Installing Ubuntu 13.04

Fresh Install via Boot Menu

To do a new installation, insert the DVD included in this issue into the drive with the DVD label showing the appropriate architecture for your system (either 32-bit or 64-bit) and then turn off the computer. Before the Ubuntu boot menu appears, make a language selection. In the boot menu itself, use the function (F) keys to set the Language, Keymap, and boot parameters.

Press F6 (Other Options) at the Ubuntu boot menu so you do not land on the Ubuntu desktop. The window has a Boot Options line at the bottom (Figure 2), which should include quiet splash. The nomodest, radeon.modeset, nvidia.modeset=0, or nouveau.modeset=0 options help if you have graphics problems and the screen stays black. The acpi=off boot option fixes power management problems on older computers.

Figure 2: If booting doesn't work, adjust the boot options in the Ubuntu boot menu.

Ubuntu on Trial

If you do not want to Install Ubuntu right away, you can Try Ubuntu without installing. In so-called Live mode, Ubuntu copies only the necessary programs into memory and executes them from there. Booting takes noticeably longer than the installed version, and the system as a whole is a bit slower, but you can test Ubuntu 13.04 with little risk. Also look at the bundled applications to see whether Ubuntu supports your hardware (printers, scanners, wireless, and graphics cards). Ubuntu 13.04 loads only the 3D version of the Unity desktop and uses LLVMpipe for slower machines, creating sluggish responses on some older computers (cause for a recommended desktop replacement).