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Article Number: 000133396

Ubuntu Frequently Asked Questions

Summary: See the information for answers to questions such as installation, dual boot, configuration, backup, troubleshooting, and more. The answers are specific to the hardware shipped on Dell PCs and the latest Ubuntu LTS distribution. ...

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Article Content

Instructions

Table of Contents:

  1. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  2. Additional Information

NOTE: These contents links take you to the corresponding drawer below. Click the selected drawer to open it and read the information inside.

Dell and Canonical engineers collaborate every day to certify Dell hardware on Ubuntu, to a level that customers can rely on.

NOTE:

While Dell fully supports the hardware shipped with any of its PCs (For as long as your warranty runs.) - there are limitations to the software support that it can supply for the Ubuntu operating system.

The answers to the questions below are specific to Dell computers. If the answers do not fully resolve your issue, then we have to direct you to the Canonical and Ubuntu Forums for further Software support. (See the links at the bottom of the page.)

Canonical is the company that created and supplies the various distributions of the Ubuntu Operating System.

Dell is unable to ship OEM Ubuntu computers with the "Super" key that is enabled on non-Windows operating systems.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Installation

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Dell has several computers that come from the factory with Ubuntu already installed.

However, if you must reinstall the operating system at any point and cannot recover from your recovery image. The article below takes you through an install, step by step:

NOTE: Be aware that USB 2.0 and older removable media devices are not supported on computers using the new Intel SkyLake Processors. The Chipsets for these CPUs no longer support the USB 2.0 Hub.

Yes, you can install multiple operating systems on the same personal computer if the hardware has the capacity for it. The article below takes you through the install process:

Creating custom partitions is built into the Ubuntu operating system installer. (Live CD, DVD, or USB) The article below takes you through the various steps needed:

The article below goes into some detail on what types of partition are possible in Ubuntu and what they would be used for:

Yes, there are several terms, acronyms, and rules particular to Linux and Ubuntu. I have gone over some of the most important in the article below:

Configuration

NOTES: There is usually no driver install required after installing the Ubuntu operating system on your personal computer. The Ubuntu installation ISO already has all the drivers for that version of the operating system that is contained within it. It installs them as needed during the installation period. (This is why we direct you to check that your computer is compatible with a particular version of Ubuntu before the installation takes place.) Commonly with Ubuntu, the only time you look for additional drivers is if you are installing a new device. Or when you are running updates through the Software Center.

As with any Linux based distribution, a good knowledge of Terminal and its various commands is useful. However, Ubuntu comes with a UI and enough applications, to mean that that Terminal takes on the same importance as the Command Prompt in Windows operating systems. See the articles below for more information:

Video is largely supported on Ubuntu. However, there are some manufacturers that either have limited or no support for the operating system. Check out the articles below for more information:

Yes, you can access your email messages using several programs. Check the article below for more details:

Yes, you can access any media on CD-ROMs, DVDs, and USB. Check out the article below for more information about the subject:

Yes, if your hardware supports it. Microsoft supplies a Linux version of Skype that is available for download in Ubuntu. You can find out more in the article below:

Peripherals

Almost every peripheral that connects to a Windows PC connects to an Ubuntu PC. The physical connections are identical and most work out of the box, as does Windows Plug and Play. However, some require additional drivers and applications that are installed to fully function. Ubuntu has large repositories of open source and proprietary software for these devices. Check out the examples below:

Backup

Yes, there are programs that are built into Ubuntu that work in the same way as Windows backup would. Check out the articles below for more information:

If your computer came from the Dell factory with Ubuntu installed, then it already has a recovery image as part of the computer. However, if the image is damaged or you have reinstalled the operating system at any point, then you may want to check out the articles below:

Troubleshooting

If the computer was shipped with Ubuntu, then the ePSA diagnostics are installed. They work as they would on any other Dell personal computer for hardware such as the battery, memory, or hard drive. If you have reinstalled the operating system at any point, then you want to check out the article below to ensure the diagnostics still work. I have also listed an article that talks about the benefits of the ePSA diagnostics in detail:

The guides below take you through using both the Terminal and UI to troubleshoot any network issues. You can also troubleshoot any connection issues that you might experience in the Ubuntu Operating System.

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Additional Information:

NOTES:
Canonical provides software support through the following methods:
Dell provides Technical Support:

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Additional Information

Recommended Articles

Here are some recommended articles related to this topic that might be of interest to you.

Out of Warranty support Out of warranty? No problem. Browse to the Dell.com/support website and enter your Dell Service Tag and view our offers.

NOTE: Offers are only available for US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, and China, personal computer customers. Server and Storage not applicable.

Article Properties

Last Published Date

04 Jan 2024

Version

12

Article Type

How To

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