the psycho cat on an HP Mini with Ubuntu

Just Beginning
Introduction
Read this first before you try Ubuntu*

Which Ubuntu to pick?
Getting Ubuntu
Making a bootable USB of Ubuntu

Ubuntu inside Windows
Dual-boot with Windows
Install Desktop CD Ubuntu
Modest Specs

Install Software
Extra Repositories

Security in Ubuntu
Create a "browse as root" launcher*

Where's the Terminal?
Password in Terminal

Next Steps
Mount Windows
Install Proprietary Software
Install Flash
Install MP3 Playback
Finding iTunes Alternatives
Export as MP3 in Audacity
Use Wine

Beyond the Basics
Backing up Ubuntu
Upgrade Ubuntu*
Change boot menu
Mount Linux

Playing Around
KDE/Gnome Comparison
Install KDE
Install XFCE
Pure Gnome
Pure KDE
Pure XFCE
Make your own Ubuntu remix

Troubleshooting
Can't sudo
Graphical sudo
Forgot password

* Off-site link

Cheap Plugs
If you've found these tutorials useful, please consider donating a small amount to one of my favorite non-profits/charities. Every little bit helps.

You may also want to consider donating directly to the Ubuntu project.

Getting Back to a Pure XFCE on Ubuntu

If you used aptitude to install other desktop environments, you will not need this tutorial, as you can just type

sudo aptitude remove kubuntu-desktop
or
sudo aptitude remove ubuntu-desktop
to get back to your "pure XFCE."

If you didn't have as much foresight and chose instead to install KDE or Gnome through Synaptic or apt-get, this is how to remove those desktop environments from your XFCE.

Note, this applies only to Ubuntu Feisty. If you're using Edgy, go here. If you're using Dapper, go here.

Remove Ubuntu
Paste this command into the terminal:

sudo apt-get remove alacarte aspell binfmt-support bittorrent bluez-cups bluez-pin bluez-utils brltty brltty-x11 bsh bug-buddy ca-certificates capplets-data cli-common compiz compiz-core compiz-gnome compiz-gtk compiz-plugins contact-lookup-applet dcraw deskbar-applet desktop-effects dhcdbd diveintopython ekiga eog esound espeak evince evolution evolution-common evolution-data-server evolution-data-server-common evolution-exchange evolution-plugins evolution-webcal f-spot file-roller firefox-gnome-support fping gcalctool gcj-4.1-base gconf-editor gedit gedit-common gij gij-4.1 gimp-python gnome-about gnome-applets gnome-applets-data gnome-btdownload gnome-cards-data gnome-control-center gnome-cups-manager gnome-desktop-data gnome-doc-utils gnome-games gnome-games-data gnome-keyring-manager gnome-media gnome-media-common gnome-menus gnome-netstatus-applet gnome-nettool gnome-panel gnome-panel-data gnome-pilot gnome-pilot-conduits gnome-power-manager gnome-screensaver gnome-session gnome-spell gnome-system-monitor gnome-system-tools gnome-terminal gnome-terminal-data gnome-themes gnome-user-guide gnome-utils gnome-volume-manager gstreamer0.10-alsa gstreamer0.10-esd gstreamer0.10-gnomevfs gstreamer0.10-plugins-base gstreamer0.10-plugins-base-apps gstreamer0.10-plugins-good gstreamer0.10-tools gstreamer0.10-x gthumb gtkhtml3.14 gucharmap guile-1.6-libs hal-device-manager hwdb-client-common hwdb-client-gnome libaudio2 libavc1394-0 libbeagle0 libbluetooth2 libcaca0 libcairo-perl libcamel1.2-10 libcdio6 libcucul0 libcurl3 libdecoration0 libdjvulibre15 libdv4 libebook1.2-9 libecal1.2-7 libedata-book1.2-2 libedata-cal1.2-6 libedataserver1.2-9 libedataserverui1.2-8 libeel2-2 libeel2-data libegroupwise1.2-13 libexchange-storage1.2-3 libgcj-bc libgcj-common libgcj7-0 libgconf2.0-cil libgda2-3 libgda2-common libgdiplus libgdl-1-0 libgdl-1-common libgksu1.2-1 libgksuui1.0-1 libglade2.0-cil libglew1 libglib-perl libglib2.0-cil libgmime-2.0-2 libgmime2.2-cil libgnome-desktop-2 libgnome-media0 libgnome-menu2 libgnome-pilot2 libgnome-window-settings1 libgnome2-canvas-perl libgnome2-perl libgnome2-vfs-perl libgnome2.0-cil libgnomecupsui1.0-1c2a libgnomekbd-common libgnomekbd1 libgnomekbdui1 libgnomevfs2-bin libgnomevfs2-extra libgphoto2-2 libgphoto2-port0 libgpod1 libgstreamer-plugins-base0.10-0 libgtk2-perl libgtk2.0-cil libgtkhtml3.14-19 libgtksourceview-common libgtksourceview1.0-0 libgucharmap6 libguile-ltdl-1 libhsqldb-java libicu36 libidn11 libiec61883-0 libieee1284-3 libjaxp1.3-java libjline-java liblpint-bonobo0 libmdbtools libmetacity0 libmono-cairo1.0-cil libmono-corlib1.0-cil libmono-corlib2.0-cil libmono-data-tds2.0-cil libmono-security2.0-cil libmono-sharpzip2.84-cil libmono-sqlite2.0-cil libmono-system-data2.0-cil libmono-system-web2.0-cil libmono-system1.0-cil libmono-system2.0-cil libmono0 libmono2.0-cil libmusicbrainz4c2a libnautilus-burn4 libnautilus-extension1 libndesk-dbus-glib1.0-cil libndesk-dbus1.0-cil libneon25 libnl1-pre6 libnm-util0 liboil0.3 libopal-2.2.0 libpisock9 libpisync0 libpt-1.10.0 libpt-plugins-alsa libpt-plugins-v4l libpt-plugins-v4l2 libqthreads-12 libraw1394-8 libsane libservlet2.3-java libshout3 libslab0 libsndfile1 libsoup2.2-8 libstlport5.1 libtotem-plparser1 libungif4g libvisual-0.4-0 libvorbisenc2 libwps-0.1-1 libxalan2-java libxerces2-java libxml2-utils metacity metacity-common mono-common mono-gac mono-jit mono-runtime nautilus nautilus-cd-burner nautilus-data nautilus-sendto network-manager network-manager-gnome openoffice.org openoffice.org-base openoffice.org-calc openoffice.org-common openoffice.org-core openoffice.org-draw openoffice.org-evolution openoffice.org-filter-mobiledev openoffice.org-gnome openoffice.org-gtk openoffice.org-hyphenation openoffice.org-impress openoffice.org-java-common openoffice.org-math openoffice.org-style-human openoffice.org-writer pkg-config python-bittorrent python-gmenu python-gnome2-desktop python-gnome2-extras python-gst0.10 python-libxml2 python-uno rdesktop rhythmbox rss-glx screensaver-default-images serpentine sound-juicer ssh-askpass-gnome tangerine-icon-theme tomboy totem totem-gstreamer totem-mozilla tsclient ttf-opensymbol ubuntu-desktop ubuntu-docs ubuntu-sounds update-notifier usplash-theme-ubuntu vino whois xsane xsane-common xsltproc yelp && sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

Remove Kubuntu
Paste this command into the terminal:

sudo apt-get remove adept adept-batch adept-common adept-installer adept-manager adept-notifier adept-updater akregator amarok amarok-xine apport-qt ark arts bluez-cups bluez-pin bluez-utils bogofilter bogofilter-bdb bogofilter-common brltty bsh ca-certificates debtags dhcdbd digikam enscript fftw3 fping gcj-4.1-base gij gij-4.1 gtk-qt-engine gwenview hwdb-client-common hwdb-client-kde k3b kaddressbook kaffeine kaffeine-xine kamera karm katapult kate kbstate kcontrol kcron kde-guidance kde-guidance-powermanager kde-icons-mono kde-style-polyester kde-systemsettings kdeadmin-kfile-plugins kdebase-bin kdebase-data kdebase-kio-plugins kdebluetooth kdegraphics-kfile-plugins kdelibs-data kdelibs4c2a kdemultimedia-kfile-plugins kdemultimedia-kio-plugins kdenetwork-filesharing kdenetwork-kfile-plugins kdepasswd kdepim-kio-plugins kdepim-kresources kdepim-wizards kdeprint kdesktop kdm kdnssd keep kexi kfind kghostview khelpcenter kicker kio-apt kio-locate kipi-plugins klipper kmag kmail kmailcvt kmenuedit kmilo kmix kmousetool kmplayer-base kmplayer-konq-plugins knetworkconf knetworkmanager knotes koffice-data koffice-libs konq-plugins konqueror konqueror-nsplugins konsole kontact konversation kooka kopete korganizer kpdf kpf kppp krdc krfb kscreensaver ksmserver ksnapshot ksplash ksplash-engine-moodin ksvg ksysguard ksysguardd ksystemlog ktorrent kubuntu-artwork-usplash kubuntu-default-settings kubuntu-desktop kubuntu-docs kubuntu-konqueror-shortcuts kwalletmanager kwin kwin-style-crystal language-selector-qt libakode2 libarts1-akode libarts1c2a libartsc0 libaudio2 libavahi-compat-libdnssd1 libavahi-qt3-1 libbluetooth2 libcurl3 libcurl3-gnutls libdbus-qt-1-1c2 libexiv2-0.12 libflac++5c2 libgcj-bc libgcj-common libgcj7-0 libgmp3c2 libgpgme11 libgphoto2-2 libgphoto2-port0 libgpod1 libgsl0 libgstreamer-plugins-base0.10-0 libicu36 libid3tag0 libidn11 libieee1284-3 libifp4 libimlib2 libjasper-runtime libjaxp1.3-java libjline-java libk3b2 libkcal2b libkcddb1 libkdepim1a libkexiv2-0 libkipi0 libkleopatra1 libkmime2 libkonq4 libkpimexchange1 libkpimidentities1 libkscan1 libksieve0 libktnef1 liblockdev1 liblua50 liblualib50 libmeanwhile1 libmimelib1c2a libmpcdec3 libmtp5 libmusicbrainz4c2a libmysqlclient15off libneon25 libnjb5 libnl1-pre6 libnm-util0 libofa0 liboggflac3 libopenexr2c2a libopenobex1 libpoppler1-qt libpq5 libpythonize0 libqt-perl libqt3-mt libqt4-core libqt4-gui libqt4-qt3support libqt4-sql libraw1394-8 librsync1 libruby1.8 libsamplerate0 libsane libskim0 libsmokeqt1 libsndfile1 libsqlite0 libstlport5.1 libtdb1 libtunepimp5 libungif4g libvisual-0.4-0 libvorbisenc2 libwps-0.1-1 libxalan2-java libxerces2-java mysql-common network-manager networkstatus openoffice.org-calc openoffice.org-common openoffice.org-core openoffice.org-draw openoffice.org-hyphenation openoffice.org-impress openoffice.org-java-common openoffice.org-kde openoffice.org-math openoffice.org-style-crystal openoffice.org-style-human openoffice.org-writer perl-suid pmount poster psutils pykdeextensions python-kde3 python-qt3 python-qt4 python-sip4 python-uno python2.5-dev qca-tls qobex rdiff-backup ruby ruby1.8 scim-qtimm skim software-properties-kde speedcrunch ttf-opensymbol vorbis-tools && sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

If you have suggestions or corrections for these tutorials, please post in this Ubuntu Forums thread or leave a comment on my blog.

I will not give help to people posting in the above places. If you require technical support, start a support thread on the Ubuntu Forums. That is the appropriate place to ask for help.