Ubuntu is free, fast and user-friendly, It runs very smoothly on old laptops, You don’t need very high specifications to run Ubuntu OS. It’s very secure and has a large open source community to support it. Follow these steps, and you'll have Ubuntu installed and running in your machine.
- Your old laptop with minimum specifications: dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 25GB free disk space
- A USB drive (minimum 8GB)
- Stable Internet connection
- Create backup of your data
- Download the latest version of Ubuntu Desktop LTS (Long Term Support) ISO file from the official Ubuntu website: https://ubuntu.com/download/
- Recommended tool to create bootable USB: Rufus
- Launch the Rufus tool
- Insert your USB Device
- Select the USB drive name in Device dropdown
- Select ‘Disk or ISO image‘ option in Boot selection
- Click on Select button and locate the iso file downloaded in Step 1
- Select ‘MBR‘ in Partition scheme and ‘BIOS or UEFI‘ option in Target System
- Add volume name
- Click on Start button
- Click OK on Warning: ALL DATA ON DEVICE WILL BE DESTROYED
- Insert the bootable USB drive into your laptop
- Restart the laptop, press the appropriate key (F10, F11, F12, etc depending on your laptop) to access the boot menu
- Select the USB Storage Device from Legacy Boot menu option
- Choose the “Try or Install Ubuntu“ option and press Enter
- After selecting the "Try or Install Ubuntu" option and pressing Enter, the system will begin preparing Ubuntu for installation.
- Once the Ubuntu installer starts, you will be prompted to choose your preferred language. A list of available languages is displayed on the screen. Scroll through the list and select your desired language (e.g., English)
- Configuring Accessibility Settings in Ubuntu, In this step of the Ubuntu installation process, you have the option to customize accessibility settings to enhance usability for different needs.
- Choose the keyboard layout that matches your supported keyboard. You can also click the "Detect" button to automatically identify the correct layout.
- Connect to the internet to improve the installation process with compatibility checks and additional software packages
- What would you like to do with Ubuntu? You can either Try Ubuntu or Install Ubuntu. In my case, I chose "Install Ubuntu" directly.
- Select the Ubuntu Installation Type. At this stage, Ubuntu asks you to choose an installation method based on your preferences and technical expertise. I opted for "Interactive Installation."
- Choose the Default Selection option for the "What apps would you like to install to start with?".
- After selecting the checkbox "Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware," click the Next button to proceed.
- In Disk Setup and Installation Options step, you configure how Ubuntu will be installed on your disk. Key choices include:
- Install Ubuntu alongside Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS: Ideal for dual-booting, allowing you to choose between operating systems at boot.
- Erase disk and install Ubuntu: Clears the entire disk for a fresh Ubuntu installation (ensure backups are made).
- Advanced features: Optional settings like encryption or LVM, not enabled by default.
- Manual installation: For advanced users who want full control over disk partitioning.
After selecting your preferred option, click Next to continue
- In Create Your User Account, you set up your primary login for Ubuntu by providing:
- Your Name: Your full name for display on the system.
- Your Computer’s Name: A name to identify your machine on a network.
- Your Username: Your login name for system operations.
- Password: A strong password, confirmed for security.
- Require my password to log in: Ensures password-protected access.
After completing these fields, click Next to proceed.
- In Select Your Timezone, you configure your system’s time and date settings:
- Location: The installer auto-detects your location (e.g., Mumbai, India). You can manually adjust it if needed.
- Timezone: The appropriate timezone (e.g., Asia/Kolkata) is set based on your location, ensuring accurate time synchronization.
After confirming your settings, click Next to proceed
- In Review Your Installation Choices, you finalize your setup before installation:
- General: Confirm disk setup, installation disk, and default applications.
- Security & more: Check disk encryption and proprietary software settings (both set to “None” here).
- Partitions: Review created/modified partitions (e.g., sdb1 and sdb2 formatted as ext4 for root).
If everything is correct, click Install to proceed or Back to make changes. This step ensures your settings are accurate before installation begins.
