Ubuntu Documentation > Ubuntu 8.10 > Ubuntu Server Guide > Installation > Installing from CD

Installing from CD

The basic steps to install Ubuntu Server Edition from CD are the same for installing any operating system from CD. Unlike the Desktop Edition the Server Edition does not include a graphical installation program. Instead the Server Edition uses a console menu based process.

  • First, download and burn the appropriate ISO file from the Ubuntu web site.

  • Boot the system from the CD-ROM drive.

  • At the boot prompt you will be asked to select the language. Afterwards the installation process begins by asking for your keyboard layout.

  • The installer then discovers your hardware configuration, and configures the network settings using DHCP.

  • Next, the installer asks for the system's hostname and Time Zone.

  • You can then choose from several options to configure the hard drive layout. For advanced disk options see the section called “Advanced Installation”.

  • The Ubuntu base system is then installed.

  • A new user is setup, this user will have root access through the sudo utility.

  • After the user is setup, you will be asked to setup an encrypted Private directory. If you choose to setup the directory you will then be prompted for an encryption password.

  • The next step in the installation process is to decide how you want to update the system. There are three options:

    • No automatic updates: this requires an administrator to log into the machine and manually install updates.

    • Install security updates Automatically: will install the unattended-upgrades package, which will install security updates without the intervention of an administrator. For more details see the section called “Automatic Updates”.

    • Manage the system with Landscape: Landscape is a paid service provided by Canonical to help manager your Ubuntu machines. See the Landscape site for details.

  • You now have the option to install, or not install, several package tasks. See the section called “Package Tasks” for details.

  • Finally, the last step before rebooting is to set the clock to UTC.

[Note]

If at any point during installation you are not satisfied by the default setting, use the "Go Back" function at any prompt to be brought to a detailed installation menu that will allow you to modify the default settings.

At some point during the installation process you may want to read the help screen provided by the installation system. To do this, press F1.

Once again, for detailed instructions see the Ubuntu Installation Guide.

Package Tasks

During the Server Edition installation you have the option of installing additional packages from the CD. The packages are grouped by the type of service they provide.

  • DNS server: Selects the BIND DNS server and its documentation.

  • LAMP server: Selects a ready-made Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP server.

  • Mail server: This task selects a variety of package useful for a general purpose mail server system.

  • OpenSSH server: Selects packages needed for an OpenSSH server.

  • PostgreSQL database: This task selects client and server packages for the PostgreSQL database.

  • Print server: This task sets up your system to be a print server.

  • Samba File server: This task sets up your system to be a Samba file server, which is especially suitable in networks with both Windows and Linux systems.

  • Tomcat server: Installs the Apache Tomcat and needed dependencies Java, gcj, etc.

Installing the package groups is accomplished using the tasksel utility. One of the important difference between Ubuntu (or Debian) and other GNU/Linux distribution is that, when installed, a package is also configured to reasonable defaults, eventually prompting you for additional required information. Likewise, when installing a task, the packages are not only installed, but also configured to provided a fully integrated service.

Once the installation process has finished you can view a list of available tasks by entering the following from a terminal prompt:

tasksel --list-tasks
[Note]

The output will list tasks from other Ubuntu based distributions such as Kubuntu and Edubuntu. Note that you can also invoke the tasksel command by itself, which will bring up a menu of the different tasks available.

You can view a list of which packages are installed with each task using the --task-packages option. For example, to list the packages installed with the DNS Server task enter the following:

tasksel --task-packages dns-server

The output of the command should list:

bind9-doc bind9

Also, if you did not install one of the tasks during the installation process, but for example you decide to make your new LAMP server a DNS server as well. Simply insert the installation CD and from a terminal:

sudo tasksel install dns-server
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