Image name: UB_18.04_EE_SciProg_AMC_2020-04-19_V002_rb

Created for the Summer Semester 2020, the Corona Semester

Ubuntu 18.04 Desktop Image to support the courses Scientific Programming (SciProg) and Applied Measurement and Control (AMC) of the 'Environment and Energy' study program at the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. Maintained by R. Becker (2020-04-18)

Most significant features installed:

Created for the Summer Semester 2020, the Corona Semester

Download (4.5 GB) UB_18.04_EE_SciProg_AMC_2020-04-18_V002_rb.ova

Credentials for the Linux VM:
Username: studi
Password: linux123

This Linux image can be started with the virtual machine VirtualBox.

For transparency we explain how we built it.

Download VirtualBox directly for your host operating system (the operating system on your computer, e.g. Windows or Mac OS) from https://www.virtualbox.org/

Adapting the automatic screen resolution with the official Ubuntu 18.04 image running on VirtualBox VM is a problem. Also copy-paste between Windows and the Ubuntu VM sometimes does not work.

The easiest way for me is to use a vagrant Ubuntu Desktop image provided by the user “peru”: https://app.vagrantup.com/peru/boxes/ubuntu-18.04-desktop-amd64

It already provides several features which make life easier (some mentioned above).

Install Vagrant on your local machine.

Create a meaningful directory, e.g. my-ubuntu.

Download the vagrant file below into my-ubuntu by clicking on the link above the code text.

vagrantfile

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.box = "peru/ubuntu-18.04-desktop-amd64"
  config.vm.box_version = "20200401.01"
end

Open a command line interface (CLI) such as Windows cmd in the directory my-ubuntu. If you type dir you should see the file vagrantfile.

On the command line execute vagrant up. This will pull the Ubuntu Desktop image named in the Vagrant file.

This will start the Ubuntu image in the VirtualBox VM.

Log in with vagrant / vagrant

sudo apt update
sudo upgrade update

Additional software

sudo apt install curl

Log in with vagrant / vagrant

The default keyboard layout is English en. Use the “Settings” App (the gear symbol) to add additional keyboard layouts. You should install at least German (no dead keys). In languages like French with accents above vowels dead keys are used to modify letters, e.g. with a dead key layout pressing ` followed by a yields à. In plain German it is annoying to be forced to press two keys, namely an accent followed by a black, to get the accent only. The modifier no-dead-keys eliminates this behavior. If an accent key is pressed the accent is typed immediately.

After adding more layouts a keyboard selection dropdown menu occurs on the top right of the desktop. Choose your appropriate layout (e.g. en or de).

Log in with vagrant / vagrant

Execute sudo adduser studi

Choose the password linux123 and user name studi. Leave the other fields empty.

Endow the user studi with comprehensive rights by adding him or her to the relevant user groups:

sudo usermod -a -G sudo,dialout,adm,cdrom,dip,plugdev,lpadmin,sambashare studi

Log in with studi / linux123

Thonny is a light weight Python editor for beginners: https://thonny.org/

The Thonny version in the Ubuntu 18.04 Software Center is too old.
There are several ways to install the latest version of Thonny, e.g.:

1. Download the latest Thonny bash installation script and execute with bash: sh thonny-3.2.7.bash
2. If Python3 is installed (e.g. as part of Anaconda3) you can execute: pip install thonny

bash <(curl -s https://thonny.org/installer-for-linux)

Log in with studi / linux123

Source: https://www.arduino.cc/en/guide/linux

Download the latest Arduino installer package (e.g. Linux 64 Bits) from https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software

Unpack the archive by right clicking and selecting “unpack” (not just change into the still compressed archive). Change into the directory and execute install.sh as root, e.g. in a terminal sudo ./install.sh

Log in with studi / linux123

Source: https://docs.anaconda.com/anaconda/install/linux/

# On Debian based systems:
sudo apt-get install libgl1-mesa-glx libegl1-mesa libxrandr2 libxrandr2 libxss1 libxcursor1 libxcomposite1 libasound2 libxi6 libxtst6

In your browser go to https://www.anaconda.com/distribution and choose Linux Distribution.

Download the lastest Linux installer! Currently (2020-04-17) it is:
https://repo.anaconda.com/archive/Anaconda3-2020.02-Linux-x86_64.sh

You can also use the command wget is a Linux terminal to download the installer. Open a terminal in the Linux VM pressing <Ctrl>-<Alt>-T

cd ~/Downloads

wget https://repo.anaconda.com/archive/Anaconda3-2020.02-Linux-x86_64.sh

sh ./Anaconda3-2020.02-Linux-x86_64.sh

1. Read and accept the license and answer with yes.
2. Accept the default installation directory /home/studi/Anaconda3: answer with yes
3. Refuse the installer to modify your shell scripts to start an environment: answer with no.

This will install the Anaconda3 Python distribution into the location /home/studi/anaconda3

The final remarks by the installer:

You have chosen to not have conda modify your shell scripts at all.
To activate conda's base environment in your current shell session:

eval "$(/home/studi/anaconda3/bin/conda shell.YOUR_SHELL_NAME hook)" 

To install conda's shell functions for easier access, first activate, then:

conda init

If you'd prefer that conda's base environment not be activated on startup, 
   set the auto_activate_base parameter to false: 

conda config --set auto_activate_base false

Thank you for installing Anaconda3!

===========================================================================

Anaconda and JetBrains are working together to bring you Anaconda-powered
environments tightly integrated in the PyCharm IDE.

PyCharm for Anaconda is available at:
https://www.anaconda.com/pycharm

If you chose “activate conda environment” during anaconda3 installation it modifies the command line prompt, i.e.
(base) studi@linux:~$

See: https://askubuntu.com/questions/1026383/why-does-base-appear-in-front-of-my-terminal-prompt

Download the file below by clicking on anaconda.desktop and move it into the right folder:
mv anaconda.desktop $HOME/.local/applications/anaconda.desktop

anaconda.desktop

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=Anaconda-Navigator
GenericName=Anaconda
Comment=Scientific Python Development Environment - Python3
Exec=bash -c 'export PATH="${HOME}/studi/anaconda3/bin:$PATH" && ${HOME}/anaconda3/bin/anaconda-navigator'
Categories=Development;Science;IDE;Qt;Education;
#rb: ${HOME} is not evaluated in Icon: Icon=${HOME}/anaconda3/lib/python3.7/[...]/anaconda-icon-256x256.png 
Icon=/home/studi/anaconda3/lib/python3.7/site-packages/anaconda_navigator/static/images/anaconda-icon-256x256.png
Terminal=false
StartupNotify=true
MimeType=text/x-python;

Source: https://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Chromium/Installation/

sudo apt-get install chromium-browser chromium-browser-l10n chromium-codecs-ffmpeg 
sudo apt-get install chromium-codecs-ffmpeg-extra 

suto apt install git