How to Install Ubuntu on VirtualBox

This is an article that shows you how to install Ubuntu Linux on your computer using VirtualBox. The VirtualBox program allows you to install additional operating systems without changing the main operating system of your computer.

Table of Contents

Download Ubuntu

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Open the Ubuntu page. Go to https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop using your computer’s web browser. You can download the disk image (aka ISO file) of Ubuntu here.

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Drag the scroll bar down to the latest Ubuntu version. You’ll see this option at the bottom of the page.

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Click Download . It’s the green button to the right of the Ubuntu version you’ve selected. This will take you to the support page.

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Scroll down and click Download Now . This is the link in the bottom left corner of the page.

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Make sure Ubuntu is downloaded. The Ubuntu ISO file download usually starts right away, but if it doesn’t, you can click the download now link at the top of the page. While waiting for the Ubuntu ISO to load, you will have time to set up the virtual machine on VirtualBox.

Create virtual machine

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Install VirtualBox if you haven’t already. If you don’t have VirtualBox installed on your Windows or Mac computer, you’ll need to install it before continuing.

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Open VirtualBox. Double-click (or single-click on Mac) the VirtualBox application icon.

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Click New . It’s the blue badge in the upper-left corner of the VirtualBox window. A menu will appear here.

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Name the virtual machine. You’ll enter any name for the virtual machine (such as Ubuntu ) in the “Name” field near the top of the currently displayed menu.

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Select Linux at the “Type” value. Click the “Type” selection box, then click Linux in the list that appears.

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Select Ubuntu for the “Version” value. By default, Ubuntu is usually selected after you select Linux for the “Type” value, but otherwise, click the “Version” selection box, and select Ubuntu (64-bit) before continuing.

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Click Next (Continue). This button displays at the bottom of the menu.

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Select the amount of RAM to use. Click and drag the slider left or right to increase or decrease the amount of RAM that VirtualBox has available for your Ubuntu virtual machine.

The right amount of RAM will be selected automatically when you reach this page.
Make sure you don’t increase the amount of RAM up to the red part of the slider; keep the slide button in the green section.

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Click Next (Continue). This is the button at the bottom of the menu.

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Create a virtual hard drive of the virtual machine. A virtual hard drive is a part of a computer’s hard drive capacity and is used to store files and programs of the virtual machine:

Click Create
Click Next
Click Next
Select the amount to use.
Click Create

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Make sure the Ubuntu file download is complete. After the Ubuntu ISO file is downloaded, you can continue the installation of this program on VirtualBox.

Install Ubuntu

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Double-click the name of the virtual machine. It’s the option on the left side of the VirtualBox window. A menu will appear here.

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Click the folder icon. This is the icon in the lower right corner of the menu. The screen immediately displays a new window that allows you to select the Ubuntu ISO file.

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Select the Ubuntu ISO file. Open the folder where the downloaded Ubuntu ISO file is saved (such as Desktop ), and then click to select the ISO file.

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Click Open . It’s the option in the lower right corner of the window. The Ubuntu ISO file will be opened in VirtualBox.

Install Ubuntu

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Select time zone. Click on the section related to your location on the map.

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Click Continue . This is the option in the bottom right corner of the page.

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Turn on the on-screen keyboard. Click the human-shaped icon in the upper-right corner of the window, then click the “Screen Keyboard” slider to make the keyboard appear on-screen. Since Ubuntu needs to install drivers to use your keyboard, you cannot use it until the installation is complete.

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Enter your name. You’ll enter a name in the “Your name” field at the top of the window.

Entering a name will also create a computer name for the virtual machine, but you can also create a unique name for your computer by entering a name in the “Your computer’s name” box.

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Enter the username. Enter the username you want to use in the “Pick a username” field.

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Create a password. Enter your preferred password in the “Choose a password” field, and then re-enter the password in the “Confirm your password” field.

Advice

You can install programs and applications on the virtual machine, but make sure this does not cause the virtual machine to use up all the space on the virtual hard drive.

Warning

It is completely normal for the VirtualBox operating system to not run smoothly because you are using two different systems with the same hard drive capacity of one computer.
Make sure your hard drive has enough free space to create a virtual hard drive. For example, if VirtualBox recommends an 8GB virtual hard drive, make sure your computer has more than 8GB of free space.

Steps

Download Ubuntu

Create virtual machine

Install Ubuntu

Install Ubuntu

Advice

Warning

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