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View Full Version : [all variants] Help with an automated install.



Saidear
February 8th, 2010, 03:40 PM
First off.. let me preface: I'm linux-illiterate. I'm still fiddling with my laptop to make it do what I want. =)

However I recently had to get a new PC, I am left with one that while it doesn't do what I needed to, still works just fine so I would like to turn it into a barebones file server. I could do this under Windows, I have an old copy of W2K server install I got from my networking class... but I'd rather do it via Ubuntu. I know there are automated install options but I can't figure out how to make use of them.

All I need to have it do, is on install:
Install X11 as the desktop environment (lightweight, resource friendly).
Install VNC to allow me to remotely administer the server and fine-tune any configurations
Setup up the NIC so I can obviously network it.

If there's a way to strip off the extra programs (ie: games, office software, graphics editors, etc), that'd be fine. I'm unsure if I want to do any media streaming (specifically of music, unsure if the onboard graphics is suited to video)

I don't have a spare monitor to hook this up with, and I want to stash this machine in an out-of-the way place where it won't be noticed.

Can anyone help me or point out an 'idiot's guide to automated installing Ubuntu' by any chance?

mörgæs
February 9th, 2010, 08:14 AM
Rather than take away applications from a Ubuntu installation I would install a minimal Ubuntu and add packages as needed:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1155961
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/minimal

There is some noise in the first thread, but still it is worth reading.