Getting Ubuntu 

An Ubuntu LiveCD is much more than just installation media. Using a LiveCD, you’ll actually be able to run the Ubuntu operating system and many open source programs without installing anything onto your computer’s hard drive! If you have access to a broadband internet connection, the easiest way to get an Ubuntu LiveCD is to download it from the official Get Ubuntu webpage. There, you’ll also find options for having a LiveCD delivered to you by mail. The x86 LiveCD is the correct choice for most computers, although if you have a 64bit processor, be sure to check the “64bit AMD and Intel computers” box.

If you chose to download your Ubuntu LiveCD, it’ll download as an ISO archive. The files that need to be burned to CD are stored within that ISO archive. Since Microsoft Windows’ built-in disk burning wizard doesn’t support the ISO format directly, the folks behind Ubuntu recommend that you use a free program called Infra Recorder. You may also want to take the optional precaution of verifying the integrity of the ISO before burning its contents to a CD. You can do so by following the instructions found here.

Now, put the LiveCD into your computer and restart your system. Be sure that your CD-ROM is selected as the first boot device in your computer’s BIOS. Choose the Start or Install Ubuntu option as the LiveCD loads. The LiveCD may take as long as a few minutes to load. Feel free to experiment with Ubuntu before installing it. Once you’re ready to install Ubuntu onto your computer’s hard drive, I recommend that you connect your computer to the internet. Doing so will enable the Ubuntu installer to access some important security updates as it installs the operating system on your machine – including the automatic configuration of your Software Update preferences.

Choose the "use entire disk" option to install Ubuntu on your entire hard drive.

The installation icon should be obvious on your computer’s desktop screen. Overall, the installation process is very straightforward. But you may experience some confusion when the installer asks you how you would like to partition your computer’s hard drive. While it’s possible to install Ubuntu alongside your current Windows operating system, the focus of this article is switching from Windows to Ubuntu. So I encourage you to choose the Guided – use entire disk option. This will erase Microsoft Windows, your files, and all of the existing partitions on your hard drive. At the end of the installation process, you’ll be asked to restart your computer. The LiveCD will then automatically eject from your CD-ROM.

Congratulations! Ubuntu is now installed as the only operating system on your computer!