[ubuntu-uk] install just the command-line

[Rob Beard]

doug livesey wrote:
> Hi -- I have a laptop that is really struggling to display anything, 
> as something that handles display in both windows & the Ubuntu loader 
> is very gone.
> (Trying to install Xubuntu, I get as far as clicking "next" on the 
> keyboard layout chooser, then weird stripes begin to follow the mouse 
> around, and we hang. Not especially healthy.)
> Not really liking to let things die gracefully & be at peace, I 
> wondered if I could perhaps install just the basic, command-line parts 
> of Ubuntu (linux with all the package managers, I guess) & see if I 
> can get it running as a little server for cron jobs or something that 
> I can just ssh on to.
> What would I be looking for to do this?
> Cheers,
>    Doug.
My first thought would be to use either the Ubuntu Server CD and install 
a basic install of Ubuntu Server which is text only, you can add stuff 
as you need it (and IIRC during installation you can specify functions 
for it such as web server, print server, mail server, file server etc).

Other than that you may want to have a look at the Xubuntu Alternative 
CD which is a text only installer which you can either install Xubuntu 
with or if I'm right also install a text only installation.

Not sure too if Ubuntu JeOS (is that right?) would be any good.  I 
gather it's aimed more at virtual machines and it includes the bare 
minimum OS which you can build on.

Rob