Kubuntu 26.04.1 · minimal install · every screen · full guide · comparison

The minimal Kubuntu install, one screen at a time

Every screen the installer shows you, in order, with the exact pick for this PC pre-marked in green (Asia/Kolkata time zone, English (US) keyboard, minimal app set, 100 GB /, no swap, Legacy BIOS). Sibling-distro captures are labeled as such — the screens are Calamares-identical, only the accent color differs.

Language English Zone Asia/Kolkata Keyboard English (US) Apps Minimal (limited internet) Disk Manual → 100 GB /
✓ real Kubuntuofficial 26.x screen from Commons
≈ engine-identicalsame Calamares screen on a sibling distro
◌ no public shotexact click-list replaces it
Layout update (checked on-disk just now): you reinstalled Windows — the disk is now C: 103.5 GB (fresh), E: 130 GB (empty, shared) and H: 231.7 GB (empty). All four primary slots are used and there is 0 GB unallocated, so this guide's picks changed: delete H: in the installer and carve Kubuntu (100 GB logical /) + shared (131 GB logical NTFS) from an extended container. Fast Startup verified OFF. The stick reports “No Media” again — replug into a rear port to revive it.

Before the installer — 4 Windows-side steps

0

Fast Startup off · E: shrunk · full shut down

  1. Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do → untick Turn on fast startup → save
  2. ✅ done: C: 103.5 / E: 130 / H: 231.7 (empty) verified on disk — the shrink step is superseded
  3. ⚠ USB stick: replug to a rear port — it reports No Media again
  4. Start menu → Shut down (not Restart — hibernation state hides your disk from the installer)
BIOS: Boot Mode stays Legacy. If there's a Fast Boot toggle in the Boot tab, disable it. Secure Boot doesn't exist on this board.

The installer screens, in order

1

Boot menu — pick the stick, Legacy entry SanDisk… (no UEFI: prefix)

Power on, tap F12 repeatedly. Gigabyte's boot menu lists the stick — often twice. Choose the entry without the "UEFI:" prefix; that boots Legacy, matching your MBR disk.

Menu shows Start Kubuntu with sub-options. Pick plain Start Kubuntu; use safe graphics only if the screen misbehaves. Check disc for defects: run it once on first use — 3 min now vs a mystery-install later.

2

Welcome → Language English

Calamares opens on the Welcome page. Left sidebar lists every remaining step — you're never lost.

Calamares welcome and language selection screen
Calamares' language picker — engine-identical to Kubuntu's (capture: Debian 10 Xfce, Wikimedia Commons). The list is the same; Kubuntu's window is blue-accented. Pick English.
PickEnglish (or English (India) — UI strings identical)
LocationAuto-detectAsia/Kolkata — verify it shows, else fix on next screen
3

Location Asia / Kolkata

◌ no public screenshot exists

Calamares shows a world map with a large timezone dot and a region/zone pair of dropdowns below it.

RegionAsia
ZoneKolkata (the list uses Kolkata — Calcutta's modern name)
Map clicktap India once — dot lands on Asia/Kolkata automatically

System time in the live session should say IST. Wrong by hours → fix here, not later.

4

Keyboard English (US)

◌ no public screenshot exists

Combobox for layout + variant, and a type-here test field at the bottom — type a line and confirm every key lands where its label says.

LayoutEnglish (US)
VariantDefault
Test before Nexttype: quick brown fox 12345 @#₹ — match your physical keys
5

Network ethernet cable = automatic

◌ no public screenshot exists

If online, this page shows "Connected"; skip ahead. If not, pick your network / plug the cable. Calamares requires connectivity for the update options on the next screen.

Your setupRTL8168 + cable → connected instantly, in-kernel driver
6

Updates & software Minimal app set · third-party ticked

Actual Kubuntu installer updates and software screen
Real Kubuntu screen — 23.10 capture (identical options in 26.04.1; KUbuntu typo'd in Catalan source). Source: Wikimedia Commons, Kubuntu Install. 23.10 Actualitzacions i programari.png
Internet connectionLimited internet installation ← the minimal choice
Rationalebrowser + essentials only; you're adding Firefox .deb, Prism, MacTahoe yourself — stock extras are dead weight
Extras checkboxthird-party firmware/codecs → tick (H.264 etc. for the HD 4400)
7

Partitioning → Manual 100 GB ext4 at /

Real Kubuntu installer partitioning screen
Real Kubuntu partitioning screen (Catalan-localized capture — same table in English UI: device, type, size, mount point). Source: Wikimedia Commons, Prepareu particions Kubuntu install.png
  1. Confirm top dropdown = /dev/sda — your 466 GB drive
  2. Top dropdown = /dev/sda (466 GB)
  3. Rows: sda1 ntfs (F: 0.6 — leave) · sda2 ntfs (C: 103.5 — leave) · sda3 ntfs (E: 130 — leave) · sda4 ntfs (H: 231.7 — select → Delete; it's empty)
  4. Free space now: 231.7 GB at the end of the disk
  5. Select it → Create → Extended partition → all 231.7 GB → OK
  6. Inside it, select the free space → Create → Logical · ext4 · mount / · 100,240 MB
  7. Remaining free → Create → Logical · NTFS · no mount (or /shared) · rest ≈ 131 GB — later assignable as the shared drive in Windows too
  8. Select free space → Create: Size = all · Primary · Beginning · ext4 · Mount / · no flags
  9. No swap partition — MBR's 4ths lot is spent; / takes all 100 GB
  10. Bootloader: the separate dropdown at the bottom → /dev/sda (bare disk, never a numbered partition)
Any dialog that mentions erasing / formatting ntfs rows = Back button immediately.
8

Summary — the last exit verify, then install

Calamares summary screen listing pending disk actions
Calamares Summary — engine-identical layout on this Lubuntu 25.04 capture (Kubuntu's shows the same list, Kubuntu-blue). Read every line: partitions created, GRUB device, user.
Expect exactlycreate the logical partition (/dev/sda5) ext4 · install GRUB to /dev/sda · nothing touching ntfs
ThenInstall Now / Continue
9

User account your name · password · autologin OFF

◌ no public screenshot exists

Four fields + two checkboxes: full name, machine name (pre-filled), username (pre-filled), password + confirm.

Checkboxesleave both unticked — require password on login and on sudo
Passwordsomething you won't forget on day 30 — it's also sudo
10

Install progress → Reboot

Slides play for 20–40 min on the HDD. Don't fidget the power button. At the end: Restart now, pull the stick when the "remove installation medium" prompt appears (or after GRUB shows — same result).

Reboot lands onGRUB menu: Kubuntu (default) + Windows 10

First boot + day one (5 commands)

11

Verify, snap-out, Firefox .deb, theme

  1. Legacy check: [ -d /sys/firmware/efi ] && echo UEFI || echo "Legacy BIOS"
  2. Clock drift fix for Windows: timedatectl set-local-rtc 1 --adjust-system-clock
  3. Snapectomy + Firefox .deb — the full command block is in the full guide, step 14
  4. balooctl disable · GRUB timeout 2 s · MacTahoe Global Theme (Get New… or repo install)
  5. Flathub → Prism Launcher → Fabulously Optimized 12.3.0 → 1.21.11 → your 5 chunks