As someone always tinkering with tech and trying to sharpen my IT skills, I recently decided to install Ubuntu Desktop on a virtual machine using VirtualBox. This method lets me explore Linux without altering my main system, and it turned out to be a lot smoother than I expected—especially with VirtualBox 7’s Unattended Guest Install feature.

If you’re thinking about doing the same, here’s a step-by-step walkthrough of how I did it and a few things I picked up during the process.

🧰 What I Needed to Get Started

– A machine with at least 4 GB RAM and 25+ GB of free disk space
– VirtualBox 7 (or newer) installed
– The Ubuntu Desktop ISO (I used version 22.04 LTS)
– An internet connection

So I simply just used my current laptop but I also installed VirtualBox and Linux on my desktop.

📥 Step 1: Installing VirtualBox and Downloading Ubuntu

I started by downloading VirtualBox and installing it like any other application. Then, I headed over to the Ubuntu website and grabbed the latest LTS ISO.

💻 Step 2: Creating a New Virtual Machine

With both installed, I launched VirtualBox and clicked New to create a VM:
– Name: Ubuntu_22_04
– Type: Linux
– Version: Ubuntu (64-bit)
– Memory: 4096 MB
– Virtual Hard Disk: 30 GB dynamically allocated

🔧 Step 3: Adjusting Settings

Before starting the VM, I tweaked a few things:
– Display → Set Video Memory to 128 MB and enabled 3D Acceleration
– Storage → Attached the downloaded Ubuntu ISO
– System → Enabled EFI (optional but useful if experimenting)

🚀 Step 4: Booting and Installing Ubuntu

Once everything was set, I clicked Start. The VM booted into the Ubuntu live environment.
I selected “Install Ubuntu,” followed the prompts, chose a Normal Installation with updates and third-party drivers, and let it do its thing. Installation took about 10–15 minutes.

🎯 Step 5: Post-Install Tweaks

Once Ubuntu was installed and I logged in, I installed Guest Additions for better performance:
– From the VM menu: Devices → Insert Guest Additions CD
– Then ran the `.run` file inside the virtual CD

This enabled features like dynamic screen resizing, shared clipboard, and drag-and-drop between host and guest.

🧠 What I Learned

Here are a few takeaways from the experience:
✅ The “Unattended Install” saves time.
✅ Always enable Guest Additions.
✅ Running Ubuntu in a VM is perfect for learning.
✅ Disk space adds up fast—always allocate more than you think you’ll need.

💬 Final Thoughts

Installing Ubuntu on VirtualBox was surprisingly smooth. Whether you’re a beginner in IT or just want to experiment with Linux environments, this is a solid way to get started.

I’ll be using this VM to test open-source apps, run command-line tools, and get more comfortable with the Linux ecosystem. If you’re curious about setting it up yourself, feel free to reach out or drop a comment—happy to help!