Instructions for System Setup and Configuration
Contents
Author
Neel Pandeya
Introduction
This document provides instructions for attendees to setup and configure their laptop or desktop computer system for use with the hands-on exercises and labs for the "USRP Open-Source Toolchain: UHD and GNU Radio" Workshop/Tutorial.
This document assumes that you are using a USRP B200/B210 radio, although the USRP X300/X310, N300, N310, N320, N321, X410 may also be used as well.
In some sessions, the radio will be provided to you, but in other sessions you will need to provide your own radio. Check this with the organizer of your session.
Your laptop or desktop computer should be no more than about seven years old, with an Intel i5, i7, or i9 CPU, or AMD equivalent, running at a 3.5 GHz clock speed or higher, with 8 GB memory, and at least one USB 3.0 port (for USRP B200/B210 radios) and one RJ-45 Ethernet port (for other USRP radios). You will need about 30 GB of free disk space for the Linux installation. You will need to have internet access during the entire installation, set-up, and configuration process.
Also note that all of this is optional. You only have to do this if you want to use the USRP in the workshop to do the hands-on exercises, and actually use the USRP radio. If you do not want to do this, and if you simply want to sit back and watch the instructor's presentation, then you can skip all of this, and just come to the workshop with a cup of coffee.
Step 1: Install Xubuntu 24.04.3
Install Xubuntu 24.04.3. You may also install Ubuntu itself, or any other Ubuntu flavor, such as Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Cinnamon, MATE, or Linux Mint. We recommend using Xubuntu because it is very light-weight, and the user-interface is easy-to-use and intuitive, and it runs fast on older or resource-constrained hardware.
https://ubuntu.com/desktop/flavors
Please install on-the-metal, not in a Virtual Machine (VM). Please install specifically version 24.04.3.
If you already have an existing Windows or Linux installation on your computer, then you can install Ubuntu or Xubuntu alongside your already-existing operating system, in a dual-boot configuration. The installer will ask you about this, and it supports installing in a dual-boot configuration. However, note that there can be some challenges when dual-booting with Windows 11, and this may not be easy to set up and may not work well.
You can download the ISO images for Xubuntu from the links below. Write the ISO image to a USB 3.0 drive, and boot from it, and install Xubuntu.
https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/noble/release/
Step 2: Installation Settings
During the Ubuntu/Xubuntu installation process, set the username to be "ettus". This is not strictly necessary, but if you do this, then it will make all the commands in the installation instructions and in the exercises work more easily. The hostname does not matter. Do not use any disk encryption. Do not enable any volume management.
Step 3: Apply Updates
Once the installation is complete, boot into it, and open a terminal window, and apply updates. Run the commands listed below, in a terminal window.
sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade
