Hello!!! Would like some advice.

[Guest]

Hello, I was running ubuntu on my old desktop but never became familiar and wanted to run kubuntu on my netbook. I just didn't know how to get started with no cd drive!

And if anyone had any suggestions on how to back up my files before hand. All I have is a couple sd cards and don't want to lose a bunch of my anime and photos.

Just want to know where to get started and get OUT of bill gates jurisdiction . Thanks!!

[toad]

Re: Hello!!! Would like some advice.

You need to install usb-creator, download the latest iso and then generate an img for a usb-stick. Bingo

[oblivion]

Re: Hello!!! Would like some advice.

Hello, I was running ubuntu on my old desktop but never became familiar and wanted to run kubuntu on my netbook. I just didn't know how to get started with no cd drive!

And if anyone had any suggestions on how to back up my files before hand. All I have is a couple sd cards and don't want to lose a bunch of my anime and photos.

Just want to know where to get started and get OUT of bill gates jurisdiction . Thanks!!

Hello JDorian,

As toad said above, you cani install usb-creator on ubuntu. But if you have a windows installed machine, you can also use UnetBootBin:

http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

About backup: I guess that you have Home and Root (/) folders on the same partition? If so, you'd better move all your documents to an external hard drive /DVD or to usb flash disks temporarily. Unfortunately, I don't know any other way.


P.s: It is better to have Root (/) and "Home/" folders at different partitions. So when you install Kubuntu (or Ubuntu again), at the disk partitioning page, create at least two partitions and assign these folders to each. This way, you won't have to backup your data every time your system gets borked, or when you want't to (re)install another distro.

Regards.

[Fintan]

Re: Hello!!! Would like some advice.

Just an add on.

Yep, like toad suggests: usb is the way to go

For Netbooks I would get the netbook version for Kubuntu 10.04:

https://wiki.kubuntu.org/Kubuntu/Netbook

it is getting good reviews:
http://gadgetmix.com/index/kubuntu-netbook-review/

P.s: It is better to have Root (/) and "Home/" folders at different partitions. So when you install Kubuntu (or Ubuntu again), at the disk partitioning page, create at least two partitions and assign these folders to each. This way, you won't have to backup your data every time your system gets borked, or when you want't to (re)install another distro.

That is absolutly right.

Since creating a usb from gparted (partitioning tool) and using the installer to partition I would suggest doing the following:
-make the live usb
-boot into the live OS and install gparted fom a terminal:

sudo apt-get install gparted

Note: when creating the live usb with usb-creator you can allocate space for persistance, sort of like /home, on your usb stick. This will keep anything you install on the stick for future use
And gparted is a good tool to have around.

Backup your Data!

launch gparted and do your partitioning as follows:
- 12-12GB for root (/)
- 1x-1.5x RAM for swap
- 4-6GB for /home
- the rest for Data

for more on partitioning with gparted:
http://gparted.sourceforge.net/documentation.php

Note2:If you have all your stuff ( Data, etc) on one partition, you can just resize that partition to make space for your Data. Move your Data and continue resizing / partitioning.

Now you can go on installing and use the "manual partitioning" when you get to that step.

I hope this helps.

[toad]

Re: Hello!!! Would like some advice.

On a different tack - does anybody have an img for a usb stick that we could perhaps put on a torrent? I'd like one for myself but would have to download 10.4, install it on a virtual machine, install usb-creator and take it from there...

[Fintan]

Re: Hello!!! Would like some advice.

On a different tack - does anybody have an img for a usb stick that we could perhaps put on a torrent? I'd like one for myself but would have to download 10.4, install it on a virtual machine, install usb-creator and take it from there...

What am I missing?
Why a virtual machine install? Just get the iso and let usb-creator do the rest.

I have Kubuntu 10.04 and Knetbook 10.04 on a stick.

How does that help?

[toad]

Re: Hello!!! Would like some advice.

Sorry Fintan - I am on Arch, not Xbuntu. I believe there is a usb-creator package in the AUR, but that is Arch related and doesn't belong here.

Hm, /thinking aloud/ usb-creator is just a front end to dd methinks and I bet Qqmike has the command somewhere written down here in this forum. Mental note: search forum for proper command to convert iso to img and skip usb-creator alltogether.

Fintan - I bet that if you put your 10.04 knetbook img on a torrent it would spread like wildfire

[Fintan]

Re: Hello!!! Would like some advice.

Fintan - I bet that if you put your 10.04 knetbook img on a torrent it would spread like wildfire

Hmm...never done that before. How?
-How make image?
-How get it on a torrent?
-which torrents are good / safe?

Does that mean someone could just copy the image over to a usb and it would work?

Sorry if this seams like stupid questions.

[toad]

Re: Hello!!! Would like some advice.

Right, this is MY ignorance, not yours

I thought iso files are written to CDs/DVDs, img to usb-sticks, hence the thought that whatever usb-creator does is write the img file to the stick. As for torrents, no idea. I'll try it myself (I have mint on a virtual so I'll give it a whirl...) and get back...

[Fintan]

Re: Hello!!! Would like some advice.

Okay, I thought I was losing it