How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box


Learn how to install Ubuntu in VirtualBox. A step-by-step guide to installing the popular Linux distribution in a virtual machine on Windows or Mac.


Published on: September 2, 2021

How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

Hey guys, welcome. In this tutorial you will learn How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box. Technically speaking, if you are a beginner in Linux want to learn how to work with Linux, the first OS (Operating System) that comes to your mind is Ubuntu. This article will help to Install Ubuntu in your PC without breaking anything.

In other words, the safe way of testing Linux OS on your PC. Now depending on when you are reading this article, Ubuntu may have a much later version. But don’t stress about it. The process is completely same for all the Ubuntu versions out there.

Let’s Check out “How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box”

This guide it going to be a step by step instruction with some amazing screenshots, which will help you and guide you in installing Ubuntu in Virtual Box. Now am assuming you already know what Linux is, because you already chose to install it.

Step 1: Download the Official ISO of Ubuntu.

To download the official ISO of Ubuntu you can go to https://ubuntu.com/ and you will see a website like this.

Official Website of Ubunut - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

Now from here you will see there is a Download Button, up in the navigation bar, or a menu bar. Just click on that and you should see the following.

Download Menu of Ubuntu - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

Now there is a option called Ubuntu Desktop with the blue highlight, and right below that you can see there is a Green button which shows a version number as 20.04LTS. If you are wondering what that means, 20.04 is a version number and LTS stands for Long Term Support.

So go ahead and click on the green button. You will see the following.

Ubuntu Thank You Page - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

Now once you get this message, you download will start automatically, or you can click on the download now button. Make sure to save your ISO file in a safe location. Just in-case if something doesn’t work, we can use the same ISO image again.

OK great, i have got the ISO file and i have it in a folder called Linux, you can see here.

Ubuntu ISO File - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

Step 2: Downloading & Installing VirtualBox

Now the next step for us to do is, we need to download and install virtual box. You can download VirtualBox from https://www.virtualbox.org/. Yeah there is this one more thing. I am using a Windows 10 PC, assuming you too are on the same, let’s continue.

Once you open the VirtualBox website, you will see a big blue button which says Download VirtualBox 6.1, Just click on that big button.

You will be redirected to a page where you will see this.

VirtualBox Platform packages

Just click on the Windows Hosts, and you download will begin. Once done downloading install VirtualBox. Now i have already done that, so am gonna skip that part.

Once done installing, there is one more thing to download. In you download page, you should see there is a option as below.

VirtualBox VM Extension Pack - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

Click on the All supported platform and that will download a file, so just install that too.

Step 3: Creating New Virtual Machine for Ubuntu

Now that every we need is set-up, open VirtualBox and you should see something like this.

VirtualBox Welcome Page - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

Click on the new button and that will popup another window like this.

Name Your Operating System - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

By default, its going to show details about the Windows 7 Machine. But we don’t need that right. What we need is a Ubuntu Machine. So go ahead and type Ubuntu in it and the other details will automatically populate inside it as show below.

Auto Populate Fields - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

Now you will see a Blue Next button, just click on that, and next you will be asked for the Memory Size.

VirtualBox Memory Size - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

Now depending on how much RAM is installed on your PC choose wisely. Because you don’t wanna end up making you main system slow. As you can see i have a 32GB of RAM installed on my PC, and am setting the RAM for Ubuntu Machine for 4GB. You can click next.

Now choose the create a virtual hard disk and click next, and choose VDI (Virtual Disk Image)

VirtualBox Hard Disk - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

VDI Virtual Disk Image - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

OK, now you can click next and you will see this image.

VirtualBox Dynamically Allocated - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

Now you need to choose the hard disk size, i recommend at-least 40GB of Hard Disk size. Check out the image below.

VirtualBox File Allocation and Size - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

Now that everything is set-up click on create button, All the popup windows will now close and you will see the following.

VirtualBox Set-up - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

Step 4: Staring & Installing Ubuntu Virtual Machine

OK, so far so good, now you can click on the start button. This is launch the virtual machine and you will see the following.

Virtual Machine Start Up - Install ubuntu on virtualbox windows 10

Click on the yellow icon, this will load a popup asking for the ISO file to load as shown below.

Virtual Machine ISO Popup - Install ubuntu on virtualbox windows 10

From here, click on the Add Icon button. Navigate to the ISO file where you have saved and choose the Ubuntu ISO as shown below.

ISO Image Selection - install ubuntu on virtualbox windows 10

Click on open. Then click on choose in the Optical Disk Selector as show below.

ISO Chosen - install ubuntu on virtualbox windows 10

now in the Select Startup Disk Option Click on Start.

Select Startup Disk - Install ubuntu on virtualbox windows 10

This will start the Virtual Machine with the ISO Disk selected, and you should see the following.

Starting Ubuntu - install ubuntu on virtualbox windows 10

Now its time to install Ubuntu in Virtual Machine. Once the Virtual Machine is finished starting up, you will see the following.

Ubuntu Install Start-up - install ubuntu on virtualbox windows 10

Here we are, finally on the installation part of the Ubuntu. Great, now i think you already know what to do. Go ahead and click on the Install Ubuntu button.

Once you click Install Ubuntu button you will be asked to choose the keyboard layout as below, In my case am going to leave it to default and click continue.

Ubuntu Location Option - install ubuntu on virtualbox windows 10

From here you will taken to the Updates and Other Software option. Choose Normal Installation, and check the Third Party Software option too, and click continue.

Third Party Software Option - Install ubuntu on virtualbox windows 10

Now click on Continue, and choose Erase Disk and Install Ubuntu Option and click Install now, as Shown below.

Installation Type - Install ubuntu on virtualbox windows 10

You may get a popup write the changes to disk? click continue.

Write Changes to Disk - Install ubuntu on virtualbox windows 10

Now you can choose the location, and click continue.

Location Option - install ubuntu in virtual box

Now you will get the user information part, this is where you will need to set-up username, password and PC name. Once done click on continue.

Set-up User Details - install ubuntu in virtual box

Now the installation process will begin, Sit back and wait, until the installation is done.

Begin Installation - install ubuntu in virtual box

Once the installation is done, you will see a Restart message. Go ahead an click on Restart now.

Restart Now Ubuntu - install ubuntu in virtual box

Now your Virtual Machine will Restart, and you will have a login page. Go ahead and put the username and password you created in installation process.

Ubuntu Login - How to Install Ubuntu in Virtual Box

Now Ubuntu will be ready and you have successfully install Ubuntu in your VirtualBox.

Ubuntu Desktop - Install ubuntu in virtual box

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