Machine Exercise 1: Installation Process of various operating systems

INTRODUCTION TO LINUX
Linux is an operating system that evolved from a kernel created by Linux Torvalds when he was a student
at the University of Helsinki. Generally, it is obvious to most people what Linux is. However, both for
political and practical reasons, it needs to be explained further. To say that Linux is an operating system
means that it's meant to be used as an alternative to other operating systems, Windows, Mac OS, MS-DOS,
Solaris and others. Linux is not a program like a word processor and is not a set of programs like an office
suite. Linux is an interface between computer/server hardware, and the programs which run on it.
Today, Linux is enjoying a favorable press for the most part. This comes from the fact that Linux has proven
to be a tremendously stable and versatile operating system, particularly as a network server. When Linux
is deployed as a web server or in corporate networks, its down-time is almost negligible. There have been
cases when Linux servers have been running for more than a year without re-booting and then only taken
down for a brief period for routine maintenance. Its cost effectiveness has sold it more than anything else.
Linux can be installed on a home PC as well as a network server for a fraction of the cost of other companies'
software packages. More reliability and less cost.
The GNU Project, started in 1983 by Richard Stallman, had the goal of creating a "complete Unix-
compatible software system" composed entirely of free software. Work began in 1984. Later, in 1985,
Stallman started the Free Software Foundation and wrote the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL) in
1989. By the early 1990s, many of the programs required in an operating system (such as libraries,
compilers, text editors, a Unix shell, and a windowing system) were completed, although low-level
elements such as device drivers, daemons, and the kernel were stalled and incomplete. Linus Torvalds has
said that if the GNU kernel had been available at the time (1991), he would not have decided to write his
own.The development of Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software
collaboration: the underlying source code may be used, modified, and distributed—commercially or non-
commercially—by anyone under licenses such as the GNU General Public License. Typically Linux is
packaged in a format known as a Linux distribution for desktop and server use.
FEATURES OF LINUX
Linux is technically advanced
Linux is, if not the most advanced operating system out there, at least among the most advanced ones. It's
technically superior to many other OS's, like the infamous Redmond OS.

Linux is highly customizable

We can customize Linux exactly to our liking. We can make it work exactly the way we want, and on the
platform we want. We can also optimize our Linux system for our very own hardware, so we can run Linux
faster and get every drop of performance squeezed out of our box.
Linux is secure
Linux has many features that protect your system from both intruders (h4x0rz, 5cr1p7 k1dd13z, viruses,
and so on) and stupid users
The Linux community is there to help us
Linux users form a tight community. There are numerous chat rooms, mailing lists and discussion forums
with many knowledgeable people who can help us with our problems.
Software dependencies
Software dependencies is an excellent thing because it helps you keep things small and simple. For instance,
suppose programs A, B and C all share a common piece of code. To prevent people from re-inventing the
wheel, it's better to take that common piece of code and put it into file X. Now, instead of programming the
code directly into programs A, B and C, the programmers can just refer to file X. This helps keeping the
size of the programs smaller.
Multitasking
Several programs running at the same time.
Multiuser
Several users on the same machine at the same time (and no two-user licenses!).
Multiplatform
Runs on many different CPUs, not just Intel.
Multiprocessor
SMP support is available on the Intel and SPARC platforms (with work currently in progress on other
platforms), and Linux is used in several loosely-coupled MP applications, including Beowulf systems and
the Fujitsu AP1000+ SPARC-based supercomputer.
Multithreading
It has native kernel support for multiple independent threads of control within a single process memory
space.
ADVANTAGES
1. Low cost
We don‟t need to spend time and money to obtain licenses since Linux and much of its software come with
the GNU General Public License. We can start to work immediately without worrying that your software
may stop working anytime because the free trial version expires. Additionally, there are large repositories
from which we can freely download high quality software for almost any task we can think of.
2. Stability
Linux doesn‟t need to be rebooted periodically to maintain performance levels. It doesn‟t freeze up or slow
down over time due to memory leaks and such. Continuous up-times of hundreds of days (up to a year or
more) are not uncommon.
3. Performance
Linux provides persistent high performance on workstations and on networks. It can handle unusually large
numbers of users simultaneously, and can make old computers sufficiently responsive to be useful again.

4. Network friendliness
Linux was developed by a group of programmers over the Internet and has therefore strong support for
network functionality; client and server systems can be easily set up on any computer running Linux. It can
perform tasks such as network backups faster and more reliably than alternative systems.
5. Flexibility
Linux can be used for high performance server applications, desktop applications, and embedded systems.
We can save disk space by only installing the components needed for a particular use. We can restrict the
use of specific computers by installing for example only selected office applications instead of the whole
suite.
6. Compatibility
It runs all common Unix software packages and can process all common file formats.
7. Choice
The large number of Linux distributions gives us a choice. Each distribution is developed and supported by
a different organization. We can pick the one we like best; the core functionalities are the same; most
software runs on most distributions.
8. Fast and easy installation
Most Linux distributions come with user-friendly installation and setup programs. Popular Linux
distributions come with tools that make installation of additional software very user friendly as well.
9. Full use of hard disk
Linux continues work well even when the hard disk is almost full.
10. Multitasking
Linux is designed to do many things at the same time; e.g., a large printing job in the background won‟t
slow down your other work.
 11. Security
Linux is one of the most secure operating systems. “Walls” and flexible file access permission systems
prevent access by unwanted visitors or viruses. Linux users have to option to select and safely download
software, free of charge, from online repositories containing thousands of high quality packages. No
purchase transactions requiring credit card numbers or other sensitive personal information are necessary.
12. Open Source
If we develop software that requires knowledge or modification of the operating system code, Linux‟s source
code is at our fingertips. Most Linux applications are Open Source

Linux Mint Installations

How to install with manual partitioning

By default the Linux Mint installer will create one root partition and one swap partition for you during installation. If
you want to have a different set of partitions, for example a separate home partition, or if you want to specify the file
system type, size or location of partitions, then you will have to use manual partitioning.

Step 1:- Below Installation Screen will come after booting system from bootable DVD / USB.
Step 2:- Next Screen : Click on „Install Linux Mint„ and Press Enter
Step 3:- Select your respective Language & Click on „Continue‟

In the Next screen just make sure that your system has enough disk space and connected to Power
source & Internet.
Click on Continue.
Step 4:- Select the Installation Type.

 If you choose to use the entire disk, its content will be erased and Linux Mint will be installed
as the only operating system on your computer.
 If you choose to install it alongside other operating systems, the installer will use the free
space available on other partitions to create a new one for Linux Mint. You will be asked how
much space you want to allocate to it. The installer will then shrink a partition and take care
of everything for you. Post-installation your computer will have a boot screen from which
you‟ll be able to boot all your operating systems.
 If you choose to specify partitions manually, a partition editor will appear, giving you full
control over the partitioning of your hard drive. This is recommended only to advanced users
who understand how partitioning works under Linux. Note that Linux Mint requires a partition
of at least 6GB and that the recommended size for a swap partition is 1.5 times the amount of
RAM available on the computer
Sample Customize Partition Scheme is given below :
During the "Installation type" step of the installation, select to do "Something else".

1. If this is an empty hard disk, or if you want to use the entire hard disk for Linux Mint, click "New Partition
Table". You should skip to step 4 if you have partitions on your hard disk that you want to keep.
2. Click "Continue" to erase all current partitions and create a new partition table.

3. Click the "free space" in the list to highlight it, then click the "Add" button to create a new partition in this
free space.
 Hint: if you have existing partitions that you want to reuse, click those to highlight them and then click the
"Change" button. Generally, you will want to set to use as an ext4 journaling file system, tick to format the
partition (not needed for swap), and set the mount point as per the following steps (not needed for swap). If
you do not want to erase the current files on the partition, do not tick to format the partition and make sure
the file system you set matches the current file system used.

4. First I'll create the root partition. Set the new partition size to how big you want it to be in megabytes (1
gigabyte = 1000 megabytes). I've configured 30000 megabytes (30 gigabyte), which is reasonable for average
use. Set the mount point to / (forward slash), to indicate this will be the root partition. The other fields you
 don't need to change unless you have reason to. Click the "OK" button to create the partition.

5. Next I'll repeat steps 4 and 5, to create the home partition. Set the new partition size to the remainder of the
free space, but subtract the size you want for your swap partition (subtracting between 4000 and 5000 from
the number shown will generally be enough). Set the mount point to /home, to indicate this will be the home
partition.

Hint: you can always change or delete the newly created partition if you made a mistake, and you can resize
partitions later if you need to. You can do that by booting from the Linux Mint installation DVD or USB
 stick, and using the GParted partition manager.

6. Next I'll repeat steps 4 and 5, to create the swap partition. Set the new partition size to the remainder of the
free space, as in step 6 you deliberately left some free space for the swap partition. Set it to be used as swap
area. You don't need to set a mount point.

NOTE: If you are using Linux Mint 17.x and you intend to install with swap and you intend to use home
folder encryption, consult the release notes of your Linux Mint version. There is a bug with home folder
encryption installation that causes swap to be configured incorrectly by the installer. Swap will be configured
fine when you don't use home folder encryption. Else read up on the links in the release notes about the bug
 and how to fix it.

7. You can now review the partitions you created before you continue with the installation. Also, you have the
option here to select where to install the boot loader. The default is fine if you have no other operating system
installed or if you want Linux Mint to ask you at boot time which operating system to boot.

If you want another operating system to ask you at boot time which operating system to boot, then change
the device for boot loader installation to your root partition (/dev/sda1 in this example). Note that without
additional software, Windows isn't able to ask you which operating system to boot.
Step 5:- Choose your respective Region by clicking on the city which is the nearest to you. The
purpose of this step is to identify your time zone

Click on Continue….
Step 6:- Select your Keyboard Layout.

Click on Continue….
Step 7:- Enter your real name and a username and password. Every time you will use Linux Mint
you‟ll use your account with this username and password.

Once we Click on Continue.. , Installation will start as shown below :

Step 8:- Once the Installation is completed, it will ask for the reboot (click on Restart Now)

When prompted, remove the DVD from the drive or remove the USB and press Enter. Your system
is now ready to boot Linux Mint from the hard drive.
Step 9:-Login Screen of Linux Mint.

Enter the User Name & Password that you created during the installation and then below Desktop
Screen will appear.
 2. Ubuntu Installation Guide

1. Overview

The Ubuntu desktop is easy to use, easy to install and includes everything we need to run in our
organization, school, home or enterprise. It’s also open source, secure, accessible and free to download.

2. Requirements
You‟ll need to consider the following before starting the installation:

 Connect your laptop to a power source.

 Ensure you have at least 5GB of free storage space.
 Have access to either a DVD or a USB flash drive containing the version of Ubuntu you want to install.
 Make sure you have a recent backup of your data. While it‟s unlikely that anything will go wrong, you
can never be too prepared.

3. Boot from DVD

It‟s easy to install Ubuntu from a DVD. Here‟s what you need to do:

1. Put the Ubuntu DVD into your optical/DVD drive.

2. Restart your computer.
A few moments later, after the desktop has loaded, you‟ll see the welcome window. From here, you can
select your language from a list on the left and choose between either installing Ubuntu directly, or
trying the desktop first (if you like what you see, you can also install Ubuntu from this mode too).
4. Boot from USB flash drive
Most computers will boot from USB automatically. Simply insert the USB flash drive and either power
on your computer or restart it. You should see the same welcome window we saw in the previous
„Install from DVD‟ step, prompting you to choose your language and either install or try the Ubuntu
desktop.

If your computer doesn‟t automatically boot from USB, try holding F12 when your computer first starts.
With most machines, this will allow you to select the USB device from a system-specific boot menu.

(F12 is the most common key for bringing up your system‟s boot menu, but Escape, F2 and F10 are
common alternatives. If you‟re unsure, look for a brief message when your system starts - this will often
inform you of which key to press to bring up the boot menu.)

5. Prepare to install Ubuntu

After choosing to install Ubuntu from the welcome window, you will be asked about updates and third-
party software.

 We advise enabling both Download updates and Install third-party software.

 Stay connected to the internet so you can get the latest updates while you install Ubuntu.
 If you are not connected to the internet, you will be asked to select a wireless network, if available. We
advise you to connect during the installation so we can ensure your machine is up to date
6. Allocate drive space
Use the checkboxes to choose whether you‟d like to Install Ubuntu alongside another operating system,
delete your existing operating system and replace it with Ubuntu, or — if you‟re an advanced user —
choose the ‟Something else‟ option.

Ubuntu needs about 4.5 GB of space for a minimal installation. But you‟ll obviously need space for your
own data and any extra applications you install.
7. Begin installation
After configuring storage, click on the „Install Now‟ button. A small pane will appear with an overview
of the storage options you‟ve chosen, with the chance to go back if the details are incorrect.

Click Continue to fix those changes in place and start the installation process.

8. Select your location

If you are connected to the internet, your location will be detected automatically. Check your location is
correct and click ‟Forward‟ to proceed.

If you‟re unsure of your time zone, type the name of a local town or city or use the map to select your
location.
If you‟re having problems connecting to the Internet, use the menu in the top-right-hand corner to select
a network.

9. Select your preferred keyboard layout

To tell Ubuntu the layout of your keyboard, click on the language option you need followed by your
keyboard‟s specific layout. If you‟re not sure, click the ‟Detect Keyboard Layout‟ button for help.

Keyboard layouts can always be changed, and supplementary layouts added, from the desktop after
installation.
10. Login details
Enter your name and the installer will automatically suggest a computer name and username. These can
easily be changed if you prefer. The computer name is how your computer will appear on the network,
while your username will be your login and account name.

Next, enter a strong password. The installer will let you know if it‟s too weak.

You can also choose to enable automatic login and home folder encryption. If your machine is portable,
we recommend keeping automatic login disabled and enabling encryption. This should stop people
accessing your personal files if the machine is lost or stolen.

If you enable home folder encryption and you forget your password, you won‟t be able to retrieve any
personal data stored in your home folder.

11. Background installation

The installer will now complete in the background while the installation window teaches you a little
about how awesome Ubuntu is. Depending on the speed of your machine and network connection,
installation should only take a few minutes.
12. Installation complete
After everything has been installed and configured, a small window will appear asking you to restart
your machine. Click on Restart Now and remove either the DVD or USB flash drive when prompted.