The Graphical Installer. The GUI installer used to be available only from the live CD or DVD. I still recommend that you start the Graphical Installer from a live Ubuntu system, as I feel, and this is just my opinion, that it's the best way to install Ubuntu. If you feel the need to use the GUI for installation to boot the live CD or DVD, select the first option from the Boot menu, shown here. However, starting with the Hardy Heron release, you can bypass the live CD or DVD for the GUI installation by selecting the Install Ubuntu option, the second option from the Boot menu shown here. The names of these options have varied by Ubuntu release, so if you're using something other than Hardy Heron, what you see on your screen may vary. Once the live CD is loaded you'll see this screen shown here, a fully functional version of Ubuntu Linux. From this live operating system, the GUI Installer is easy to start. Just double click on the install icon near the upper left corner of the screen. The installation process is almost self explanatory. Let's review the basic options. The first step is associated with language for the remainder of the installation, as well as the default language for the system. The second step allows you to select your location. If you're already familiar with text mode installations, you'll realize that this is one case, a rare case, where the GUI installation is somewhat more flexible. The third step supports the selection of different keyboard layouts. The default you're given assumes you're using a keyboard associated with the standard language of the country where you're located. During the fourth step, you can either allow Ubuntu to specify standard partitions by selecting one of the guided options, or you can customize partition sizes yourself by selecting the Manual option. If you select the Manual option, you'll want to specify the size of partitions to be configured just remember, at minimum you'll want at least a top level root directory partition and a swap partition. And make sure partitions, especially those which overwrite existing systems, assuming you've saved the data, are formatted. With the next step, you're prompted to identify yourself. The user account that you want to create, the password for that account, and the name for the system. The last step, well sort of the last step, the last step you have to input things to, summarizes what you've configured. If you don't want the master boot record to be overwritten with the GRUB boot loader, click Advanced. You'll see some options on the screen that appears. Once you've gone through all these steps, click Install. The installation process begins and the operating system is still loaded on the live CD which is useable until the installation is complete.