ubiquity (8)

NAME

ubiquity - install Ubuntu from a live CD

SYNOPSIS

[--desktop file ] [--debug ] [--pdb ] [--cdebconf ] [--automatic ] [--only ] [--query ] [frontend ]

DESCRIPTION

is a graphical installer for Ubuntu, written largely in Python, using debian-installer ( d-i as a backend for many of its functions. It is normally invoked from a desktop icon, and presents a "wizard"-style graphical user interface. must be run as root, and will escalate privileges for itself using gksudo kdesu kdesudo or sudo as appropriate.

has multiple frontends, including one written using GTK+ ( gtk_ui and one written for KDE ( kde_ui The first non-option argument, if any, is interpreted as the name of the frontend to use.

The following options are available:

--desktop file

This option is passed through to gksudo to provide a better description for its privilege-escalation message. It is only relevant when using the gtk_ui frontend.

-d , --debug

Run in debugging mode, sending verbose information to /var/log/installer/debug that may be useful to developers. (The /var/log/syslog file is usually required in any case, along with /var/log/partman in the case of problems related to partitioning.) Note that passwords will be logged in debugging mode!

--pdb

Drop into the Python debugger in the event of a crash. Only effective if is being run from a terminal.

--cdebconf

Use cdebconf instead of the traditional Perl debconf implementation. In future this may provide enough memory efficiency benefits to be made the default, but for now it is not really worthwhile and is therefore for experimental use only.

--automatic

Skip over questions that have been pre-answered by use of a preseed file. This is useful for unattended installations.

--only

Tell that it is the only desktop program running so that it can customize its user interface to better suit a minimal environment. This allows the installer to be run standalone, reducing memory requirements.

--query

Print the frontend that would be used and then exit.

AUTHORS

An -nosplit Ubiquity was formerly known as "Espresso", and originally as "Ubuntu Express", which is written and maintained by An Javier Carranza Aq javier.carranza@interactors.coop and An Juanje Ojeda Croissier Aq juanje@interactors.coop . This version draws on the work done on Ubuntu Express, but was renamed to avoid confusion, to reduce awkward branding considerations, and because Ubiquity concentrates on reusing debian-installer code and reducing duplicated translation and branding work as much as possible. Ubiquity has now substantially diverged from Ubuntu Express and is an independent project.

was mainly developed by An Colin Watson Aq cjwatson@ubuntu.com and An Evan Dandrea Aq ev@ubuntu.com , with contributions from many others.

The mythbuntu_ui frontend was developed by An Mario Limonciello Aq superm1@ubuntu.com .