Skip to main content

Install Ubuntu (Linux ) in Virtual Box (Virtual Machine )

 It is always good to test the linux installation before you install it on your primary/secondary harddisk .  To test the linux the best option is to install linux in a virtual machine.  Here in this tutorial i am showing how to install Ubuntu (linux variant ) on  Virtual box inside Windows.  You can install many other linux distributions in the same manner .


Step 1: Download and install VirtualBox

Go to the website of Oracle VirtualBox and get the latest stable version from here:

Download VirtualBox

Installing VirtualBox is not rocket science. Just double-click on the downloaded .exe file and follow the instructions on the screen. It is like installing any regular software on Windows.

Step 2: Download the Linux ISO

Next, you need to download the ISO file of the Linux distribution. You can get this image from the official website of the Linux distribution you are trying to use.

I am using Ubuntu in this example, and you can download ISO images for Ubuntu from the link below:

Download Ubuntu Linux

Step 3: Install Linux using VirtualBox

You have installed VirtualBox and you have downloaded the ISO for Linux. You are now set to install Linux in VirtualBox.

Start VirtualBox, and click on the New symbol. Give the virtual OS a relevant name.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

Allocate RAM to the virtual OS. My system has 8GB of RAM and I decided to allocate 2GB of it. You can use more RAM if your system has enough extra.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

Create a virtual disk. This serves as the hard disk of the virtual Linux system. It is where the virtual system will store its files.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

I recommend using the VDI file type here.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

You can choose either the “Dynamically allocated” or the “Fixed size” option for creating the virtual hard disk.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

The recommended size is 10 GB. However, I suggest giving it more space if possible. 15-20 GB is preferable.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

Once everything is in place, it’s time to boot that ISO and install Linux as a virtual operating system.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

If VirtualBox doesn’t detect the Linux ISO, browse to its location by clicking the folder icon as shown in the picture below:

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

Soon you’ll find yourself inside Linux. You should be presented with the option to install it.

Things from here are Ubuntu-specific. Other Linux distributions may have slightly different looking steps, but it won’t be complicated at all.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

You can skip to Continue.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

Select ‘Erase disk and install Ubuntu’. Don’t worry. It won’t delete anything on your Windows operating system. You are using the virtual disk space of 15-20GB that we created in previous steps. It won’t impact the real operating system.  

When you install linux on physical computer using physical harddisk, this is the step in which you can decide where you want to intall linux.  if you decide that you want to install linux on separate partition then click something else an follow the instruction .

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

Just click on Continue.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

Things are pretty straightforward from here.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

Self explanatory.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

Try to choose a password that you can remember. 

You are almost done. It may take 10-15 minutes to complete the installation.
Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

Once the installation finishes, restart the virtual system.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

If it gets stuck on the screen below, you may close the VirtualBox.

Installing Linux inside Windows using Oracle VirtualBox

And that’s all. From now on, just click on the installed Linux virtual machine. You’ll be able to use it directly. The installation is a one time only process. You can even delete the Linux ISO that you downloaded earlier.

Troubleshooting: AMD-V is disabled in the BIOS

If you face this error while using the virtual machine:

Not in a hypervisor partition (HVP=0) (VERR_NEM_NOT_AVAILABLE).
AMD-V is disabled in the BIOS (or by the host OS) (VERR_SVM_DISABLED).
Result Code:
E_FAIL (0x80004005)
Component:
ConsoleWrap
Interface:
IConsole {872da645-4a9b-1727-bee2-5585105b9eed}

This means that virtualization is blocked on your system. You’ll have to activate it in your BIOS settings first.

Reboot your system and as soon as it powers up, press F2/F10/F12 to access BIOS settings. You have to look for the virtualization option in the BIOS and enable it.

Hardware Acceleration Bios
Enable Hardware Acceleration in BIOS | Image Credit


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Create a Restore Point for Windows 7 or Vista’s System Restore

If you are thinking of installing an application but aren’t quite sure what it’s going to do to your computer, I would absolutely recommend creating a restore point before you install that application, and here are the steps to do so. Note that most application installs automatically create a restore point, but you can do this if you are really worried. Open up the Start Menu and right-click on “Computer”, and then select “Properties”. This will take you into the System area of Control Panel. Click on the “System Protection” link on the left hand side. Now select the “System Protection” tab to get to the System Restore section. Click the “Create” button to create a new restore point. You’ll be prompted for a name, and you might want to give it a useful name that you’ll be able to easily identify later. Click the Create button, and then the system will create the restore point. When it’s all finished, you’ll get a message saying it’s completed successf...

How to Clean Up Your Messy Windows Context Menu

One of the most irritating things about Windows is the context menu clutter that you have to deal with once you install a bunch of applications. It seems like every application is fighting for a piece of your context menu, and it’s not like you even use half of them. Today we’ll explain where these menu items are hiding in your registry, how to disable them the geeky way, and an easier cleanup method for non-geeks as well. Either way, your context menu won’t look like this one anymore… Cleaning the Context Menu by Hacking the Registry If you want to clean things up the truly geeky way, you can open up regedit.exe through the start menu search or run box, and then browse down to one of the following keys… sadly the context menu items are not stored in a single location. Most of the menu items that used for all files and folders can be found by looking at one of these keys: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers HKEY_CLASSES_...

Linuxfx 10 : A Windows-Like Linux Distro

The idea of Linuxfx is to make it easier for people who are migrating from Windows 7. People who are dissatisfied with the lack of security and stability of Windows 10 are also fit for Linuxfx. LinuxFX Desktop : Apart from Windows-like looks, Linuxfx also has more to offer which a regular user will definitely admire. So, let’s get along with me to know more about Windows alternative Linuxfx. As usual, I started by downloading the ISO image of Linuxfx from the official site  here . Then, instead of dual-booting, I decided to install it on my VirtualBox to play safely. After finishing the basic configuration, as soon as I booted it, I noticed a Windows logo and system integrity check. That’s quite surprising because every Linux distro puts their own or OEM logo on that place. But I think Linuxfx wants to make migrating users feel like home from the beginning. Entering the boot menu, Linuxfx redirected and logged in to a live session. Whoah! it can also detect the system I’m using — a...