My suggested Ubuntu install - DRAFT

I often install Ubuntu for friends, family and colleagues and I end up customizing their machines to be able to provide remote support. This page is a personal collection of notes and references about my preferred method of installing Ubuntu from scratch and the customizations I use.

Getting the ISO

I primarily use Alternate editions of the Ubuntu CDs. Alternate editions let me do "command line only system" which I can then customize so it becomes Ubuntu, Kubuntu or Xubuntu depending on the system's resources.

If I know the target system has a DVD drive abd/or am dealing with low speeed Internet connectivity, I get a DVD ISO which also lets me install a "text only" system.

Installing tips & tricks

• I always use the default english language and keyboard. I can always customize language preferences later. This also means I become familiar with the same vocabulary everytime I install.

• I use a very short password for convenience which I make a mental note to change as soon as the system has been installed. The admin password will be used frequently during the initial install and post-install so keep it simple.
• I only install the "text system" only, and later add the appropriate meta-package (see suggested packages below)

Post-install

Remove the CD or DVD repositories

I usually remove the CD or DVD repositories after installing. This way I don' t need to keep the media around which may happen during the first few packages installation.

1.  sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list 

2. Remove CD-ROM repository (can't find the exact reference for this)

Local cache of repositories

If this is going to be a permanent desktop or server install on a network where other Ubuntu systems will co-exist, I also intially install and configure apt-cacher. Apt-cacher acts as a local proxy for update packages. When other machines are properly configured, they request an update from the local apt-cacher server. If it's the first time the update is requested, it is downloaded from the Internet, otherwise it is served locally from the apt-cacher server, this saving bandwidth.

Other than saving bandwidth and making future installs/updates much faster, a local apt-cacher also means only one machine is getting updates from the outside and actually need to have diretc Internet acces, which is also a nice security advantage.

Here are two great guides to setting up apt-cacher:

• How To Set up a repository cache with apt-cacher

• Save Bandwidth With Multiple Machines with Apt-Cacher

Update & upgrade

After those steps I proceed to perform the first update & upgrade of the system in one step, because it can take sometime I run this unattended:  sudo apt-get update -y && sudo apt-get upgrade -y 

Suggested packages

Depending on what version of Ubuntu will be installed, I then proceed to install the following

• ubuntu-desktop for the standard Ubuntu with Gnome desktop

• kubuntu-desktop for Kubuntu with the KDE desktop

• kubuntu-kde4-desktop for the KDE 4 desktop, if you are running a Hardy-based install

• xubuntu-desktop for Xubuntu with the XFCE desktop

• startupmanager will let you update many boot-time preferences

I need to try Openbox too, as it seems to be getting lots of attention lately (as of March 2008) and seems to be among the least hungry windows managers around.

DNS

I always setup static DNS entries to those of opendns.com. They have a great guide for quick setup of Ubuntu and OpenDNS.

Boot customization

(to be detailed a bit more)

In /boot/grub/menu.lst:

• Remove the "quiet" keyword from kernel options. This will give a bit more detail about the boot process while keeping the splash screen.

• Make the timeout before booting into Ubuntu a bit longer. I use timeout 8

• Uncomment the Pretty colours: color cyan/blue white/blue

This can also be accomplished graphically by using the startupmanager package.

Gnome desktop applets

• Disk Mounter is a must

Webcam-related packages

• cheese
• wengophone

Secure remote access

• Reverse SSH tunneling and VNC (to be documented)

• openssh-server: never use password authentication-only (to be documented)