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The Perfect Desktop - Kubuntu 12.10

Author: Falko Timme

This tutorial shows how you can set up a Kubuntu 12.10 desktop that is a full-fledged replacement for a Windows desktop, i.e. that has all the software that people need to do the things they do on their Windows desktops. The advantages are clear: you get a secure system without DRM restrictions that works even on old hardware, and the best thing is: all software comes free of charge. Kubuntu uses the KDE desktop environment.

The software I propose as default is the one I found easiest to use and best in their functionality - this won't necessarily be true for your needs, thus you are welcome to try out the applications listed as alternatives.

I do not issue any guarantee that this will work for you!

 

1 Preliminary Note

To fully replace a Windows desktop, I want the Kubuntu desktop to have the following software installed:

Graphics:

Internet:

Office:

Sound & Video:

Programming:

Other:

Lots of our desired applications are available in the Ubuntu repositories, and some of these applications have been contributed by the Ubuntu community. Some may also not be in the default repositories and have to be downloaded from the internet or from extra repositories.

The software provided in the above list covers most of the basic tasks one may need to do on their desktop computers, sometimes there are multiple choices for same functionality. If you know which one you like best, you obviously don't need to install and test the other applications, however if you like choice, then of course you can install more than one.

I will use the username falko in this tutorial. Please replace it with your own username.

 

2 Installing The Base System

The installation of the base system is easy as 1-2-3 because the Kubuntu installer doesn't offer a lot of options to choose from, so you cannot go wrong.

Download the Kubuntu 12.10 desktop edition iso image from http://www.kubuntu.org/getkubuntu/download, burn it onto a CD, and boot your computer from it. Select Start Kubuntu to begin:

Select your language from the dropdown-menu and click on the Install Kubuntu button to start the installation:

On the next screen you see a few requirements for the Kubuntu 12.10 installation (the system should have at least 5.4 GB available drive space and should be connected to the Internet). Please check the Download updates while installing and Install this third-party software checkboxes (this will install the software necessary to process Flash, MP3, and other media files) and click on Continue:

Now we come to the partitioning of our hard disk. Usually Guided - use entire disk is a good choice, unless you need custom partitions and know what you're doing. Guided - use entire disk will create one big / partition for us. Also select the drive that you want to install Kubuntu on:

Then choose your time zone:

Change the keyboard layout, if necessary:

Type in your real name, your desired username along with a password, and click on Continue:

Afterwards, Kubuntu is being installed. This can take a few minutes, so be patient:

After the installation, you will be asked to reboot the system. Click on Restart Now:

Your new Kubuntu system starts. Log into the desktop with the username and password you provided during the installation.

This is what your new Kubuntu KDE desktop looks like:

Now the base system is ready to be used.

The Perfect Desktop - Kubuntu 12.10