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Setting Up Ubuntu on Intel NUC¶

This guide walks you through installing and configuring Ubuntu on an Intel NUC device. Ubuntu is a popular Linux distribution that provides a full-featured operating system suitable for development, server workloads, and general-purpose computing.

Overview¶

Installing Ubuntu on an Intel NUC involves:

Downloading the Ubuntu ISO: Downloading the Ubuntu installation image from ubuntu.com
Setting Windsor context: Initialize the workspace context with windsor init and windsor context set
Updating windsor.yaml: Configuring workspace variables including the ISO path and USB disk
Preparing the image in workspace: Copying the Ubuntu image to the workspace with task device:download-ubuntu-img
Preparing the NUC: Updating BIOS and configuring boot settings
Creating the boot media: Writing the Ubuntu ISO to a USB device
Booting and installing: Booting from USB and installing Ubuntu to the NUC's storage
Post-installation setup: Configuring the system for your needs

Ubuntu provides a complete, user-friendly Linux distribution with extensive software support, making it ideal for development workstations, servers, and general-purpose computing on Intel NUC devices.

Prerequisites¶

Before starting, ensure you have:

Intel NUC device: Compatible Intel NUC (x86_64 architecture)
USB memory device: At least 8GB capacity (16GB or larger recommended) for the boot media
Computer with macOS or Linux: For preparing the boot media
Network connectivity: The Intel NUC must be able to connect to your network via Ethernet (recommended) or Wi-Fi
At least 20GB of storage: On the NUC's internal storage device (50GB or more recommended)
Physical access: To the NUC for BIOS configuration and boot media insertion
Windsor workspace: Clone or open the workspace repository

Step 1: Download the Ubuntu ISO¶

Download the Ubuntu installation ISO from the official website:

Ubuntu Desktop: Ubuntu Desktop Download - Full desktop environment with GUI
Ubuntu Server: Ubuntu Server Download - Minimal server installation without GUI

Choose the version that best fits your needs:

Desktop: If you need a graphical interface, development tools, and desktop applications
Server: If you're setting up a headless server or want a minimal installation

Note: After downloading, note the full path to the ISO file. You'll need this for Step 3.

Step 2: Set Windsor context¶

Initialize and set the nuc-ubuntu context:

windsor init nuc-ubuntu
windsor context set nuc-ubuntu

Step 3: Update windsor.yaml¶

Determine the target disk¶

Use task device:list-disks to get a list of disks. Set the USB_DISK environment variable accordingly.

Add variables to windsor.yaml¶

Add or update the environment section in contexts/nuc-ubuntu/windsor.yaml:

environment:
  USB_DISK: "/dev/disk4"

  # Path to the downloaded Ubuntu ISO file (from Step 1)
  UBUNTU_IMG_FILE: "/Users/$USER/Downloads/ubuntu-24.04-desktop-amd64.iso"

Replace the placeholder values with your actual configuration:

USB_DISK: The device identifier for your USB memory device (use task device:list-disks to identify it)
UBUNTU_IMG_FILE: The path to your downloaded Ubuntu image file

Step 4: Prepare the image in the workspace¶

Copy the downloaded Ubuntu image to the workspace devices folder:

task device:download-ubuntu-img

This copies the image file specified in UBUNTU_IMG_FILE to contexts/nuc-ubuntu/devices/ubuntu-img/ubuntu.img.

Step 5: Prepare the Intel NUC¶

Update the BIOS¶

Before installing Ubuntu, ensure your NUC's BIOS is up to date. Follow the full runbook for step-by-step instructions using the device tasks:

→ Update the Intel NUC BIOS

The runbook covers downloading the BIOS update, preparing the USB with task device:prepare-bios and task device:write-bios-disk, and booting with F7 to apply the update.

Configure Boot Settings¶

Access the NUC's BIOS settings (typically by pressing F2 during boot):

Navigate to the Boot tab in BIOS settings
In the Boot Priority section:
Select "Boot USB devices First" to prioritize USB boot
Enable "USB" booting if not already enabled
Secure Boot (optional):
Ubuntu supports Secure Boot, but you can disable it if you encounter issues
If using Secure Boot, ensure it's set to "Standard" mode (not "Custom")

Wipe Existing Storage (Optional)¶

If the NUC previously had another operating system installed and you want a clean installation, you can wipe the storage device. Warning: This will destroy all data on the storage device.

# On the NUC (or from another system via SSH)
# Identify the storage device first
lsblk
# or
sudo fdisk -l

# Wipe the partition table (replace /dev/nvme0n1 with your device)
sudo wipefs -a /dev/nvme0n1

# Alternative: Zero the first few MB to destroy partition table
sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/nvme0n1 bs=1M count=10

Note: You can also wipe the disk during the Ubuntu installation process using the installer's disk partitioning tool.

Step 6: Prepare USB boot device¶

Write Ubuntu ISO to USB¶

Write the Ubuntu ISO to your USB memory device. This process will erase all existing data on the device.

task device:write-ubuntu-img [-- 3]

Eject the USB Device¶

After writing completes, safely eject the device(s):

task device:eject-disk [-- 3]

The eject-disk task will automatically unmount the disks before ejecting them.

Step 7: Boot and install Ubuntu¶

Insert the boot media: Insert the USB memory device into a USB port on your Intel NUC
Connect network: Ensure the Intel NUC is connected to your network via Ethernet (recommended) or Wi-Fi
Power on: Connect power to the Intel NUC and turn it on
Access boot menu: Press F10 (or the appropriate key for your NUC model) during boot to access the boot menu
Select USB device: Choose the USB device from the boot menu
Ubuntu installer loads: The Ubuntu installer will load from the USB device
Follow installation wizard:
Select your language and keyboard layout
Choose installation type (normal installation or minimal installation)
Set up network connection (if not already connected)
Configure disk partitioning:
- Erase disk and install Ubuntu: For a clean installation (recommended for new setups)
- Something else: For custom partitioning (advanced users)
- Create a user account and set a password
- Wait for installation to complete
- Reboot: When installation completes, remove the USB device and reboot the system

Note: The installation process will install Ubuntu to the internal storage device. After installation completes and the system reboots, Ubuntu will boot from the internal storage.

Step 8: Post-installation setup¶

Initial System Update¶

After Ubuntu boots for the first time, update the system:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Additional Software¶

Install common development and system tools:

# Essential build tools
sudo apt install -y build-essential curl wget git

# Additional useful tools
sudo apt install -y vim nano htop net-tools

Configure SSH (for remote access)¶

If you want to access the NUC remotely:

# Install SSH server
sudo apt install -y openssh-server

# Enable and start SSH service
sudo systemctl enable ssh
sudo systemctl start ssh

# Check SSH status
sudo systemctl status ssh

Set Static IP Address (Optional)¶

If you need a static IP address for your NUC:

# Edit network configuration
sudo nano /etc/netplan/00-installer-config.yaml

Add or modify the configuration:

network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    eno1:  # Replace with your network interface name
      dhcp4: false
      addresses:
        - 192.168.2.101/24
      routes:
        - to: default
          via: 192.168.2.1
      nameservers:
        addresses:
          - 8.8.8.8
          - 8.8.4.4

Apply the configuration:

sudo netplan apply

Verification¶

Verify your Ubuntu installation is working correctly:

# Check system information
uname -a
lsb_release -a

# Check network connectivity
ip addr show
ping -c 3 8.8.8.8

# Check disk usage
df -h

# Check system resources
free -h

Your Ubuntu system should be fully operational and ready for use.

Troubleshooting¶

NUC Not Booting from USB¶

Verify USB boot is enabled in BIOS/UEFI settings
Check that "Boot USB devices First" is selected in boot priority
Try a different USB port on the NUC
Verify the ISO was written correctly to the USB device
Ensure the USB device is properly formatted and recognized by the BIOS
Try disabling Secure Boot if it's preventing boot

Installation Fails¶

Verify the storage device has at least 20GB of free space (50GB recommended)
Check that the storage device is properly recognized
Ensure the Ubuntu ISO is not corrupted (verify checksum)
Try a different USB device
Check BIOS settings for any restrictions

Network Issues After Installation¶

Verify network cable connection (if using Ethernet)
Check network interface is up: ip link show
Restart network service: sudo systemctl restart networking
Check network configuration: sudo netplan apply
Review network logs: journalctl -u NetworkManager

Boot Issues After Installation¶

Verify the boot device is set correctly in BIOS
Check that Ubuntu was installed to the correct disk
Ensure the USB device is removed after installation
Try accessing GRUB boot menu (hold Shift during boot)
Check boot logs: journalctl -b

Wiping the Boot Disk Using Ubuntu Live USB¶

If you need to completely wipe the NUC's boot disk to start fresh, you can use an Ubuntu Live USB to boot into a recovery environment and wipe the disk. See the Wiping the boot disk using Ubuntu Live USB section in the IncusOS runbook for detailed instructions on creating an Ubuntu Live USB and wiping disks.

Next Steps¶

After successfully installing Ubuntu:

Install development tools: Set up your preferred development environment
Configure services: Install and configure any services you need (web server, database, etc.)
Set up users: Create additional user accounts if needed
Configure firewall: Set up UFW or another firewall solution
Enable automatic updates: Configure unattended-upgrades for security updates
Set up backups: Configure backup solutions for your data