How to install Ubuntu in Virtual Box in Windows OS ?
Do you wish to use a Linux operating system alongside Windows without dual booting your original Windows OS ? You are then in the right place. I’m here to demonstrate you how to set up Ubuntu (A very well build OS by Linux) in Virtual Box inside of Windows 11 or any other Windows operating system.
Now, before we get started, let’s quickly discuss:
What is a Virtual Box ?
An x86 or x64 virtual box offers hardware that enables users and administrators to run numerous guest operating systems on a single host. Which means you can run multiple operating systems on your currently used operating system without dual booting.
Here, we’ll use Oracle VM Virtual Box to install our guest OS. Please make sure you complete each step in order and without skipping any.
Table of Contents
- I) Oracle Virtual Box Download and Installation
- II) Ubuntu ISO File Download
- III) Create a New Virtual Machine
- IV) Create a New Virtual Hard Disk:
- V) Get Ready for Ubuntu Installation:
- VI) Proceed with Ubuntu installation
- VII) Starting with Disk Partitions:
- VIII) Continue with Ubuntu Installation
I) Oracle Virtual Box Download and Installation
1. Click here to download the Oracle VM Virtual Box from official site of Oracle. Click on Windows hosts for your Windows OS. Also don’t forget to download the Virtual Box Extension Pack. This pack will help you when you connect any pen-drive or any external device to use in your guest OS.
2. Now open the Oracle VM Virtual Box Setup and click next.
3. If you want to choose any other location for your installation you can change it here. Then click Next.
4. Thoroughly check all the options and click next. Remember that you can deselect any option other than “Register file associations”. This option must be turned on.
5. In next step a Network Warning message will be shown. Don’t worry. It’s just disconnect you from your network for just a fraction of second. Click on Yes.
6. Click on install to begin installation of your Oracle VM Virtual Box.
7. After successful installation click on finish. Now Oracle VM Virtual Box will be opened and is ready for use.
Also don’t forget to install the Virtual Box Extension pack after installation of Oracle VM Virtual Box.
1. Open the Virtual Box Extension Pack. Click on Install.
2. Read all the Terms and Conditions by scrolling down to the end and then click on I Agree.
3. It’ll start installing the virtual box extension pack.
4. After the installation successful message click on OK.
II) Ubuntu ISO File Download
1. Click here to download the Ubuntu ISO file(Approximate Size: 3.5 GB). (We advise you to get the Ubuntu OS’s stable official version from official website only. Do not download anything from websites run by third parties.)
III) Create a New Virtual Machine
1. Open your Oracle Virtual Box and click on New.
2. Click on Expert Mode.
3. Now enter a name for your virtual machine. We recommend you to use the OS name for this field, so that it’ll automatically take the type and version as required. If you choose any random other name then you’ve to manually choose your Machine type and version.
For example, I’ve taken the name as Ubuntu so now I don’t have to choose type and version for my virtual machine.
Next come to Memory size. It basically indicate the your RAM size that you want to give to your guest OS. Always choose a minimum of 2 GB (2048 MB) or more for this section. If you’ve a 8 GB or more RAM in your system then you can give 4 GB RAM.
Now for Hard disk choose the default option; i.e. Create a virtual hard disk now.
Check all the options once again and when you’re ready click on Create.
IV) Create a New Virtual Hard Disk:
1. In next, let’s give our virtual hard disk some space to install the guest OS. Choose a minimum of 20 GB space for your guest OS.
2. Rest set as default. And keep in mind that the Storage on physical hard disk field must be selected as Dynamically allocated so that it won’t take your given space entirely at a time. It’ll only take the space required.
For Example, I’ve taken 40 GB of my physical hard disk space. But if I choose the option Dynamically allocated then it’ll only take the space let say 15~20 GB for system installation and rest will not be taken. Only if I download something on my guest OS then it’ll consume some more space whose maximum limit is up to 40 GB.
V) Get Ready for Ubuntu Installation:
After everything done click on Create. Now you’ll see your Virtual Machine created in left side of your Oracle VM Virtual Box application. Take a look at the below image.
5. Under Storage section click on the “[Optical Drive] Empty”. Click on Choose a disk file and then choose the Ubuntu ISO file which you’ve downloaded in STEP II.
6. Now click on Start.
VI) Proceed with Ubuntu installation
1. Choose Ubuntu (safe graphics) option.
Wait for a few minutes…
2. Start with language choice. After choosing the appropriate language, carry with the Ubuntu installation.
2. Select your keyboard layout and click continue.
3. In next step, choose the “Normal Installation” option to get maximum functionalities from Ubuntu and don’t forget to select the option “Install 3rd party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware and additional media format.”
Note: The other options are actually not mandatory. It’s optional. So if you’ve sufficient mobile data or Wi-Fi then you can choose the “Download updates while installing Ubuntu” option.
4. Click on “Something else” in the next screen and then continue (MUST READ WARNING BEFORE CHOOSING THE OPTION.)
WARNING: If you don’t know how to partition disk or drive in a Linux operating system, we strongly advise you to choose the “Erase disc and install Ubuntu” option. Only users who are already familiar with the Linux OS’s disc partitioning system can select the “Something else” option. So, if you choose the 1st option then skip the next steps and directly go to STEP 12.
5. Now, read this carefully. I want to install Ubuntu on this 53 GB of storage space. You are able to select whatever disk or drive you like.
VII) Starting with Disk Partitions:
6. Click on “New Partition Table” and select continue when a warning about choosing the entire device for partitioning appears.
7. Your whole disk or drive size will now be displayed as free space and click on the little + icon present in the lower left corner.
I. Creating Root “/”:
8. Select your desired size for the system memory or root.
In case of any Linux OS, system memory is called as root and the symbol is “/”.
Here I’ll give 20GB (~20000 MB) for my root directory.
After done with size leave the rest as default except the Mount point.
From drop down select your mount point as “/”. This means the root.
All of the Ubuntu OS files and system files will be stored here. We recommend you to give a minimum of 15 ~ 20 GB space to root.
After all done check details once again and click on OK.
Once the root has been created successfully, you will now see an interface similar to the below image.
II. Creating Swap Area:
9. Select the empty space once more, then click the + sign.
We’ll now build a swap area in the free space.
As a swap area, pick half of your physical RAM’s capacity. This means that if you have 8 GB of RAM, your swap area must be 4 GB.
Swap area serves as RAM extender, primarily in Ubuntu. It is not necessary to construct a swap area. However, setting up a swap area will help your machine from becoming overwhelmed while numerous work windows are open at once.
I’ll choose a size of 4 GB of disk space as my swap area. Rest leave as default except Use as field. Select the drop down and change this field from Ext4 journaling file system to swap area. After selecting Use as: swap area the mount point field will automatically vanished. So, no need to give any mount point for swap area.
After creating swap area, the interface will now look like the below image.
III. Creating Home:
10. One last time, select the empty space and click the + icon.
No need to give any specific size now as the rest of the space will be used as your storage to store your data like saving any file, movies, images or documents etc. In Linux OS this space is treated as home.
Now leave the rest as default except for mount point.
This time select the mount point as /home from the dropdown menu.
VirtualBox Ubuntu Setup 1
Once done with your mount point click OK.
After creating /home, interface will now look like the image below. Click on Install Now once everything is verified by you.
VIII) Continue with Ubuntu Installation
11. If a error shown as No EFI Partition was found then click on Continue and don’t worry it’s showing due to the future problem in Dual Boot. But as we’re installing this as a guest OS in Virtual Box so you can ignore this. Also another error will show that to create a Reserved BIOS Boot Area but it also don’t needed in our case. So just click continue on this two warnings.
12. A last pop-up window displaying all of the partitions you recently established will appear. If everything is fine with you, click on Continue.
12. Choose your region, then click on Continue.
13. Click Continue after selecting a special username and password for your new system.
14. Ubuntu will now begin installing. It can take a while to complete this. And keep in mind that if you chose the “Download updates while installing Ubuntu” option in Step 3, it will take a little longer than usual.
Just wait until it finish installing Ubuntu OS.
15. When the installation is complete, you will be prompted to restart your computer. Click on “Restart Now”.
16. Your Ubuntu OS will be accessible after a successful restart.
18. Once the system is open, click on your new profile and then enter your password which you’ve given in Step 13.
19. Your Ubuntu OS will now open and be ready for use after you enter the correct password.
Congratulations! You’ve now successfully installed Ubuntu OS to your Virtual Machine.
If you’ve any problem during Ubuntu or any other Linux installation using Oracle VM Virtual Box feel free to ask us in comment section and we’ll definitely get back to you with a solution ASAP.
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