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OK, I downloaded ubuntu-16.04-desktop-amd64.iso

Why it has amd64 in the name confuses me.

And I don't know what to do with the file. I really don't care to bother with a CD of any kind. What I was expecting was a file I would click and then it would download more data. When done a window would pop up about executing a program that would install. Then I expected the usual screens as shown in the Installation Guide.
I was hoping to put any expanded files or install on a thumb drive and skip a CD altogether.

So, what do I do with this image file?

Rod Hittle
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1 Answers1

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amd64 denotes that it is suitable for 64-bit processors, either Intel or AMD. On Linux, 64-bit installation files use either amd64 or x64, both meaning exactly the same thing.

You have to create an installation DVD with the .iso file you have downloaded and then boot your system with that DVD. The installation procedure will start automatically after that. Alternatively, you can create a bootable USB stick by using software that's designed for this purpose, such as LinuxLive USB tool.

Stormlord
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  • That gets me a lot further than I was and re leaves some fear it was only good for amd and not intel. – Rod Hittle May 21 '16 at 21:30
  • But that leaves the next question. Just how does one create an installation DVD with the .iso file? I have burned disk before but that seems to have little to do with creating an installation DVD, much less from an .iso file. – Rod Hittle May 21 '16 at 21:32
  • We all use the same amd64 files for those two processors so don't worry. Other processors, like ARM for example use entirely different isos specifying arm in the name. – Stormlord May 21 '16 at 21:35
  • Every CD/DVD burning software has an option saying something like "Burn image". That's the one you need to use. – Stormlord May 21 '16 at 21:37
  • Flash drives are a bit better than DVDs. CDs now are too small. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick and: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Win32DiskImager/iso2usb You do not copy ISO, but install it, which both extracts it and converts it to be a bootable device. More details on why amd64 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64 – oldfred May 21 '16 at 21:47
  • I think we will get there tiny step by tiny step. So I now have a DVD with the .iso file on it. I thought that if I shut down and started back up some kind of install windows would appear. No luck. Nothing happened. So what do I do with this DVD that has the .iso file on it? – Rod Hittle May 21 '16 at 22:04
  • I doesn't look like you've created it correctly. How did you create the DVD? What is your current operating system? What DVD burning software are you using? – Stormlord May 21 '16 at 22:17
  • I am using Windows 7 home premium. The burner software is "Express Burn" by NCH. It installed itself during this process and when I clicked on the .iso file it came up with options and then 'burned' the file to the DVD. I chose it as a DATA file. BUT, if I have the iso file on the thumb drive can't I just have that plugged in and have the pc just read that thumb drive and use it as a boot. Assuming I selected that drive as the boot option? – Rod Hittle May 21 '16 at 23:17
  • No. An iso file is a container that contains a bit by bit image of its source. By burning the iso, you actually recreate that source by extracting and placing those files exactly where they were before the iso was created. Since the source was a DVD, the image has to be modified so that a bootable USB stick can be created. Software like the tool suggested above, take care of that. – Stormlord May 22 '16 at 00:32
  • So I have to have the Express Burn do something with the file. And burining and iso to a DVD is NOT just making a copy of it to the DVD. Is that right? – Rod Hittle May 22 '16 at 01:30
  • I tried again, but this time on my desktop, not the laptop. When I click on the downloaded iso file this time the Windows Disc Image Burner came up and it was a snap to burn the disc. I then took that disc and put it in the laptop and rebooted. This time the laptop started reading the disc and i proceeded to install Ubuntu on my laptop. I also installed on the desktop the LinuxLive USB tool and created the 'thing' on the USB drive. A very BIG THANKS Stormlord. – Rod Hittle May 22 '16 at 02:48
  • You are welcome. I'm glad it worked. Mark the answer as accepted if you like. ;-) – Stormlord May 22 '16 at 03:32