Ubuntu Installation Guide for Industrial Motherboard

Prerequisites:

1. Ubuntu Installation Media: Download Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) or a newer version (e.g., 24.04 LTS). *Older versions (like 20.04) may lack drivers for the Intel i226-V 2.5G NICs.*

2. Bootable USB Drive: Create a bootable USB stick using tools like Rufus (Windows), balenaEtcher, or the dd command (Linux/Mac).

3. Peripherals: USB Keyboard, USB Mouse, Monitor (VGA cable required).

4. Storage: SATA SSD/HDD or mSATA SSD for the OS.

5. Network: Ethernet cable (for post-install updates/drivers).

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Prepare the BIOS/UEFI:

   • Power on the system and press Del, F2, or F10 (check boot screen prompt) to enter AMI UEFI BIOS.

   • Navigate to the Boot section.

   • Disable Secure Boot. (Ubuntu generally supports Secure Boot, but disabling it can prevent rare issues during installation).

   • Ensure UEFI Boot Mode is enabled (recommended over Legacy/CSM).

   • Set your USB Drive as the First Boot Device.

   • Save changes and exit (F10 usually).

2. Boot from USB:

   • Insert the Ubuntu bootable USB drive into one of the USB 3.0 ports.

   • Power cycle or restart the system. It should now boot from the USB drive.

   • Select "Try or Install Ubuntu" at the GRUB menu.

3. Start Ubuntu Installer:

   • Once the live desktop loads, double-click the "Install Ubuntu" icon.

   • Select your Language and click "Continue".

4. Keyboard Layout:

   • Choose your keyboard layout. Test it in the box. Click "Continue".

5. Network & Updates (Optional but Recommended):

   • Connect an Ethernet cable to one of the Intel i226-V 2.5G ports. The installer should detect the network automatically.

   • Check both boxes:

     • "Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware, Flash, MP3 and other media" (Provides proprietary drivers/firmware).

     • "Download updates while installing Ubuntu" (Ensures latest fixes/drivers are included). Highly recommended for NIC stability.

   • Click "Continue".

6. Installation Type (Partitioning):

   • Critical Step: Choose how to install Ubuntu.

     • Option A (Simplest): Select "Erase disk and install Ubuntu" if using a dedicated drive. WARNING: This erases ALL data on the selected disk!

     • Option B (Manual): Select "Something else" for custom partitioning (e.g., separate /, /home, swap). Click "Continue".

       • Identify your target SATA or mSATA drive (e.g., /dev/sda or /dev/sdb).

       • Create Partitions: (Example for UEFI)

         • EFI System Partition: Size 512MB (or 1GB), Type EFI System Partition, Format FAT32, Mount point /boot/efi.

         • Swap: Size >= RAM size (e.g., 16GB), Type swap area.

         • Root (/): Size >= 30GB (recommend 50-100GB+), Type Ext4 journaling file system, Mount point /.

         • Home (/home): Use remaining space, Type Ext4, Mount point /home. (Optional but recommended).

       • Device for boot loader installation: Select the EFI System Partition you created (e.g., /dev/sda1). Crucial for UEFI booting.

   • Double-check selections and click "Install Now". Confirm changes if prompted.

7. Location:

   • Select your time zone by clicking on the map or entering a city. Click "Continue".

8. User Setup:

   • Enter your Name.

   • Enter a Computer Name (e.g., industrial-server).

   • Choose a Username.

   • Set a strong Password.

   • Choose "Require my password to log in" or "Log in automatically".

   • Click "Continue".

9. Installation Progress:

   • Ubuntu will now install. This takes some time. Keep the system powered and connected to Ethernet.

   • You may see prompts about slides describing Ubuntu features.

10. Installation Complete:

    • When finished, you will see a message: "Installation Complete". Click "Restart Now".

    • Remove the USB drive when prompted and press Enter.

11. First Boot & Login:

    • The system should boot into Ubuntu from the internal drive.

    • Enter your password at the login screen.

Post-Installation Configuration & Verification

1. Apply Updates IMMEDIATELY:

   • Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T).

   • Run the following commands:

     bash

     
     

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     sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
     sudo apt dist-upgrade -y
     sudo apt autoremove -y

   • Reboot when prompted/after completion: sudo reboot

2. Verify Network Functionality:

   • After reboot, open a terminal.

   • Run: ip a or ifconfig (install with sudo apt install net-tools if needed). You should see your Ethernet interfaces (likely enpXsY, e.g., enp1s0).

   • Run: sudo ethtool enpXsY | grep Speed (replace enpXsY with your interface name). It should report Speed: 2500Mb/s for the i226-V ports. If speed shows 1000Mb/s or lower, see troubleshooting below.

   • Test internet connectivity: ping google.com

3. Verify Hardware:

   • USB Ports: Test both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 (via header pins) ports.

   • SATA/mSATA: Verify all connected drives are detected in Disks utility or via lsblk / sudo fdisk -l.

   • VGA Output: Ensure display works correctly. Install additional graphics drivers only if necessary (Intel integrated graphics usually work well OOTB).

Troubleshooting Key Issues

• Network Interfaces Not Working / Incorrect Speed (1Gbps instead of 2.5Gbps):

  • Cause: Older kernel lacking optimal i226-V driver.

  • Solution:

    1. Ensure you installed Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or NEWER. (20.04 LTS might work with HWE kernel updates).

    2. Run sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y and reboot.

    3. Check kernel version: uname -r. You need Kernel 5.16 or newer for reliable i226-V support. Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS ships with 6.5.

    4. Force 2.5G Mode (if auto-negotiation fails): Temporarily try: sudo ethtool -s enpXsY speed 2500 duplex full autoneg off (replace enpXsY). If this works, make it persistent:

       • Create/edit: sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces.d/10-enpXsY.cfg

       • Add:

         text

         
         

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         allow-hotplug enpXsY
         iface enpXsY inet dhcp
             pre-up /sbin/ethtool -s enpXsY speed 2500 duplex full autoneg off

       • Save (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X) and restart networking: sudo systemctl restart networking.service.

• System Fails to Boot (GRUB/Black Screen):

  • Cause: UEFI/BIOS misconfiguration, Secure Boot conflict, or boot loader installation issue.

  • Solution:

    1. Re-enter BIOS/UEFI (Del/F2/F10).

    2. Double-check Boot Order (Ubuntu/HDD first).

    3. Verify Secure Boot is OFF.

    4. Ensure UEFI Mode is enabled (disable CSM/Legacy if present).

    5. If problems persist, try reinstalling GRUB from a Live USB.

• Storage Not Detected During Install:

  • Cause: Missing SATA controller driver (unlikely for Intel C236), faulty cable/drive, or BIOS setting.

  • Solution:

    1. Enter BIOS/UEFI. Check SATA controller mode is set to AHCI (should be default).

    2. Check physical SATA/mSATA connections and power.

    3. Try a different SATA port/drive.

Optional Configuration (For Specific Use Cases)

• Watchdog: Install and configure watchdog daemon: sudo apt install watchdog. Configure /etc/watchdog.conf and enable the service: sudo systemctl enable --now watchdog.

• Serial Console (COM / RJ45): Configure GRUB and systemd to use a serial console for headless management. Requires specific kernel parameters and getty configuration.

• GPIO: Access requires kernel drivers and userspace tools (e.g., libgpiod). Development usually needed.

• Custom Network Cards: If you have a BYPASS or 4x10G SFP+ card installed, ensure the correct kernel drivers (ixgbe for X710, ixgbevf for VFs, i40e for XL710/X710, igb for i211/i210) are loaded (lsmod | grep ). Install dkms versions if necessary.

Important Notes:

• Backup Important Data: Before partitioning/installing.

• Kernel is Key: Using Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or newer is essential for reliable support of the Intel i226-V 2.5G Ethernet controllers.

• UEFI Preferred: Use UEFI mode and an EFI System Partition for installation.

• Monitor Installation: Keep the system connected to power and network during the entire installation and initial update process.