Tutorial: Linux Mint 18.1 Cinnamon Installation

In this tutorial, we cover the step-by-step installation of Linux Mint 18.1 Cinnamon 32-bit version. The installation of other Linux Mint versions including 64-bit will be very similar to this guide. I will try to explain certain options and provide helpful hints along the way, so rather than just following the guide, you can understand the reasoning behind the decisions.

If there are any mistakes please draw our attention to them and we will correct as needed. We have tried to make this as simple as possible, whilst covering the vast majority of scenarios users will come across whilst installing this operating system.

 

Step 1
The first thing you should do is head to the Linux Mint Download web page and download the Linux Mint 18.1 Cinnamon ISO image using your preferred download option

 

Step 2
Using your disc burning software, burn the .iso you downloaded to a DVD.

 

Step 3
Before you go any further, ensure all important data is backed up in case of data loss on your drives. This guide assumes you have media backups of your hard drives and you are safe to proceed.

Warning: Installing another operating system without first ensuring you have backups of your current files and operating system is a big risk. If you have no data to lose or you’ve backed up important data, you’re ready to proceed. YOU are responsible if you lose data.

For those of you using Windows and installing Linux for the first time I recommend you either use a separate hard disk not used with Windows or create a partition big enough for Linux within Windows, by using the Disk Management utility in the Administrative Tools menu of the control panel. 20GB of hard disk space is plenty of space for you to begin exploring Linux Mint whilst at the same time having room to grow.

Info: It goes without saying, that I accept no liability or responsibility for any errors or damage to your computer during, or after installing Linux. It is up to the user to ensure proper backups are made of important documents and files and this tutorial assumes these have already been completed and verified.

 

Step 4
Ensure you have a network cable connected, restart your computer, and boot from the DVD drive.

 

Step 5
The Live Desktop will load up, and you’ll be presented with the following window:

 

Step 6
Double click the “Install Linux Mint” desktop shortcut to begin the installation of Linux Mint. The following window will open:

Choose the language relevant for your installation of Linux Mint and click continue to proceed to the next step.

 

Step 7
In the following step you have the opportunity to select whether you wish to install any third-party software or drivers:

I recommend you install these to provide you with a more fluid desktop experience. Check the option to install the third-party software and drivers and then click continue to proceed to the next step.

 

Step 8
The next screen you will see is “installation type,” what you see will be dependent on whether you have an existing Windows installation or not. In the example below, Linux is being installed to a previously unused hard drive.

If you are installing Linux Mint to a spare hard drive, or are installing onto a virtual machine, you can keep the default options above.

Also, you can choose whether you would like to encrypt your Linux Mint operating system — useful for those requiring additional security against theft.

You can also create an LVM – doing so will give you more flexibility with resizing partitions and adding further hard drive storage in the future.

Select the relevant options (if required) and then click on “install now” to proceed.

 

Step 9
Verifying the proposed disk changes:

Confirm you are happy with the partition changes displayed, then click continue to proceed to the next step.

 

Step 10
In this step, you will be asked to confirm your regional locale. It should automatically find where you are, as it has for me already.

Adjust if correction is required and click Continue to proceed to the next step.

 

Step 11
The next screen to appear will be keyboard layout:

Ensure the correct option is selected. As per the previous step, you will notice the correct (and default UK) selection has been automatically made for me.

Click continue to proceed to the next step.

 

Step 12
You will now be greeted by the “who are you” screen, ready for you to fill out with your user details:

The computers name and username will automatically populate when you type your full name. However, you can edit either field should you wish for these to be different. Fill in the details and then click continue.

You can opt to have Ubuntu automatically log in for you — even with a password set — or you can choose the traditional option requiring a password to log in. You don’t need to choose the encrypt option unless you’re installing on a laptop and/or are dealing with highly secure information.

Note: The encrypt home folder option here is irrelevant for those that have chosen to use an encrypted LVM setup for their installation. In that instance you are using encryption across the entire logical volume you have created.

 

Step 13
The installation information screens will now appear as Linux Mint continues the installation:

Progress of the installation is displayed in the lower black bar. Once complete, you’ll see the following pop-up window.

 

Step 14

Select “restart now” and when requested, remove your installation CD, then press enter to reboot.

 

Step 15
For those of you that have Linux Mint as the only operating system, the computer will boot directly to the login screen.

If you’re dual-booting, you will see the GRUB menu appear similar to below. Please note that this window may appear to be visually different between different versions of Linux.

Hit enter, to select the first option and load your newly installed Linux Mint operating system.

 

Step 16
For those that elected to automatically log in, you will go straight to the desktop in Step 17. For everyone else, you will be greeted with the new login manager for Linux Mint:

Enter your password, and hit enter to log in to your desktop.

 

Step 17
Your desktop should look like this:

Now you can enjoy your freshly installed operating system and begin exploring its features.

Disclaimer: It goes without saying, that I accept no liability or responsibility for any errors or damage to your computer during, or after installing Linux. It is up to the user to ensure proper backups are made of important documents and files and this tutorial assumes these have already been completed and verified.