Transform Your TV into a High-Tech Hub with This Easy Ubuntu Installation Guide!
Are you looking for a way to turn your television into a high-tech hub? Do you want to access different media and software applications right from your TV? If that’s the case, then all you need to do is install Ubuntu on your TV.
Ubuntu is a free and open-source operating system based on Linux that can be easily installed on your TV. It comes with a range of pre-installed software like a web browser, media player, and productivity tools. Moreover, there are many other software applications that come readily available with Ubuntu, which you can install on your TV to suit your needs.
Here’s a beginner-friendly guide on how to install Ubuntu on your TV:
Step 1: Backup Your Data
Before starting the installation process, backup all the data on your TV to prevent any loss of important files. It’s always best to have a copy of your essential files in a separate storage device like an external hard drive.
Step 2: Download Ubuntu
Download the latest version of Ubuntu from its official website. You can choose between the 32-bit or 64-bit ISO versions, depending on your TV’s hardware specifications.
Step 3: Create a Bootable Ubuntu USB Drive
You will need to create a bootable USB drive to install Ubuntu on your TV. You can use various tools like Rufus, Universal USB Installer, or Etcher to create the bootable drive. Follow the instructions provided by your chosen tool to create the bootable USB drive.
Step 4: Boot your TV from the USB Drive
Now that you have a bootable USB drive, you can proceed with the installation process. Insert the USB drive in your TV, and reboot it. Navigate to the TV’s boot menu and select the USB drive as the primary boot source.
Step 5: Install Ubuntu
Once you have booted from the USB drive, Ubuntu’s installation wizard will guide you through the installation process. Follow the instructions on the screen carefully to set up the Ubuntu operating system on your TV.
Step 6: Configuration
After Ubuntu has been installed, you can configure it to suit your needs. You can customize the desktop environment, install applications, and personalize the experience entirely.
Final Thoughts
Installing Ubuntu on your TV is a great way to turn it into a high-tech hub. Ubuntu comes with many pre-built applications that you can use and also provides access to a range of other software applications. With this beginner-friendly guide, you can easily install Ubuntu on your TV and be up and running in no time!
At CES, Canonical announced its latest major project that it is calling Ubuntu TV “TV for human beings”. Much of the Ubuntu TV interface will be based on the groundwork that has already been established with the development of Unity, Canonical’s revolutionary, and sometimes polarizing, desktop environment.
In keeping with tradition, Ubuntu TV is free and open source. Therefore, you can install it now, while keeping in mind that it is still under heavy development. If you have the time and wherewithal, you can try installing it from source. If not, there is also a PPA available with binary packages.
PPA Install
Before proceeding, I want to reiterate that this is not a fully-functional version of Ubuntu TV. It is a development build and should be viewed as such. It will, however, give you an idea of how the interface looks and functions on a basic level. This install will essentially take over your Unity 2D install, so if you do not want to risk contamination, you should try using a virtual machine instead.
- If you have the YouTube video lens for Unity installed, you will need to remove it to avoid conflicts:
2 Install Ubuntu TV using the PPA provided by Alin Andrei of WebUpd8:
Make sure you do not skip the “dist-upgrade” step, as it will likely not function properly without it.
- In this step, you will tell Ubuntu TV to generate thumbnails of your current videos. You can safely assume that this task will be automated in later versions. You will need to copy your videos to /home/username/Videos/unity/local/featured before proceeding.
Note: I was not able to get video thumbnails to work correctly. Hopefully, you will have better success.
If you are not already logged in to your normal desktop (either Unity or Gnome), do so, and run this command from a terminal:
Kill off your current desktop features.
If you are running Unity 2D:
If you are running Unity 3D or Gnome Shell:
- Start Ubuntu TV:
You will now notice that Ubuntu TV has taken over your entire screen. When you are finished with it, you can end it by Alt-Tabbing back to your terminal and then pressing Ctrl+C. To get your desktop back, type:
or
Once you are finished getting a taste of Ubuntu TV, run the following commands to get rid of it and get Unity 2D back:
What Works
From my test of Ubuntu TV, video playback seems to work with multiple codecs (probably any codecs currently installed on my system). It has a very nice pause, skip, and browse feature built into the video player. When you select a video to watch, it will give you the option to view trailer, rent, or buy. Only the “view trailer” button will work for your current videos.
The search feature works as expected and was fast on my aging laptop.
The TV function shows a generic UK broadcast schedule that appears to be just for show. As far as I know, there are no specifics on how the TV integration will work.
The YouTube feature did not work at all on my installation, so it is something that will probably come later. Because Ubuntu TV is extensible, the potential for other “apps” to be added is pretty much limitless.
If you want to compile Ubuntu TV from source, you can find instructions on the Ubuntu Wiki. It does not look terribly complicated and should be easy for intermediate users familiar with compiling programs. For more information about Ubuntu TV in general, see the Ubuntu TV website.
Tavis J. Hampton is a freelance writer from Indianapolis. He is an avid user of free and open source software and strongly believes that software and knowledge should be free and accessible to all people. He enjoys reading, writing, teaching, spending time with his family, and playing with gadgets.
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