Are you ready for an adventure with Ubuntu Live Server Installation Guide? Let’s dive in!
First: what is a live server installation? It means that instead of installing Ubuntu on your hard drive or SSD, you can boot it from a USB stick and run it directly from the memory. This method comes in handy when you want to test out Ubuntu without changing anything on your main system or if you need to troubleshoot an issue with another server that’s not currently accessible.
Now let’s get started! Here are some steps for installing Ubuntu Live Server:
1. Grab a USB stick and format it using the dd command in Terminal (or your preferred method). For example, if you have a 32GB USB drive, use this command to create an ISO image on it:
# This script uses the dd command to create an ISO image of Ubuntu Live Server on a USB stick.
# It is important to format the USB stick before using it for this purpose.
# Step 1: Format the USB stick using the dd command in Terminal.
# The bs=4M flag sets the block size to 4 megabytes, which is a good size for most USB drives.
# The if=ubuntu-server-amd64.iso flag specifies the input file, in this case the Ubuntu Live Server ISO image.
# The of=/dev/sdc flag specifies the output file, in this case the USB drive.
# The status=progress flag displays the progress of the dd command.
sudo dd bs=4M if=ubuntu-server-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdc status=progress
Replace “ubuntu-server-amd64.iso” with the name and version of your ISO file, and “/dev/sdc” with the device path for your USB drive (you can find it by running “lsblk”). This command will take a while to complete, so grab some snacks!
2. Once you have your Ubuntu Live Server on a USB stick, insert it into your computer and reboot. Make sure that your BIOS is set up to boot from the USB drive (usually in the Boot menu). If everything goes well, you should see the Ubuntu logo appear on your screen!
3. Follow the prompts to select your language and keyboard layout. Then, choose “Try Ubuntu” instead of installing it permanently. This will give us a temporary environment that we can use for our purposes.
4. Once you’re in the live session, open Terminal (usually by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T) and run some basic commands to check your system information:
# This script is used to check system information in a live session of Ubuntu.
# It is recommended to use the "Try Ubuntu" option instead of installing it permanently.
# To check the CPU information, use the "cat" command to display the contents of the /proc/cpuinfo file.
cat /proc/cpuinfo
# To check the Ubuntu version, use the "lsb_release" command with the "-a" flag to display all information.
lsb_release -a
# To check the kernel version, use the "uname" command with the "-r" flag to display the release information.
uname -r
These will show you details about your CPU, operating system version, and kernel. Pretty cool!
5. Now let’s do some fun stuff with Ubuntu Live Server. For example, we can install a package using apt:
# Update and upgrade the system using apt
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
# Install the nano text editor package using apt
sudo apt install nano
This will update the package list and then install the “nano” text editor. You’ll need to enter your password for this command, but don’t worry it won’t be saved in memory or on disk!
6. If you want to customize your Ubuntu Live Server installation, you can use a tool called “chroot”. This allows us to create an environment that simulates a full-blown Ubuntu system, complete with its own filesystem and configuration settings. Here’s how:
# Mounts the device /dev/sdc1 to the directory /mnt
sudo mount /dev/sdc1 /mnt
# Changes the root directory to /mnt, creating a simulated environment of a full-blown Ubuntu system
sudo chroot /mnt
Replace “/dev/sdc1” with the device path for your Ubuntu Live Server ISO (you can find it by running “lsblk”). This will mount the ISO as a virtual filesystem and allow us to access its contents.
7. Once you’re inside the chroot environment, you can install packages using apt:
# Update and upgrade the system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
# Install the nano text editor
sudo apt install nano
# Mount the Ubuntu Live Server ISO as a virtual filesystem
# Replace "/dev/sdc1" with the device path for your ISO
# This will allow access to the ISO's contents
sudo mount /dev/sdc1 /mnt
# Enter the chroot environment to install packages
sudo chroot /mnt
# Install packages using apt
apt install <package_name> # Replace <package_name> with the desired package name
# Note: apt is a command-line tool for managing packages on Ubuntu
# It can be used to install, remove, and update software packages
# The "install" command is used to install new packages
# The "-y" flag automatically answers "yes" to any prompts during installation
# The "<package_name>" is the name of the package to be installed
# In this case, we are installing the nano text editor
# Exit the chroot environment
exit
# Unmount the ISO
sudo umount /mnt
This will update the package list and then install the “nano” text editor in our virtual Ubuntu system. Pretty cool!
8. When you’re done with your live session, simply reboot your computer to return to your normal environment (or remove the USB drive if you prefer). Your changes won’t be saved, but they will disappear when you restart anyway.
That’s it for our Ubuntu Live Server Installation Guide! We hope this tutorial was helpful and entertaining. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to us on social media or in the comments section below.