It’s always handy to have a mini-PC at home as a server. They usually come by default with Windows but you might to install Ubuntu instead (or in addition) because… I don’t know if it seems right for a server. I personally use mine as a Jellyfin server and Network storage (to feed my Plex server still running on the Shield).
Here is a step-by-step guide to installing Ubuntu desktop on a mini-PC:
You will need a USB drive with the Ubuntu installation files and a keyboard and mouse to navigate through the installation process.
- Download the latest Ubuntu desktop ISO file from the official Ubuntu website.
Warning: If you Google it, you might find a page named “Install Ubuntu Desktop on the Intel® NUC” on the official Ubuntu website. I’m not sure what that version is, but it’s not the one you want. - Create a bootable USB drive using a tool like Rufus or Etcher. For both tools, the process is straightforward. Once finished, insert the USB drive into the mini-PC.
- Power on the mini-PC and press F10 to pick the disk you want to boot from.
If it doesn’t work, reboot, hold F2 to enter the BIOS settings and change the boot order to boot from the USB drive first. - Follow the on-screen instructions to start the Ubuntu installation process. Choose the language, keyboard layout, and other preferences.
- When you reach the installation type screen:
- “Erase disk and install Ubuntu” to install Ubuntu as the only operating system on the mini-PC.
- “Something else” if you want to create custom partitions and prefer a dual boot with Windows.
- Custom partitions. It’s optional, I think; it didn’t work for me with the default settings, so adding this step can help someone with the error message: “No root file system is defined”. Don’t panic you just have to create the partitions manually.
Ideally, you have an unallocated partition of 20GB at least. If not, use “Disk Management” for Mac, “This PC>Manage” or Partition Wizard for PC. The partition should show as “Free space”. Click on it, “Create”:- Boot partition: Size: 512MB, Use as: EFI System Partition
- Swap partition: Size: 8192MB, Use as: Swap area
- Root partition (the OS): Size: whatever’s left, at least 30GB. Use as: Ext4 journaling file system, Mount point: /
- Now you should be able to use the partition and install the OS. Follow the prompts to create a user account, set up your time zone, and complete the installation process.
- Once the installation is complete, remove the USB drive and restart the mini-PC.
That’s it! You have successfully installed Ubuntu desktop on your mini-PC. Enjoy using your new operating system!