Software and hardware pre-requisites

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Pre-requisites for using Linux varies depending upon the functionality or usage for which the operating system is to be used. Further, other factors influencing the pre-requisites are the type of installation, version or type of Linux, the distribution selected for installation, etc.

Requirements for Ubuntu are listed and similar requirements are needed for other distributions, if not specified.

Ubuntu Desktop Edition

• 700 MHz processor (about Intel Celeron or better)
• 512 MB RAM (system memory)
• 5 GB of hard-drive space (or USB stick, memory card or external drive but see LiveCD for an alternative approach)
• VGA capable of 1024×768 screen resolution
• Either a CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
• Internet access is helpful

On one hand, hardware produced in the last few years or with an efficient architecture or machines built for a specific purpose can often work well with less. For example, a netbook with an 8 GB SSD will work well although there wont be much room for saving stuff directly onto the drive so cloud storage services could help a lot. A machine with a crumbling, 15 year-old, slow, 8 GB, IDE hard-drive probably won’t work and doesn’t really compare with the netbook anyway. It might be worth trying Ubuntu but really start looking at other distros. On the other hand, some GNU/Linux distributions may require more powerful hardware as minimum system requirements, like the Ubuntu GNOME case.

All 64-bit (x86-64) CPUs should be fast enough to run Ubuntu and can run the 32-bit (x86) version as well. For an optimized installation (and especially for those wishing to run more than 3 GB of RAM) however, a 64-bit installation CD is available. The 32-bit version tends to be easier to use and runs into less problems.

Ubuntu Desktop 11.04 and up uses Unity as the default GUI while the previous releases used GNOME Panel by default. In order to run Unity the system needs a more capable graphics adapter:

• 1000 ΜHz processor (about Intel Celeron or better)
• 1024 MB RAM (system memory)
• 3D Acceleration Capable Videocard with at least 256 MB

From experience, we all know that it is recommended to have 2048 MiB RAM to properly run a day to day Ubuntu. A good start should be with minimum 1024 and recommended 2048 MiB RAM.

Visual Effects

Visual effects provide various optional special graphical effects for your desktop to make it look and feel more fun and easier to use. Even if your computer is powerful enough to run visual effects, you can turn them off and will still have a usable Ubuntu desktop system.

Visual effects are turned on by default if you have a GPU (graphics card or integrated chipset) which is supported. Supported GPU manufacturers:

• ATI (some may require the proprietary fglrx driver)
• Intel (i915 or better, except GMA 500, aka “Poulsbo”)
• NVidia (with their proprietary driver)

Ubuntu Server (CLI) Installation

• 300 MHz x86 processor
• 192 MiB of system memory (RAM)
• 1 GB of disk space
• Graphics card and monitor capable of 640×480
• CD drive

Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server Edition supports three (3) major architectures: Intel x86, AMD64 and ARM. The table below lists recommended hardware specifications. Depending on your needs, you might manage with less than this. However, most users risk being frustrated if they ignore these suggestions.

Install Type	CPU	RAM	Hard Drive Space(Base System)	Hard Drive Space(All Tasks Installed)
Server	300 megahertz	128 megabytes	500 megabytes	1 gigabyte

The Server Edition provides a common base for all sorts of server applications. It is a minimalist design providing a platform for the desired services, such as file/print services, web hosting, email hosting, etc.