How To Install Ubuntu On Windows 10 Using VirtualBox

Introduction

The first thing for this tutorial that you need to know is what an operating system is. An operating system acts as an interface between a user and computer hardware. It is system software that manages computer hardware, and software, and handles various services for computer programs. We know that Microsoft Windows is a family of proprietary operating systems designed by Microsoft Corporation.

Like Windows or Mac OS, Linux is also an operating system. Linux is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems. Some of the popular Linux distributions include Debian, Fedora, Linux Mint, and Ubuntu.

Ubuntu is a free and open-source Linux distribution based on Debian. As per Wikipedia, "Ubuntu is released every six months, with long-term support (LTS) releases every two years. As of 23 April 2020, the latest release and also the most recent long-term support release is 20.04, which is supported until 2025 under public support and until 2030 as a paid option".

There are some benefits of using Ubuntu — it's free (I think this is the most attractive feature), open-source, fully customizable, more secure, and command-line-based.

You should also know of VirtualBox and Virtual Machine. Oracle VM VirtualBox is a free and open-source virtualization platform developed by Oracle Corporation. The user can install the VirtualBox on Windows, macOS, Linux, Solaris, and OpenSolaris. It enables users to install other operating systems by creating virtual machines. As per Wikipedia, "It supports the creation and management of guest virtual machines running Windows, Linux, as well as limited virtualization of macOS guests on Apple hardware. For some guest operating systems, a "Guest Additions" package of device drivers and system applications is available, which typically improves performance, especially that of graphics".

A virtual machine is a software or a virtual environment that provides the same functionality as physical computers (eg, a computer system with its own CPU, memory, network interfaces, and storage capacity). A virtual machine is used to run software or OS like a physical computer.

This tutorial will show you various steps on how to install Ubuntu on Windows 10 using VirtualBox.

System Requirements

Before downloading and installing Ubuntu on Windows 10 using VirtualBox, the following requirements are essential.

• 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 files.

Download and Install VirtualBox

To download the VirtualBox, follow the instructions below.

Step 1. To download the latest version of VirtualBox, visit the official VirtualBox website in your web browser.

Step 2. Now, download the VirtualBox from here.

Step 3. Navigate the folder where you have downloaded your VirtualBox and double-click on the downloaded "VirtualBox" file to run it.

Step 4. The "Oracle VM VirtualBox 6.1.6 Setup" window will appear on the screen and click on the "Next" button to proceed.

Step 5. Choose the location where you want to install the VirtualBox and click on the "Next" button to proceed.

Step 6. Choose the options as per your choice and click on the "Next" button.

Step 7. Click on the Yes button and then the "Install" button.

Download Ubuntu

Follow the instructions below to download the Ubuntu ISO file.

Step 1. To download the latest version of Ubuntu, i.e. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, visit the official Ubuntuwebsite in your web browser.

Step 2. By clicking on the "Download" button, you can download the latest version of Ubuntu, i.e. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (long-term support).

Creating a Virtual Machine

Now, it is time to create a Virtual Machine. Follow the instructions below to proceed.

Step 1. Open VirtualBox and click on the "New" button.

Step 2. Choose 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.

Step 3. With the help of the slider, choose the amount of memory (RAM) to be allocated to the virtual machine. (The recommended memory size is 1024 MB (1 GB). Please note that this memory will only be used while using a virtual machine).

Step 4. Select the "Create a virtual hard disk now" option and click on the "Create" button to proceed.

Step 5. Choose the "VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image)" option and click "Next".

Step 6. Again, click on the "Next" button.

Step 7. Select the amount of space for your virtual machine and click the "Create" button. (This will be used for your operating system which is going to be installed, so give as much space as possible).

Install Ubuntu Using VirtualBox

Now, your virtual machine has been successfully created and it is time to install Ubuntu on it. Since the latest version of Ubuntu is 20.04 LTS, I am showing you the installation of Ubuntu 18.04 on VirtualBox and my aim is to show you the process of installing Ubuntu. I hope you understand the process and install the latest version of Ubuntu as you want. Follow the instructions below to proceed.

Step 1. The name of your virtual machine will now appear on the left side of the VirtualBox Manager. Click on the "Start" button in the toolbar to launch your VM.

Step 2. This time, you have to select the Ubuntu ISO file that you downloaded earlier. Now, click on the folder icon and then click on the "Add" button. Then, select your Ubuntu ISO file. Click on the "Start" button to proceed.

Note. If you get the following error,

The native API DLL was not found (C:\WINDOWS\system32\WinHvPlatform.dll) (VERR_NEM_NOT_AVAILABLE).

VT-x is not available (VERR_VMX_NO_VMX).

To resolve this above error, use the following command in Command Prompt (Admin), "dism.exe /Online /Disable-Feature: Microsoft-Hyper-V".

After removing this error, your Ubuntu installation will be ready to start on your VirtualBox.

Step 3. Now, click on the "Install Ubuntu" button to proceed.

Step 4. Select your desired "keyboard layout" and click on the "Continue" button to proceed.

Step 5. Use the default option as "Normal Installation" with the "Download updates while installing Ubuntu" and click on the "Continue" button.

Step 6. Select the default option as the "Erase disk and Install Ubuntu" and click on the "Install Now" option to proceed.

Step 7. A warning prompt will appear on the screen and click on the "Continue" button to ignore this warning.

Step 8. Choose your time zone on the map and click Continue.

Step 9. Now, set up your user account here by filling in the necessary details and clicking on the "Continue" button to proceed.

Now, the installation process will begin.

Step 10. Now, restart your system by clicking on the "Restart Now" option.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured Ubuntu on Windows 10 using VirtualBox and the Welcome screen will appear.

Conclusion

By following the above steps, you can install Ubuntu on Windows 10 using VirtualBox.

If you want to share files between Ubuntu and Windows 10, read my next article, in which I discuss the topic, "How to share files between Ubuntu and Windows 10" in detail.

I hope you enjoyed this article. Follow C# Corner to learn more new and amazing things about Windows 10.

Thanks for reading!