Installing Catalyst on Ubuntu.

Step 1 - install Ubuntu

The freely downloadable installation media, which you can burn to a CD, include an excellent partition editor. It will default to showing the DVD/CD-ROM drive instead of the hard drive, which can be confusing for the beginner who is unfamiliar with UNIX-like operating systems.

Step 2 - add a firewall.

I would add a firewall immediately after installation has completed. Until then, Gibson's ShieldsUp! reports that Ubuntu will react to scans on several common ports by responding to them, saying the ports are "closed". Ubuntu also responds to pings.

I like the highly rated "FireStarter" firewall that you can get by going to Applications > Add/Remove.. and entering "firewall" in the searchbox. You have to include "All available applications" in the search.

When it comes up, select it, enable it and configure it. Configuration should include "Enable ICMP filtering" (but not any checkboxes under it), so the PING responses will cease.

Test it with Gibsons' ShieldsUp!.

It should come up automatically on any subsequent bootup. Again, test it at Gibson's, to make sure!

Step 3 - update NVidia (if you have NVidia graphics hardware).

Go to System > Administration > Hardware Drivers and select NVidia (restart required).
After restart check screen resolution (System > Administration > Screen resolution).
The settings must agree with manufacturer specifications, or your monitior becomes a fire hazard.

You may want to check for other updates for your Ubuntu installation also...

Step 4 - Download and install the Catalyst perl modules.

Open a terminal window, type "sudo apt-get install libcatalyst-modules-perl", as in the image below:

Of course you want to continue, so hit the Enter key! It is quick and painfree - unlike how it was until not too long ago. Thanks to a lot of hard work by some people, no doubt.

Step 5 - Run the two scripts to install the Catalyst server.

You can then run
"catalyst.pl Hello", followed by
"Hello/script/hello_server.pl", as in the image below:

Step 6 - Change name of computer (to the name of yours!)

I called my computer "vemkandetvara-desktop" when I installed Ubuntu.
You probably called yours something else.

Just change it, and you are ready to connect to your own Catalyst server!