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| A brand new Ubuntu desktop |
Before switching to Linux permanently, it's recommended to test it on a virtual machine so that you can feel the experience before making permanent changes on your system. On this tutorial, we will continue revisiting the best distributions for beginners in 2021 and install Ubuntu on VirtualBox in Windows 10.
Downloading Ubuntu
Head to Ubuntu Desktop download page an grab the ISO. For this tutorial we'll use Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. The file should be around 2.5 Gb in size so go grab a coffee while it downloads.
Installing Ubuntu
With the ISO downloaded, let's start the process. Open VirtualBox:
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| VirtualBox's main screen |
Click New, enter the name of the VM and select its save location:
Choose the memory size (4Gb or more is recommended):
Create a Virtual Hard Disk:
Choose VDI (VirtualBox's default format):
Set it to Dynamically Allocated (slower) if you don't have much disk space or Fixed Size (faster) if you do:
Review and Create:
After clicking Create, you should see a summary of your new VM:
Booting the VM
Okay, so it's now time to boot (load) our VM so we can install it in the virtual hard drive. On the screen above click on Start to have your VM initialized. We'll first need to attach our ISO as if it were a virtual CD-ROM. Click Add and select your downloaded ISO from your Downloads folder and click Create to set it:
Confirm on the next screen and click Start:
Your VM should now be booting:
Installing Ubuntu
Once the initial boot ends, you should see the following Ubuntu installation screen providing you two options:
- Install Ubuntu - install Ubuntu in your virtual hard drive
- Try Ubuntu - to run Ubuntu in memory without installing it
Choose your language and click Install Ubuntu to proceed with the installation.
Choosing the Keyboard
On the next screen, choose your keyboard and click Continue:
Apps and Updates
Next, specify what kind of installation you want and how to update the system. For our VM, we're good with Normal installation:
Installation Type
Choose the default installation type. For VMs, Erase disk and install Ubuntu should be good enough. (don't worry, none of your files will be deleted):
Set Time Zone
Click Install Now > Confirm the changes and select your time zone:
Setting Host, User and Password information
On the next screen enter your name, username (how you will login as), password and host (how your machine is identified):
Finishing the Installation
Once the all the settings were satisfied, the actual installation begins. Give it 10 minutes or so:
First Login
With the installation done, let's login the first time. Enter your username/password as specified during the installation on the login screen:
Default Desktop
After login, you should see Ubuntu's beautiful desktop:
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| A brand new Ubuntu desktop |
Next Steps
There you are! Feel free to have fun with your new Ubuntu VM! We will cover some more interesting topics in the future but we recommend that you play with it in the meanwhile.
Conclusion
On this tutorial we learned how to install Ubuntu in a VirtualBox virtual machine (VM). Installing Linux on a VM is the first step you need to explore Linux in its multiple variations. The next step is obviously, replacing your Windows or Mac. But take your time!
See Also
- The best Linux distributions for new users in 2021
- Getting started with Linux on Virtual Machines
- Installing Linux Mint on a Virtual Machine
- Installing elementary OS in a Virtual Machine
- Installing Pop!_OS on a Virtual Machine
- Installing Fedora on a Virtual Machine
- Installing Ubuntu Mate on a Virtual Machine
- Installing Solus on a Virtual Machine
- Why use Linux
- What's a Linux distribution
- Why is Linux free
- Why Linux is safer than Windows and MacOS
- Why developers love Linux
