Both Windows 10 and macOS Big Sur are the latest operating systems for Windows and Mac users respectively But about Ubuntu Linux? For any reason, if you want to install and use Linux on your Windows PC or laptop then why not install it. Meanwhile, if you have a PC or laptop running on Windows 10 and want to have and use the Ubuntu Linux operating system at the same time alongside your Windows 10 then you have come to the right place. In this guide, we will show you how to install Ubuntu Linux on VirtualBox in Windows 10.
To set up a virtual machine (VM) on your Windows PC, many people typically use software like Parallels or VMware Workstation or Player. To do this, VirtualBox is a nice, free alternative. Plus, in just a few minutes, you can install and set it up.
Any operating system (OS) on your current system can be run by VMs. You can use VirtualBox for free simulation, whether it’s for disaster recovery, code testing, or just some fun exploration. In order to install Ubuntu Linux via VirtualBox on Windows 10, you will need to download both the VirtualBox and Ubuntu ISO Files.
So, without further ado, here’s how to install Ubuntu Linux on Windows 10 via VirtualBox virtual machine:
Step 1. Installing VirtualBox on Windows 10
Oracle VM VirtualBox has been developed by Oracle Corporation as a free and open-source virtualization framework. Using Windows, macOS and Linux, Solaris, as well as OpenSolaris you can mount the VirtualBox. This allows users to build virtual machines to run other operating systems. “It supports guest development and management of Windows and Linux running virtual machines and restricted virtualization on Apple hardware of macOS guests.” For certain guest operations, there is also a bundle of guest add-ons, which is typical of improving performance, especially graphics.” “Guest Additions”
A virtual machine is a virtual system or program that offers the same features as physical machines (eg, a computer system with its own CPU, memory, network interfaces, and storage capacity). A virtual machine like a real device is used to run applications or OS.
System Requirements
- Operating System Version – Microsoft Windows 10 (32-bit or 64-bit).
- Random Access Memory (RAM) – Minimum 4 GB RAM recommended.
- Free Disk Space – Minimum 25 GB free space recommended.
- Good Internet Connection to download the VirtualBox and Ubuntu ISO file.
Step 1. First, download the latest version of VirtualBox for Windows. Click Windows Hosts and the download will begin automatically.
Windows Hosts
Step 2. Navigate the folder where you have downloaded your VirtualBox and double-click on the downloaded “VirtualBox” file to install it.
Step 3. Oracle VM VirtualBox 6.1.16 Setup” window will appear on the screen and click on the “Next” button to continue.
Next
Step 4. Choose the location where you want to install the VirtualBox and click on the “Next” button to continue.
Step 5. Click Next.
Step 6. Click Yes and then click the Install button to start the installation process.
Install
Step 2. How to Download Ubuntu Linux ISO File for VirtualBox
Linux is also an operating system as is Windows or Mac OS. Linux is the Unix-like operating systems open-source family. Debian, Fedora, Linux Mint, and Ubuntu are some of the common distributions of Linux.
Ubuntu has some benefits: its affordable, open-source, entirely customizable, safer, and command-line oriented feature (I believe this is the most appealing feature).
Ubuntu is a Debian based Linux free and open-source distribution. “With long-term support (LTS) published every two days every six months,” Wikipedia says. “The current edition and the latest longer-term support release, as of 23 April 2020, is 20,04, which is funded by the public until 2025 and as a paid-up option until 2030.
Apart from installing VirtualBox, you also need to download the Ubuntu Linux ISO file. from the Microsoft website. You can download it straight to your internal hard drive.
Step 1. Go to the Download Ubuntu Desktop ISO download page.
Step 2. Click the Download button next to the ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS which is the latest version.
ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS
Step 3. Select the destination folder and click Save.
Save
Step 3. Creating a New Virtual Machine to Install Ubuntu Linux
Once you have downloaded and installed both the Ubuntu ISO and VirtualBox, open-up the virtual machine and click on the “New” option.
New
Type a name for your virtual machine with its location. Based on the name you entered, VirtualBox will try to predict the “Type” and “Version“. Otherwise, from the drop-down menu, select “Linux” as the type and “Ubuntu” as the version and click on the “Next” button.
Next
On the following screen, choose how much RAM (the amount of memory) you want to allocate to your VM, and then click Next. The default recommendation is 1024 MB, which is enough to run most installers. Heavier code or applications might require at least 1 GB, though. You can always change this later in Settings.
Select the amount of RAM
Select the “Create a virtual hard disk now” option and click on the “Create” button to continue.
Create a virtual hard disk now
Select the “VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image)” option and click “Next“.
VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image)
On the next screen, if you want a faster setup, select Dynamically allocated. If you want faster performance (which we recommend), select Fixed size, and then click Next. If you don’t know which one to choose from then leave it as it is.
Dynamically allocated
Select the amount of space for your virtual machine and click the “Create” button.
Select the amount of space
Step 4. Installing Ubuntu on Windows 10 via VirtualBox
Now, your virtual machine has been successfully created and it is time to install Ubuntu on it.
Go back to VirtualBox, and then click Start.
Start
A new window opens so you can do this manually. Click the folder with the green up arrow.
Click the folder with the green up arrow
Click the Add button and locate the Ubuntu ISO file and then click Open.
Add
Make sure that Ubuntu ISO is selected and click Choose.
Choose
Now, you are ready to install Ubuntu Linux via VirtualBox on your Windows 10 PC, click Start.
Start
Your VM will now boot into a live version of Ubuntu. Choose your language and select Install Ubuntu.
Note: If you select Try Ubuntu, you can run the installer later by double-clicking Install Ubuntu on the desktop.
Install Ubuntu
Choose your keyboard layout and select Continue.
Choose your keyboard layout
Choose Normal installation, then select Continue.
Normal installation
Select “Erase disk and install Ubuntu” and then select Install Now. Don’t worry. It won’t delete anything on your Windows operating system. You are using the virtual disk space of 15-20GB that we created in the previous steps. It won’t impact the real operating system.
Install Now
Just click on Continue.
Continue
Choose your time zone on the map, then select Continue.
Choose your time zone
Set up your user account and select Continue. You are almost done. It may take 10-15 minutes to complete the installation.
Once the installation finishes, click Restart Now to restart the virtual system.
Congratulations! you have successfully installed and configured Ubuntu on Windows 10 using VirtualBox and the Welcome screen will appear.
Install Ubuntu on VirtualBox
Wrapping Up
That’s it. This is how you can install Ubuntu Linux on Windows 10 via VirtualBox virtual machine. Meanwhile, the process is very easy and it might seem a bit tricky while following the above-mentioned steps but that’s not the case. If you faced any kind of problem feel free to contact us in the comment section below.
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