.04

This is the 2nd guide showing how to dual boot Windows 10 and Ubuntu Linux.

The reason there are two guides is that the instructions differ enough between machines with a UEFI bootloader and a standard BIOS.

This guide focuses on computers with a standard BIOS. If your computer has a UEFI bootloader read this guide instead.

If you were using any version of Windows up to Windows 7 before upgrading to Windows 10 then it is likely this guide is for you.

Before going on however follow these simple instructions to find out whether your computer is UEFI or BIOS based.






















In the search box at the bottom of the screen type "System Information" and when the icon appears at the top click on it.

Halfway down the right panel there is an item called BIOS mode. If it says Legacy (or anything other than UEFI) then this guide will work for you.

Steps For Dual Booting Windows 10 And Ubuntu

The steps required for dual booting Windows 10 and Ubuntu are as follows:

  • Backup your Windows 10 operating system (optional but highly recommended)
  • Create a Ubuntu USB drive
  • Enable booting from a USB drive
  • Shrink the Windows 10 partition to make space for Ubuntu
  • Boot into Ubuntu live environment and install Ubuntu
  • Amend the boot order to make sure Ubuntu can boot

Back Up Windows 10

Before doing any major work on your system you should take a backup as it can be time consuming and expensive to fix your operating system without a decent backup.

I have written a guide (linked below) which shows you how to backup all of your partitions using a tool called Macrium Reflect. There is a free version of the tool available and the most this tutorial will cost you is time and if you don't have one an external hard drive or a spindle of blank DVDs.




Create A Ubuntu USB Drive

I prefer to use the Win32 Disk Imager tool for creating Linux USB drives as it generally provides a good success rate compared to other tools.

Click here for a guide showing how to create a Ubuntu USB drive.

The linked article shows you how to do the following things:
  • How to get Win32 Disk Imager, 
  • How to install Win32 Disk Imager.
  • How to format a USB drive.
  • How to create a Ubuntu USB drive
  • How to boot into a Ubuntu live environment
You will obviously need a USB drive for this purpose.

If you would prefer to, you can .

If after you have finished installing Ubuntu you want to get your USB drive back to being a blank drive again follow this guide which shows how to fix a USB drive after Linux has been installed on it.

Shrink Windows To Make Space For Ubuntu

If your computer only has one hard drive you will need to shrink your Windows 10 partition in order to make space for Ubuntu.

Click here for a guide showing how to shrink your Windows 10 partition.

Boot Into Ubuntu Live Environment

Make sure that the Ubuntu USB drive is plugged into the computer.

Booting into Ubuntu on a computer with a standard BIOS is a lot simpler than UEFI based machines.

Simply reboot Windows 10 and a screen will appear with two options:

  • Try Ubuntu
  • Install Ubuntu
Choose the "Try Ubuntu" option.


Install Ubuntu

The main installation of Ubuntu is the same for BIOS and UEFI based machines.

To start the installation click on the “Install Ubuntu” icon on the desktop.

After clicking on the “Install Ubuntu” option the following screen will appear:























This is the beginning of the installation process and you can select the language which is used to help you through the process.

Choose your language and click “Continue”.





The installer has changed a little bit for Ubuntu 16.04. The pre-requisites screen has been removed as has the option to connect to a wireless network prior to installing.


The preparing to install Ubuntu screen now simply lists the option to download updates (which is only available after you have an internet connection) and the option to install third party software for playing MP3 audio and watching Flash.

If you have a decent internet connection then you might wish to install updates during the installation.

To connect to the internet click on the network icon in the top right corner and a list of wireless networks will be listed. Click on the network you wish to connect to and enter the security key when prompted.

You will need to click the back button on the "preparing to install Ubuntu" screen and then click continue again when you are back at the welcome screen.

If you have a poor internet connection then I would choose not to connect to the internet. You can update your system after it has been installed.

You can choose to install the third party tools for playing MP3 audio as part of the installation process now by checking the box or you can do it after the system has been installed.

Click "Continue".



























The “Installation Type” screen lets you decide whether you want to install Ubuntu alongside Windows or over the top.

Choose the “Install Ubuntu alongside Windows Boot Manager” option.

Click “Install Now”.


If you do not see an option to install alongside Windows then you should click on the "Something Else" option. You may notice that it says the free space is unusable. If co click here for a guide to resolving this issue.

A window will appear showing you what is going to happen to your disk. By default the Ubuntu installer will create an ext4 partition for Ubuntu and all of your personal files and a swap partition used for swapping idle processes when memory gets low.

Click “Continue”.


























In order to set your clock correctly a map appears requiring you to choose your location.

Click where you live on the map or start typing it into the box provided and then click “Continue”.



























Select your keyboard’s language in the left pane and then the actual physical layout in the right pane.

Alternatively click on the detect keyboard layout option and it will more than likely do it for you.

Test out the keyboard layout that you have chosen by typing into the box provided. Specifically try out symbols such as the dollar sign, pound symbol, hash tags, speech marks, slashes and other special characters as these are the keys that tend to move around on a keyboard.

Click “Continue”.



The final step is to create a default user.

Enter your name and give your computer a name.

Enter a username into the box provided and choose a password and repeat it.

Click on the “Require my password to log in” option. I don’t really recommend anyone letting their machine log in automatically unless it is a virtual machine used for test purposes.

Finally click “Continue”.






















The files will now be copied to your computer.







When the process has finished you will have the options to continue test or to restart now.

Click the "Restart Now" option.

You will be asked to remove the USB drive and press enter.

Now when your computer reboots you will have options to boot into Windows 10 or Ubuntu.

Try them both out and hopefully you will have successfully installed Ubuntu alongside Windows 10.

What Next

Troubleshooting

If Ubuntu still will not boot after running EFI Boot Manager try reading this guide which aims to help with UEFI boot issues.

78 comments
Posted at 22:48 |  by Gary Newell

Monday, 2 November 2015

Introduction

Updated For Ubuntu 16.04

Windows 10 has been out for a while now and as I have a track record for writing dual boot guides I thought it was about time I created a Windows 10 and Ubuntu dual boot guide. 

This guide focuses on computers with a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) over a standard Basic Input Output System (BIOS). Another guide will be coming out shortly to cover the BIOS version.

What this means is that if you were using Windows 8 and 8.1 before upgrading to Windows 10 then this guide will work for you. If you have just bought a brand new Windows 10 machine and it has a standard hard drive (i.e it isn't a Surface Pro) then this guide will also work for you.

If your computer used to run Windows 7 before upgrading to Windows 10 then it is highly probable that this guide isn't suitable in which case you should follow this guide. 

How can you tell if your computer has a UEFI over a standard BIOS? 






















In the search box at the bottom of the screen type "System Information" and when the icon appears at the top click on it.

Halfway down the right panel there is an item called BIOS mode. If it says UEFI then this guide will work for you.

Steps For Dual Booting Windows 10 And Ubuntu

The steps required for dual booting Windows 10 and Ubuntu are as follows:

  • Backup your Windows 10 operating system (optional but highly recommended)
  • Create a Ubuntu USB drive
  • Enable booting from a USB drive
  • Shrink the Windows 10 partition to make space for Ubuntu
  • Boot into Ubuntu live environment and install Ubuntu
  • Amend the boot order to make sure Ubuntu can boot
I have written another guide which shows how to dual boot Ubuntu and Windows 10 on a computer with an SSD. This is largely experimental as it is my first time of doing it but it does work for me and it might give you some ideas when partitioning your SSD.

Back Up Windows 10

In the list of steps above I have put this down as an optional requirement but I can't stress highly enough that you should really do it.

Let's imagine for a moment that you have a machine that used to run Windows 8 and you spent the time upgrading to Windows 10.

If you follow this process and for whatever reason it doesn't work and your machine is left in an undesirable state then without a backup the minimum it will cost you is the time it takes to reinstall Windows 8 and then upgrade to Windows 10.

Imagine now that you don't have the Windows 8 media and you don't have a viable recovery partition. You now have no way of getting Windows back without buying either the Windows 8 disk which costs around £90 or a Windows 10 disk which costs £199. You would also have to find and download any required graphics, audio and other drivers required for Windows to run properly.

I have written a guide (linked below) which shows you how to backup all of your partitions using a tool called Macrium Reflect. There is a free version of the tool available and the most this tutorial will cost you is time and if you don't have one an external hard drive or a spindle of blank DVDs.




Create A Ubuntu USB Drive

There are many tools out there for creating a Ubuntu USB drive including UNetbootin, Universal USB Creator, YUMI, Win32 Disk Imager and Rufus.

Personally the tool that I find most useful for creating Linux USB drives is Win32 Disk Imager. 

I have written a guide showing how to create a Ubuntu USB drive. 


It shows you how to do the following things:
  • How to get Win32 Disk Imager, 
  • How to install Win32 Disk Imager.
  • How to format a USB drive.
  • How to create a Ubuntu USB drive
  • How to set the power options in Windows 10 to allow booting from USB
  • How to boot into a Ubuntu live environment
You will obviously need a USB drive for this purpose.

Click here for a guide showing how to create a Ubuntu USB drive.


If you would prefer to, you can .

If you want to get the USB drive back to normal after installing Ubuntu follow this guide which shows how to fix a USB drive after Linux has been installed on it.

Shrink Windows To Make Space For Ubuntu

If your computer only has one hard drive you will need to shrink your Windows 10 partition in order to make space for Ubuntu.

Click here for a guide showing how to shrink your Windows 10 partition.

Boot Into Ubuntu Live Environment

Make sure that the Ubuntu USB drive is plugged into the computer.

If you backed up your computer using Macrium and you chose to create the Macrium boot menu option then you can simply reboot your computer. 

When the above screen appears click on the "Change defaults or choose other options" link at the bottom of the screen.

If you chose not to create the Macrium boot menu option boot into Windows, insert the Ubuntu USB drive, hold down the shift key and reboot your computer. (Keep the shift key held down until a screen similar to the one below appears).


Each manufacturer has a different version of UEFI and so the menu options may be different.

The important thing is that a blue screen with white writing appears.

You are basically looking for the option to boot from the USB drive and this may take some finding. From the image above I chose the “Choose other options” menu item which produced the screen below.



I then clicked on the “Use a device” option which as you can see has the subtext “Use a USB drive, network connection or Windows recovery DVD”.


A list of devices will now appear.

This isn’t the first time I have installed things on this computer and my EFI partition still has links to old Ubuntu versions.

The important link on this screen is the “EFI USB Device” option.

Choose the EFI USB Device option and Ubuntu should now boot from the USB drive.

A boot menu will appear.

Choose the first menu option to try Ubuntu.

A large dialogue window will appear with options to install Ubuntu or to Try Ubuntu.

Click on the “Try Ubuntu” option. Ubuntu will now be loaded as a live session. You can try out all of the features of Ubuntu but if you reboot all the changes will be lost.

Install Ubuntu

To start the installation click on the “Install Ubuntu” icon on the desktop.

After clicking on the “Install Ubuntu” option the following screen will appear:























This is the beginning of the installation process and you can select the language which is used to help you through the process.

Choose your language and click “Continue”.






















The installer has changed a little bit for Ubuntu 16.04. The pre-requisites screen has been removed as has the option to connect to a wireless network prior to installing.

The preparing to install Ubuntu screen now simply lists the option to download updates (which is only available after you have an internet connection) and the option to install third party software for playing MP3 audio and watching Flash.

If you have a decent internet connection then you might wish to install updates during the installation.

To connect to the internet click on the network icon in the top right corner and a list of wireless networks will be listed. Click on the network you wish to connect to and enter the security key when prompted.

You will need to click the back button on the "preparing to install Ubuntu" screen and then click continue again when you are back at the welcome screen.

If you have a poor internet connection then I would choose not to connect to the internet. You can update your system after it has been installed.

You can choose to install the third party tools for playing MP3 audio as part of the installation process now by checking the box or you can do it after the system has been installed.

Click "Continue".



























The “Installation Type” screen lets you decide whether you want to install Ubuntu alongside Windows or over the top.

Choose the “Install Ubuntu alongside Windows Boot Manager” option.

Click “Install Now”.


A window will appear showing you what is going to happen to your disk. By default the Ubuntu installer will create an ext4 partition for Ubuntu and all of your personal files and a swap partition used for swapping idle processes when memory gets low.

Click “Continue”.


























A map of the world will appear. The purpose of it is to make it possible for Ubuntu to set the time on your clock correctly.

Click where you live on the map or start typing it into the box provided and then click “Continue”.



























Almost there. Just two more steps before Ubuntu is installed.

You now need to choose your keyboard layout. Select your keyboard’s language in the left pane and then the actual physical layout in the right pane.

Alternatively click on the detect keyboard layout option and it will more than likely do it for you.

Test out the keyboard layout that you have chosen by typing into the box provided. Specifically try out symbols such as the dollar sign, pound symbol, hash tags, speech marks, slashes and other special characters as these are the keys that tend to move around on a keyboard.

Click “Continue”.



























The final step is to create a default user.

Enter your name and give your computer a name.

Enter a username into the box provided and choose a password and repeat it.

Click on the “Require my password to log in” option. I don’t really recommend anyone letting their machine log in automatically unless it is a virtual machine used for test purposes.

Finally click “Continue”.






















The files will now be copied to your computer.







When the process has finished you will have the options to continue test or to restart now. 

Choose the “Continue Testing” option.

Change The Boot Order So That Ubuntu Can Boot

You will need to be connected to the internet for this to work.

Click on the network icon in the top right corner and choose your wireless network (unless you are connected with an Ethernet cable). Enter the security key.

Open up a terminal window by either pressing CTRL ALT and T at the same time or click the top icon in the bar on the left side and type “term” into the search box.  Click on the terminal icon that appears.






















Type sudo apt-get install efibootmgr into the terminal window.

When asked whether you want to continue press “y”.

























After the installation has completed type efibootmgr into the terminal window.

A list of boot devices will appear.

As you can see in my list there are the following boot options:
  • boot0000 for Ubuntu (this is an old version and can be ignored)
  • boot0001 which is Windows
  • boot0002 and boot0003 are two LAN devices
  • boot0004 which is the new version of Ubuntu that I just installed
  • boot0005 is my USB device
  • boot0006 and boot0007 are two other LAN devices
  • boot0008 is another USB device

At the top of the text you will see that my current boot device is boot0005 which is the USB device.

More importantly is the boot order which is listed as 0001,0000,0004,2001. 

What this tells me is that the computer will boot Windows first, then the rubbish version of Ubuntu, then the new version of Ubuntu and finally a USB device.

This is clearly incorrect.

























To change the bootorder all you have to do is enter the following command:

·         sudo efibootmgr -o 4,1

The -o says that I want to change the order. Then all I have to do is list the order I want things to boot.

So in the command above I have stated I want Ubuntu to boot first and then Windows.

Type exit into the window and reboot the computer by clicking the icon in the top far right corner of the screen.

Choose to shutdown and reboot your computer.

When given the option and before the computer actually reboots remove the USB drive. 

Now when you restart your computer a menu will appear with options for booting into Ubuntu and Windows 10.

Try them both out and hopefully you will have successfully installed Ubuntu alongside Windows 10.

What Next

The Antidote

If you have followed this guide and you want Windows back the way it was before you installed Ubuntu follow this guide:

Troubleshooting

If Ubuntu still will not boot after running EFI Boot Manager try reading this guide which aims to help with UEFI boot issues.

How To Install Ubuntu Linux Alongside Windows 10 (UEFI)

Introduction

Updated For Ubuntu 16.04

Windows 10 has been out for a while now and as I have a track record for writing dual boot guides I thought it was about time I created a Windows 10 and Ubuntu dual boot guide. 

This guide focuses on computers with a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) over a standard Basic Input Output System (BIOS). Another guide will be coming out shortly to cover the BIOS version.

What this means is that if you were using Windows 8 and 8.1 before upgrading to Windows 10 then this guide will work for you. If you have just bought a brand new Windows 10 machine and it has a standard hard drive (i.e it isn't a Surface Pro) then this guide will also work for you.

If your computer used to run Windows 7 before upgrading to Windows 10 then it is highly probable that this guide isn't suitable in which case you should follow this guide. 

How can you tell if your computer has a UEFI over a standard BIOS? 






















In the search box at the bottom of the screen type "System Information" and when the icon appears at the top click on it.

Halfway down the right panel there is an item called BIOS mode. If it says UEFI then this guide will work for you.

Steps For Dual Booting Windows 10 And Ubuntu

The steps required for dual booting Windows 10 and Ubuntu are as follows:

  • Backup your Windows 10 operating system (optional but highly recommended)
  • Create a Ubuntu USB drive
  • Enable booting from a USB drive
  • Shrink the Windows 10 partition to make space for Ubuntu
  • Boot into Ubuntu live environment and install Ubuntu
  • Amend the boot order to make sure Ubuntu can boot
I have written another guide which shows how to dual boot Ubuntu and Windows 10 on a computer with an SSD. This is largely experimental as it is my first time of doing it but it does work for me and it might give you some ideas when partitioning your SSD.

Back Up Windows 10

In the list of steps above I have put this down as an optional requirement but I can't stress highly enough that you should really do it.

Let's imagine for a moment that you have a machine that used to run Windows 8 and you spent the time upgrading to Windows 10.

If you follow this process and for whatever reason it doesn't work and your machine is left in an undesirable state then without a backup the minimum it will cost you is the time it takes to reinstall Windows 8 and then upgrade to Windows 10.

Imagine now that you don't have the Windows 8 media and you don't have a viable recovery partition. You now have no way of getting Windows back without buying either the Windows 8 disk which costs around £90 or a Windows 10 disk which costs £199. You would also have to find and download any required graphics, audio and other drivers required for Windows to run properly.

I have written a guide (linked below) which shows you how to backup all of your partitions using a tool called Macrium Reflect. There is a free version of the tool available and the most this tutorial will cost you is time and if you don't have one an external hard drive or a spindle of blank DVDs.




Create A Ubuntu USB Drive

There are many tools out there for creating a Ubuntu USB drive including UNetbootin, Universal USB Creator, YUMI, Win32 Disk Imager and Rufus.

Personally the tool that I find most useful for creating Linux USB drives is Win32 Disk Imager. 

I have written a guide showing how to create a Ubuntu USB drive. 


It shows you how to do the following things:
  • How to get Win32 Disk Imager, 
  • How to install Win32 Disk Imager.
  • How to format a USB drive.
  • How to create a Ubuntu USB drive
  • How to set the power options in Windows 10 to allow booting from USB
  • How to boot into a Ubuntu live environment
You will obviously need a USB drive for this purpose.

Click here for a guide showing how to create a Ubuntu USB drive.


If you would prefer to, you can .

If you want to get the USB drive back to normal after installing Ubuntu follow this guide which shows how to fix a USB drive after Linux has been installed on it.

Shrink Windows To Make Space For Ubuntu

If your computer only has one hard drive you will need to shrink your Windows 10 partition in order to make space for Ubuntu.

Click here for a guide showing how to shrink your Windows 10 partition.

Boot Into Ubuntu Live Environment

Make sure that the Ubuntu USB drive is plugged into the computer.

If you backed up your computer using Macrium and you chose to create the Macrium boot menu option then you can simply reboot your computer. 

When the above screen appears click on the "Change defaults or choose other options" link at the bottom of the screen.

If you chose not to create the Macrium boot menu option boot into Windows, insert the Ubuntu USB drive, hold down the shift key and reboot your computer. (Keep the shift key held down until a screen similar to the one below appears).


Each manufacturer has a different version of UEFI and so the menu options may be different.

The important thing is that a blue screen with white writing appears.

You are basically looking for the option to boot from the USB drive and this may take some finding. From the image above I chose the “Choose other options” menu item which produced the screen below.



I then clicked on the “Use a device” option which as you can see has the subtext “Use a USB drive, network connection or Windows recovery DVD”.


A list of devices will now appear.

This isn’t the first time I have installed things on this computer and my EFI partition still has links to old Ubuntu versions.

The important link on this screen is the “EFI USB Device” option.

Choose the EFI USB Device option and Ubuntu should now boot from the USB drive.

A boot menu will appear.

Choose the first menu option to try Ubuntu.

A large dialogue window will appear with options to install Ubuntu or to Try Ubuntu.

Click on the “Try Ubuntu” option. Ubuntu will now be loaded as a live session. You can try out all of the features of Ubuntu but if you reboot all the changes will be lost.

Install Ubuntu

To start the installation click on the “Install Ubuntu” icon on the desktop.

After clicking on the “Install Ubuntu” option the following screen will appear:























This is the beginning of the installation process and you can select the language which is used to help you through the process.

Choose your language and click “Continue”.






















The installer has changed a little bit for Ubuntu 16.04. The pre-requisites screen has been removed as has the option to connect to a wireless network prior to installing.

The preparing to install Ubuntu screen now simply lists the option to download updates (which is only available after you have an internet connection) and the option to install third party software for playing MP3 audio and watching Flash.

If you have a decent internet connection then you might wish to install updates during the installation.

To connect to the internet click on the network icon in the top right corner and a list of wireless networks will be listed. Click on the network you wish to connect to and enter the security key when prompted.

You will need to click the back button on the "preparing to install Ubuntu" screen and then click continue again when you are back at the welcome screen.

If you have a poor internet connection then I would choose not to connect to the internet. You can update your system after it has been installed.

You can choose to install the third party tools for playing MP3 audio as part of the installation process now by checking the box or you can do it after the system has been installed.

Click "Continue".



























The “Installation Type” screen lets you decide whether you want to install Ubuntu alongside Windows or over the top.

Choose the “Install Ubuntu alongside Windows Boot Manager” option.

Click “Install Now”.


A window will appear showing you what is going to happen to your disk. By default the Ubuntu installer will create an ext4 partition for Ubuntu and all of your personal files and a swap partition used for swapping idle processes when memory gets low.

Click “Continue”.


























A map of the world will appear. The purpose of it is to make it possible for Ubuntu to set the time on your clock correctly.

Click where you live on the map or start typing it into the box provided and then click “Continue”.



























Almost there. Just two more steps before Ubuntu is installed.

You now need to choose your keyboard layout. Select your keyboard’s language in the left pane and then the actual physical layout in the right pane.

Alternatively click on the detect keyboard layout option and it will more than likely do it for you.

Test out the keyboard layout that you have chosen by typing into the box provided. Specifically try out symbols such as the dollar sign, pound symbol, hash tags, speech marks, slashes and other special characters as these are the keys that tend to move around on a keyboard.

Click “Continue”.



























The final step is to create a default user.

Enter your name and give your computer a name.

Enter a username into the box provided and choose a password and repeat it.

Click on the “Require my password to log in” option. I don’t really recommend anyone letting their machine log in automatically unless it is a virtual machine used for test purposes.

Finally click “Continue”.






















The files will now be copied to your computer.







When the process has finished you will have the options to continue test or to restart now. 

Choose the “Continue Testing” option.

Change The Boot Order So That Ubuntu Can Boot

You will need to be connected to the internet for this to work.

Click on the network icon in the top right corner and choose your wireless network (unless you are connected with an Ethernet cable). Enter the security key.

Open up a terminal window by either pressing CTRL ALT and T at the same time or click the top icon in the bar on the left side and type “term” into the search box.  Click on the terminal icon that appears.






















Type sudo apt-get install efibootmgr into the terminal window.

When asked whether you want to continue press “y”.

























After the installation has completed type efibootmgr into the terminal window.

A list of boot devices will appear.

As you can see in my list there are the following boot options:
  • boot0000 for Ubuntu (this is an old version and can be ignored)
  • boot0001 which is Windows
  • boot0002 and boot0003 are two LAN devices
  • boot0004 which is the new version of Ubuntu that I just installed
  • boot0005 is my USB device
  • boot0006 and boot0007 are two other LAN devices
  • boot0008 is another USB device

At the top of the text you will see that my current boot device is boot0005 which is the USB device.

More importantly is the boot order which is listed as 0001,0000,0004,2001. 

What this tells me is that the computer will boot Windows first, then the rubbish version of Ubuntu, then the new version of Ubuntu and finally a USB device.

This is clearly incorrect.

























To change the bootorder all you have to do is enter the following command:

·         sudo efibootmgr -o 4,1

The -o says that I want to change the order. Then all I have to do is list the order I want things to boot.

So in the command above I have stated I want Ubuntu to boot first and then Windows.

Type exit into the window and reboot the computer by clicking the icon in the top far right corner of the screen.

Choose to shutdown and reboot your computer.

When given the option and before the computer actually reboots remove the USB drive. 

Now when you restart your computer a menu will appear with options for booting into Ubuntu and Windows 10.

Try them both out and hopefully you will have successfully installed Ubuntu alongside Windows 10.

What Next

The Antidote

If you have followed this guide and you want Windows back the way it was before you installed Ubuntu follow this guide:

Troubleshooting

If Ubuntu still will not boot after running EFI Boot Manager try reading this guide which aims to help with UEFI boot issues.

222 comments
Posted at 22:12 |  by Gary Newell
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