Aakansh Nahadiya's Space

Things to Keep in Mind Before Proceeding

• During some steps, your screen reader will not work. For this, you can take help from your phone by using assisting apps, such as Seeing AI. Also, you can ask someone to describe the screen for you.
• You’ll need a minimum 8 GB USB drive. Make sure you have a backup of this drive, as all of your data will be deleted.
• Ensure a minimum of 50 GB space in your PC’s internal drive and 8 GB RAM for better multitasking.
• Just like Windows, the compatibility of screen readers is not very good in the Linux environment.
• Although Ubuntu supports a GUI interface, most system-level tasks should be completed from the command line interface (CLI).
• Disable any BitLocker encryption if you have enabled it. Also, turn off Windows fast startup.

Now let’s start with the first step.

Step 1. Download the ISO File

The latest stable version of Ubuntu is Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS.

First, go to the official download page:

Ubuntu Official Download Page

If the link doesn’t work, you can also use this direct ISO link for the 24.04.3 LTS version:

Download Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS ISO

The ISO is around 5 GB, so make sure that you have a good internet connection.

Step 2. Create Your Bootable Media

After downloading the Ubuntu ISO, you’ll need to create a bootable media using your USB drive. This drive will contain the installation files for Ubuntu.

For this, you can use a tool like Rufus. Here’s how:

1. Download Rufus from here: Download Rufus Tool
2. Make sure you download the latest version (e.g., rufus-4.113). Once downloaded, open Rufus.
3. Plug in your USB drive. In most cases, Rufus will automatically select your plugged-in USB drive. If not, try reopening Rufus.
4. In the Boot selection box, select Disk or ISO image. Then press the Tab key once and click on the Select button to locate your downloaded Ubuntu ISO file (usually in the Downloads folder).
5. Leave other options as they are, but select Partition Scheme as GPT. Also, select File System as FAT32 if not selected by default.
6. Finally, click on the Start button, and then click on OK in the confirmation dialog.

Note:

All of your data on the USB drive will be deleted. Take a backup before proceeding. Wait for a few moments, and your bootable USB drive will be ready.

Step 3. Create Partition for Ubuntu

There are many ways to install Ubuntu, but for a new user, the best way is to install it alongside the Windows boot manager. While Ubuntu can create a partition by itself, it’s better to create your own according to your needs.

Here’s how you can create the partition:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter. The Disk Management window will open.
3. From there, select the disk that you want to use for Ubuntu and which has large storage.
4. Now right-click or press the application key on your keyboard and select Shrink Volume.
5. Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB. For a 50 GB partition, type 51200.
6. Then click on the Shrink button.

An unallocated partition of 50 GB will be created. For now, don’t create any volume; just leave it as unallocated space.

Step 4. Boot Your PC from the Bootable Drive

After creating the partition and bootable USB drive, shut down your PC completely. In this step, you have to boot your PC from the bootable USB drive you just created.

The key to access the BIOS settings or the boot menu might be different depending on your PC manufacturer (e.g., F2, F10, F12, F9, or Delete). Check your manufacturer’s support for more information. (On my system, the BIOS opens with F10 and the boot menu with F9.)

1. Once your PC is shut down, turn it on again and immediately start pressing the boot menu key (e.g., F9) until the boot menu appears.
2. Select your USB drive from the menu using the arrow keys.

Accessibility Note:

During the boot menu, your screen reader will not work. You will need assistance technology on your phone or a helper to describe the screen for you.

After some time, the Ubuntu logo will start showing up, and you will hear a sound once the OS is fully loaded.

Step 5. Install Ubuntu

Once the Ubuntu OS is loaded, press Alt + Super + S key (where the Windows key is the Super key) to turn on the screen reader. You will hear a sound that says “Screen reader on.”

Carefully follow the next steps to install Ubuntu. To navigate, you will use Tab and Arrow keys.

1. The installer will load with the default language set to English. You can click on Next to proceed.
2. The next page is accessibility settings. You can make changes if you want, otherwise simply click on Next.
3. The next page will be keyboard layout. You can leave it as default.
4. The next screen is about connecting to the internet. Although you can skip it, an internet connection is recommended to download software and drivers. After connecting, simply press on Next.
5. On the next step, you will see an installer update. You can skip it.
6. Now you will see two options. Select the first one: Install Ubuntu alongside your current operating system. Then click on Next.
7. On the next screen, just leave the default Interactive Installation option.
8. Leave the default selection for essential software like browser and basic utilities. However, you can choose the extended selection which will install extra software such as office tools. Click on Next.
9. Check both options: The first one is to download drivers and graphic cards, and the second one is to download support for additional media such as MP3. Click on Next.
10. Be very careful here. The default selection should be Install Ubuntu alongside your Windows boot manager. Leave it as it is. Ubuntu will automatically select the unallocated partition you created previously. Do not modify other options if you are not sure what you are doing, as selecting the wrong storage option can lead to deletion of your data. Click on Next.
11. On this screen, enter your name, device name, username, and password. Then click on Next.
12. Select your location and time zone. You can leave them as they are. Then click on Next.
13. Now finally click on the Install button. The installation will take some time. Do not turn off your PC during this time.
14. Once your installation is complete, click on the Restart button. You can now remove your USB drive. Your PC should start in Ubuntu.

If it doesn't automatically boot into Ubuntu, go to the boot menu again and select Ubuntu from the list. If you prefer, you can also set Ubuntu as the first priority by going to your BIOS settings.

In the End

This is how you can install Ubuntu on your system. But like I said, it is not as easy to use as Windows, especially for accessibility. However, you can still perform essential tasks like updating its software, changing the screen reader settings, and installing new software.

I’ll try to write more if I learn something new in this OS.