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I am attempting to install the smallest desktop environment possible on an IBM Lenovo T43 laptop with a 40 GiB HDD. Currently running Ubuntu/Xubuntu 18.04 for 32 bit with xfce4 GUI.

My goal was to install the Ubuntu minimal iso from a USB, wipe Ubuntu from Dev/mapping/ (because it's 37 GiB), then to sudo apt-get install xubuntu-core. However, none of that is relevant, because when I boot from USB, I'm led through a series of prompts to setup a network configuration. I'm being asked to enter data which I can only guess at: wap2/wep "passphrase", host name, ip adress, gateway, and domain name.

After getting through that, I'm offered a menu of mirros to choose from; though apparently none of them work (no matter which one I select): i receive an error message indicating either it's the wrong mirror or perhaps there is a connection problem (there's not, I've checked it multiple times now).

That is where the ride ends. I can't proceed with the install because I can't get passed this mirror issue. Again, though I'm in the United States, I've tried multiple mirrors, including the United States...without regard to proximity to the United States.

I'm using my home AT&T U-verse/broadband wifi as a connection. In order for this install to work, do I need to be hardwired into the router? I'm open to any and all troubleshooting tips, hacks, or solutions (with the exception of any involving installation of unstable PPAs). Thanks in advance for helping me think through this dilemma.

Martial
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3 Answers3

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After much pain and searching of the internet, I think I've found the answer to my own question in a post I failed to discover until now: How do I do a minimal install without an internet connection?

Apparently, I've been attempting to get the Ubuntu-mini iso to do something it is not capable of doing; install over a WI-FI connection. If anyone else finds themselves confused by a similar situation, see the "Ubuntu-minimal" tag and compare it to the "Minimal Installation" tag. That cleared it up for me...I think. I'll try creating a Live USB with Xubuntu 18 Cosmic and see if using the Minimal Installation makes any difference. I'll update this answer with the result later.

Martial
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The mini.iso simply only has the minimum to start the installation; it doesn't even have apt/apt-get. Once you connect to the internet and select the mirror, it will download apt and the remainder of the installer. That's why the ISO is so small.

Bevan Ellis
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The solution to your problem is ethernet adapter. Its only 12 bucks at amazon. Once you get the connection and install everything you are all set.

Muriz
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