How to Install Ubuntu in Windows
This wikiHow teaches you how to install and run Ubuntu Linux on your Windows computer's desktop. You'll use a free program called VirtualBox to do so; this will allow you to run Ubuntu without having to replace your current operating...
Part 1 of 5:
Installing VirtualBox
- Download the VirtualBox installation file. Go to https://www.virtualbox.org/ in your computer's web browser, then do the following:
- Click Downloads on the left side of the page.
- Click the Windows hosts link under the "VirtualBox 5.2.16 platform packages" heading.
- Double-click the VirtualBox setup file. Doing so will launch the VirtualBox installation window.
- Click Next three times. The Next button is at the bottom of the window. After clicking it three times, you should arrive at a warning about networking.
- Click Yes. It's at the bottom of the window.
- Click Install. This option is at the bottom of the window.
- Click Yes when prompted. Doing so confirms your settings and allows VirtualBox to begin installing.
- Allow VirtualBox to install. It can take up to ten minutes to finish installing VirtualBox, so just allow the installer to run.
- Uncheck the "Launch VirtualBox" box. Once VirtualBox finishes installing, this will appear in the middle of the window.
- Click Finish when prompted. This option is at the bottom of the window. Clicking it completes the installation process.
Part 2 of 5:
Downloading the Ubuntu Installation File
- Open the Ubuntu website. Go to https://www.ubuntu.com/ in your computer's web browser. This is the official site for Ubuntu support and downloads.
- Select Downloads. It's a tab in the upper-right side of the window. Placing your mouse cursor on this tab prompts a drop-down menu.
- Click Desktop. You'll find this option in the Downloads drop-down menu.
- Click Download. This green button is to the right of the current version of Ubuntu. Doing so prompts the Ubuntu disk image (ISO) file to begin downloading onto your computer.
- You may have to click Save or select a download location before the Ubuntu ISO will download.
- Wait for the download to complete. The Ubuntu ISO file is close to 2 gigabytes in size, so it may take a while to finish downloading; once it does, you can proceed with creating a new virtual machine for your Ubuntu installation.
Part 3 of 5:
Creating a New Virtual Machine
- Open VirtualBox. Click or double-click the Oracle VM VirtualBox app icon, which resembles a 3D blue-and-white box.
- Click New. It's a blue icon in the upper-left side of the window. This prompts a pop-up window to open.
- Enter a name for your virtual machine. Type in whatever you want to name the Ubuntu installation.
- Click the "Type" drop-down box. It's below the "Name" text box. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu.
- Click Linux. This option is in the "Type" drop-down box.
- Select Ubuntu if it isn't already selected. Upon selecting Linux, you should see "Ubuntu (64-bit)" appear in the "Version" section; if not, click the "Version" drop-down box and then click Ubuntu (64-bit) in the resulting drop-down menu.
- Since Ubuntu is the most common version of Linux, VirtualBox will usually default to Ubuntu when you select Linux as the operating system.
- Click Next. It's at the bottom of the window.
- Select an amount of RAM to use. Click and drag the slider left or right to decrease or increase the amount of RAM you want to allow Ubuntu to use.
- The Ubuntu support site recommends using at least 2 gigabytes (2048 megabytes) of RAM.[1]
- Click Next. It's at the bottom of the window.
- Create a virtual hard disk. This is just a folder which will act as Ubuntu's hard drive:
- Check the "Create a virtual hard disk now" box.
- Click Create.
- Click Next.
- Select a size for your virtual hard disk.
- When in doubt, use the recommended size that's set as the default on this page.
- Click Create.
Part 4 of 5:
Adding the Ubuntu ISO to VirtualBox
- Select your virtual machine. Click the name of your Ubuntu machine on the left side of the window.
- Click Start. It's a green arrow-shaped icon at the top of the window. Doing so opens a pop-up menu.
- Click the "Browse" icon. This folder-shaped icon is to the right of the text box in the middle of the menu. Clicking it opens a File Explorer window.
- Select your Ubuntu ISO file. Go to the folder into which you downloaded the Ubuntu ISO from earlier, then click once the ISO file to select it.
- Click Open. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. Doing so sets the ISO file as the virtual machine's target.
- Click Start. This is at the bottom of the menu. At this point, you're finally ready to begin installing Ubuntu.
Part 5 of 5:
Installing Ubuntu
- Select a language. Click the language you want to use in the left-hand sidebar.
- Click Install Ubuntu. It's a button on the far-right side of the window.
- Click Continue twice. This option will be at the bottom of the window.
- Click Install Now. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window.
- Click Continue when prompted. This confirms that you want to install Ubuntu without creating a separate partition for it (since you're using VirtualBox, this won't harm your computer).
- Select a time zone. Click a point near your current city, then click Continue.
- Create your user account. Type your name into the "Your name" text box, then enter a password into the "Choose a password" and "Confirm your password" text boxes.
- Click Continue. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so prompts Ubuntu to begin installing to VirtualBox.
- Allow Ubuntu to install. Ubuntu may take anywhere from a few minutes to well over half an hour to install.
- Click Restart Now when prompted. Doing so will cause Ubuntu to restart inside of the VirtualBox window. Once it finishes restarting, you're free to use Ubuntu as you please.
- If prompted to "remove the installation media and press ENTER", just press ↵ Enter until Ubuntu restarts again.
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