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Ubuntu Frequently Asked Questions for Dell Computers

Summary: This article provides information about the answers to questions such as installation, dual boot, configuration, backup, troubleshooting, and more. The answers are specific to the hardware shipped on Dell computers and the latest Ubuntu Long-Term Support (LTS) distribution. ...

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Instructions

Table of Contents:

  1. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  2. Additional Information

Note: The content table 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 computers (For the length of your warranty entitlement.) - 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.

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: USB 2.0 and older removable media devices are not supported on computers using the Intel SkyLake Processors. The Chipsets for Intel SkyLake stopped support for 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 following article takes you through the install process:

Creating custom partitions is built into the Ubuntu operating system installer. (Live 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 are used for:

Yes, there are several terms, acronyms, and rules particular to Linux and Ubuntu. Some of the most important are explained in the following article:

Configuration

Note: There is no driver install required after installing the Ubuntu operating system on your personal computer. The Ubuntu installation Optical Disc Image (ISO) already has all the drivers for the operating system in the image. It installs them as required during the installation period. (You must check that your computer is compatible with a particular version of Ubuntu before you attempt the installation.) The only time you look for additional drivers in Ubuntu is if you are installing a new device or you are updating through the Software Center.

Ubuntu comes with a UI and several applications. However, as with any Linux based distribution a good knowledge of Terminal and its various commands is useful. See the following articles for more information: (Terminal is similar to Command Prompt or PowerShell in Windows.)

There are several wired and wireless network options available in Ubuntu depending on your hardware. Read the following articles to find out more:

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 following articles for more information:

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

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

Peripherals

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

Backup

Yes, there are programs that are built into Ubuntu that work in the same way as Windows backup would. Check out the following articles 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 these articles:

Troubleshooting

If the computer was shipped with Ubuntu, then the Enhanced Pre-Boot System Assessment (ePSA) diagnostics are installed. They work as they would on any other Dell computer for hardware such as the battery, memory, or hard drive. If you have reinstalled the operating system at any point, then you should ensure that the diagnostics still work. We have an article that talks about the benefits of the ePSA diagnostics in detail:

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

Additional Information:

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

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Additional Information

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Article Properties
Article Number: 000133396
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 25 Nov 2024
Version:  19
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