HomeLab 1: Installing Ubuntu
1) Create a bootable USB stick for Ubuntu
Just follow the official recommendations
I installed an Ubuntu Desktop (Ubuntu 22.04 LTS) as the main difference with Ubuntu Server is that the later does not have a desktop environment (i.e. no GUI).
2) Install Ubuntu from USB stick
The bootable flash drive is ready to go. Plug the flash drive into the computer when its powered off. Turn on the computer and use the hot key to enter the BIOS of the motherboard (e.g. ESC for ASUS mobos like mine) immediately after turning on. The hot key will vary depending on the motherboard manufacturer, if you do not know the shortcut, look up the motherboard make and model. Every BIOS is a little different depending on the motherboard. In general, to install Ubuntu onto a new hard drive, navigate to the motherboard’s settings option and find a section titled “Boot”. Once you are in the Boot section, you should see a “priorities” list which lists a certain number of Boot option priorities. Place the USB hard drive in the “1st Boot” option, followed by the hard drive name in the “2nd Boot” option. Some motherboards, like mine, aside from the priorities list have a special feeld were you chose if you want to boot from HDD or USB Flash drive. Others will automatically place the USB drive before the hard drive. Once this is done, you can exit out of the BIOS and restart the machine.
The machine will reboot and should open an Ubuntu installation screen after a few moments. Go through the initial setup wizard and click the defaults options. It is a good idea to connect to the Internet during the installation and you may also want to check the non-default “install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi” option. After you walk through the setup wizard, you should have an installation of Ubuntu on the hard drive.
After, don’t forget to update and reboot:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo reboot
