Ubuntu at CSE
This page provides information useful if you are running Ubuntu at CSE.Installation Media
The easiest way to obtain Ubuntu is to download it from the CSE Mirror, or to burn a copy to DVD yourself using the lab machines, with the priv cdrom burn command.If this isn't a practical option for you, you can also borrow a copy of the DVD from the CSE Helpdesk in J17-G03 (in the Mechanical Engineering Undercroft, across the hall from Leaf lab). We don't keep a vast stock of them on hand, however, so if you can download/burn your own, we'd prefer you do that instead.
For installation, we recommend that you peruse the official installation guide, which can be found at http://help.ubuntu.com/ and in their wiki at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Installation. We also provide some basic instructions to help get you started with this machine at CSE
Updates and Maintenance
Ubuntu uses a program named apt to install system updates and additional software. CSE runs an apt-proxy service that allows you to get all these updates at no cost to your IPQ quota. To use the CSE apt-proxy, you need to edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file to reference our server. Configuration information can be found on the apt-proxy page.Support
You may find help at the SupportForum. COMPSOC may also provide help with problems if you ask nicely.Installation Guidance
The following is based on the installation from an Ubuntu Dapper (6.06) installation CD. The target machine was connected to the CSE Untrusted Network and our network servers were configured to provide it with a DHCP lease.- Make sure the machine is connected to the network then switch it on and boot it from the Ubuntu 6.06 CD.
- As the Ubuntu installer will check for updates via the Internet during installation, we recommend that you configure the CSE web proxy before starting. Otherwise you will probably find that the installer appears to 'hang' at around 84%, while it attempts to access the update servers. To configure the web proxy details, go to the System menu, select Preferences and choose Network Proxy. You will see the following screen :
- Select Manual proxy configuration and enter the following information in the HTTP proxy line only.
- Proxy Server www-proxy.cse.unsw.edu.au
- Proxy Port 3128
- Close this window and start the installation by double-clicking on the Install icon found on the desktop.
- Installation will ask some questions about language, time zone and other locale information. Select the options you require.
- The harddisk will be partitioned for the new installation. I made a new partition and did not save the previous partition. If you wish to keep an existing partition (such as Windows) and use both the new and the old then you will need to partition and configure Ubuntu differently. Read this link for a guide.
- Select the initial account and password. This account will not have superuser (root) access but the password chosen for this account will be used to run commands as root with the sudo command. We strongly suggest that you choose your CSE username for this account. This will make things a lot easier later on. Please choose a long password containing numbers and punctuation. A weak root password will leave your machine vulnerable to compromise.
- ... More installation actions occur then you remove the CD and reboot the machine.
- The machine boots into the new installation and sets up the base system.
- Once this is done log in using the account you created during installation
- Log out (using System menu, Quit and then Log Out and then login again using the new account.
- Set the Network proxy settings again using the method described above. If you skip this step, then the package updates will not work.
- Open a terminal program. (Click on Applications at the top left then Accessories and then Terminal)
- Get the CSE package sources file:
cd /etc/apt sudo rm sources.list sudo wget -nd http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~csg/apt/ubuntu/sources.listNB : This file is configured for karmic-koala or 9.10. If you are running an older version, you will need to edit the file and replace all references to karmic to the version you are running (e.g. intrepid, hardy, gutsy etc). See http://taggi.cse.unsw.edu.au/FAQ/Apt_proxy for more details.
Update the Ubuntu packages with the list you just downloaded.sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get --fix-missing upgrade(You could also use Ubuntu's Graphical Package Manager instead of the last two steps to update the package list) - To configure access to various CSE services look at the section Accessing CSE Services from within CSE at RunningYourComputer.
Accessing your home directory
The instructions below are specifically for computers connected to the CSE network.Viewing your home directory in Nautilus
To view the contents of your home directory, you can connect to the server using the Nautilus File Browser. Click the Places menu and select Connect to Server. Use the following picture to help with the information required in the dialog box that appears.
After clicking OK, a folder should appear on your desktop. Double click the folder, and enter your CSE password into the dialog box. Don't worry about changing the workgroup. Your home folder should be displayed in a Nautilus window.
Installing the SMB file system
You will probably want to mount your CSE home directory. The Nautilus file browser will let you see the contents of your home directory, but if you want to mount this drive for easier access, you must install the SMB file system.You can do this from a Terminal prompt by typing
sudo apt-get install smbfs