If you’re looking to learn Linux and server management, then Ubuntu is the best option. Also remembered that Ubuntu is one of the popular Linux distributions which is used in server management. Also, you have to remember that installing Ubuntu or Linux on a Windows machine or even a virtual machine was chaos in the past. However, with time it has evolved from Floppy to CD, DVD, ISO, and Now WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). Please keep in mind that you can also run the Linux distributions live through a USB flash drive, however, this article covers how you can install Ubuntu on a Windows PC.
3 Ways to Install Ubuntu on Windows PC
There are several methods that you can use to install Ubuntu on Windows PC, however, the methods that I am going to cover in this post are installing Ubuntu using the WSL, virtual machine, and finally dual boot.
1. Installing Ubuntu using the WSL
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a new feature that is shipped with Windows 10 April 2018 Update. This feature allows you to run Linux command-line applications directly in Windows. WSL provides a Linux-like environment for running Linux command-line tools and other native applications in Windows. This means that you can run bash, apt, etc natively on your Windows PC. It also provides access to a full Linux filesystem from Windows which helps in running various commands like ls, cd, etc without any issues. At the moment you can run Kali Linux Directly into Windows without dual boot through Win-Kex. But yet this feature is not introduced for Ubuntu. Now let’s begin the step-by-step guide to Install Ubuntu in Windows 11 using the WSL. A single command is going to install the WSL and Ubuntu on your Windows 11 and Windows 10 machine. The only requirement is that you must have at least 5GB of storage and a fast Internet connection. Open PowerShell or CMD as Admin and execute the below command. wsl –install The command that you executed will do three things: Once the WSL is done downloading and installing the required files and applications, your system will reboot and you will a CMD like Window but at the top, it is titled Ubuntu. It is an Ubuntu installation page. There you have to create a username and password for Ubuntu in Windows. Note: using Ubuntu through WSL does not mean that you can use the graphical interface, however you can install the ubuntu applications directly as a native Windows application. Suppose you can install Ubuntu Text Editor by executing the below command. Sudo apt-get install gedit -y
2. Install Ubuntu on Virtual Machine
If you are truly interested to learn about this server management through Ubuntu’s interface itself, then perhaps you have to use the virtual machine to test open to us graphical user interface. Because this way you will be familiar with every setting of the Ubuntu. There are a couple of virtualization applications that you can use, there is open-source virtualization software known as VirtualBox, Microsoft Hyper-V, and the VMware’s VMWare workstation player. You can use any of them that you desire. But for this post, I am going to use the VMWare workstation player because it is free and it has a lot of similarities to the VMWare Workstation Pro. Before anything else you have to download the required files:
Download VMware Workstation Player Download Ubuntu ISO Image
Step #1. Install VMWare Workstation Player After getting the required files you have to install the VMWare workstation player on your computer. The installation process is a lot simple and it does not require me to guide you with this step-by-step guide. However, once you’re ready let’s move on to the creation of a virtual machine for Ubuntu. Step #2. Create Virtual Machine for Ubuntu This slideshow requires JavaScript. Step #3. Install Ubuntu This slideshow requires JavaScript.
3. Dual Boot Windows 11 and Ubuntu
it is great that you can install and test Ubuntu on a virtual machine, however, the virtual machine is not actual hardware. It means when running Ubuntu on a Virtual Machine you will face certain drawbacks like a performance issue. To use Ubuntu to the fullest of your hardware capabilities you have to dual boot. Before getting into the dual boot of Windows 11 and Ubuntu you have to prepare Your PC and other stuff.
Get an 8 GB USB Flash Drive. Prepare at least 40 GB of storage on your Computer (My Recommendation). Create a Bootable USB of Ubuntu.
Step #1. Prepare Storage for Ubuntu If you are looking to dual boot Windows 11 and Ubuntu on a single hard drive, then you must prepare at least 30GB of storage for Ubuntu. 30 GB is my recommendation however for Ubuntu at least 10 GB of storage will be required. But as I said earlier it depends on the amount of work that you are doing on Ubuntu, based on that you have to increase the amount of storage. I am about to separate 30GB of storage from the drive C, so it will be done from the disk management. It means you have to right-click on the start menu and open disk management. Right-click on the drive C and select shrink volume. Enter the amount of storage. Following that you have to enter the amount of storage for the window and click shrink. Once the storage is shrunk, you will see unallocated storage in black color. Step #2. Create Ubuntu Bootable USB Download Rufus and ISO of Ubuntu, following that, attach the USB to the computer. Launch the Rufus, locate the ISO, configure your settings like GPT or MBR and click start. It will start creating a Bootable USB for Ubuntu. Step #3. Install Ubuntu alongside the Windows 11 When you are on the partition page, select the last option known as Something else. Choose the storage that you shrunk earlier. Following that click on the plus icon> enter 28000 MB for this drive. After that select, the “logical” and “Beginning of the Space” at the same time in front of Mount Point select / and click ok. The rest of 2000 MB which remained earlier, makes it swap storage. Once again click on the plus icon> then in front of Use as select SWAP Area and click ok. Watch its video on YouTube:
Conclusion:
Tell me which of these methods is your favorite, In my case, the WSL is very handy and amazing. I hope this post has fulfilled your quest for Installing Ubuntu on Windows PC.
