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== Important Notes ==
This guide targets version 12.04 LTS of Ubuntu and CUDA Toolkit 5. While version 12.10 of Ubuntu has since been released, certain students have experienced trouble getting 12.10 and CUDA to play nicely together - hence we stick the guide sticks with 12.04 LTS for the sake of less headaches. We also strongly recommend you install Ubuntu on an separate/external hard drive (of which this guide assumes) there is no existing OS installed to keep the installation process simple as possible. This guide assumes this. Ubuntu's installation footprint is very modest (well less than 10GB) so even a cheap small old hard drive will do.
== Step Part 1 – Create bootable media for Ubuntu installation ==
While these instructions are for creating a bootable CD/DVD, you can also try alternate installation methods (such as bootable USB stick) if you so choose. See the documentation at https://help.ubuntu.com/12.04/installation-guide/i386/install-methods.html for more information.
Go to http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop and select the 32-bit version of Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, and download the ISO. Then use the image burning software of your choice and burn the ISO onto a CD or DVD.
== Part 2 - Install Ubuntu 12.04 LTS ==
Boot using your installation media of choice. It will take up to several minutes for the Ubuntu installer to load and display on your screen, so be patient. During this time you should see a little man and a keyboard appear at the bottom of your screen briefly. Once the installer appears on your screen, follow the step-by-step instructions UP TO STEP 4 (stop at Step 4) at the [http://www.ubuntu.com/download/help/install-desktop-long-term-support official Ubuntu installation guide].
During this process, I selected Download Updates while Installing. You can also safely download the third-party software if you want some extra convenience on Ubuntu.
=== IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT STEP 4 ===
In Step 4 you may have differing options depending on where you are installing Ubuntu (primary hard drive, second/external hard drive, whether or not there are existing OSes on your target hard drive, etc.) It is VERY important that you choose the correct device and/or partition for installation. As such, when the option presents itself in the drive/partition selection stage of the installation, I '''very strongly recommend''' you use the advanced partitioning tool instead of the graphical partitioning tool. Usage of the visual tool has resulted in <u>disastrous consequences</u> in a dual-boot environment (the author and others have had their Windows 7 MBR overwritten by Ubuntu when using the visual tool - this is a known problem with Ubuntu).
See [http://news.softpedia.com/news/Installing-Ubuntu-12-04-LTS-266201.shtml this guide] on how to properly set up your partitions using the advanced tool (skip to/search for 4. Something else (advanced) in that page). The guide suggests a size of 2048MB for the swap partition - I went up to 8000MB with no problem, so you don't have to follow the numbers exactly. The guide also creates a /home partition for easier reinstalling - you can skip the /home partition and just have a / partition. Your choice. In the "Device for boot loader installation" drop down menu, MAKE SURE you've selected the correct hard drive. Once you've configured your partitions correctly, proceed with the installation.