Ubuntu on VirtualBox

4 minute read

VirtualBox lets you run a complete Ubuntu Linux installation inside a window on your current operating system — Windows, macOS, or another Linux. The Ubuntu install is isolated in its own virtual disk, so nothing on your host system is affected.

System Requirements

Your host machine (your laptop or desktop) needs:

Resource Minimum Recommended
RAM 8 GB 16 GB+
Free Disk 25 GB 40 GB+
CPU Dual-core Quad-core
Virtualisation VT-x/AMD-V enabled in BIOS  

To check if virtualisation is enabled on Linux:

grep -E 'vmx|svm' /proc/cpuinfo | head -1
# vmx (Intel) or svm (AMD) must appear

On Windows: open Task Manager → Performance → CPU → look for “Virtualisation: Enabled”.

Step 1: Download VirtualBox and Ubuntu ISO

# Download VirtualBox from:
# https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
# Choose the installer for your host OS (Windows, macOS, or Linux)

# Download Ubuntu 22.04 LTS ISO from:
# https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop
# File: ubuntu-22.04.3-desktop-amd64.iso (~5 GB)

# Verify the ISO checksum (optional but recommended)
sha256sum ubuntu-22.04.3-desktop-amd64.iso
# Compare against: https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop/thank-you

Step 2: Create the Virtual Machine

After installing VirtualBox, open it and click New:

Setting Recommended Value
Name Ubuntu-22.04
Type Linux
Version Ubuntu (64-bit)
RAM 4096 MB (4 GB)
CPU 2–4 cores
Video Memory 128 MB
Disk 25 GB (dynamically allocated)

Important VM settings before starting (Settings → System):

  • Processor tab: Enable PAE/NX
  • Acceleration tab: VT-x/AMD-V (should be checked automatically)

Settings → Display:

  • Video Memory: 128 MB
  • Graphics Controller: VMSVGA

Step 3: Attach the Ubuntu ISO

  1. Go to Settings → Storage
  2. Click the Empty optical drive (disc icon)
  3. Click the disc icon on the right → Choose a disk file
  4. Select the Ubuntu .iso you downloaded
  5. Click OK

Step 4: Install Ubuntu

  1. Click Start in VirtualBox
  2. The VM boots from the ISO — choose Try or Install Ubuntu
  3. Select Install Ubuntu
  4. Language: English → Continue
  5. Updates: Normal installation → Continue
  6. Installation type: Erase disk and install Ubuntu → Install Now
    • This erases the virtual disk only — not your real hard drive
  7. Set timezone, username, and password
  8. Wait 10–20 minutes for installation to complete
  9. Restart when prompted — remove the virtual disc when asked (press Enter)

Step 5: Install Guest Additions

Guest Additions improve the VM experience: shared clipboard, auto-resize window, better graphics, and shared folders.

# After Ubuntu boots, open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T)

# 1. Install prerequisite packages
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y build-essential dkms linux-headers-$(uname -r)

# 2. In VirtualBox menu: Devices → Insert Guest Additions CD image

# 3. Mount and run the installer
sudo mount /dev/cdrom /mnt
sudo /mnt/VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

# 4. Reboot
sudo reboot

After reboot:

  • Drag the VM window to resize — Ubuntu desktop will auto-resize
  • Copy/paste works between your host and the VM (enable in Settings → General → Advanced → Shared Clipboard: Bidirectional)

Step 6: Configure Shared Folders (Optional)

Shared folders let you access your host files from within the Ubuntu VM:

# In VirtualBox: Settings → Shared Folders
# Click the + icon
# Folder path: Choose a folder on your host (e.g., /Users/you/Desktop/shared)
# Folder name: shared
# Check: Auto-mount, Make Permanent

# After reboot, add your user to the vboxsf group
sudo usermod -aG vboxsf $USER
# Log out and back in

# Access the shared folder
ls /media/sf_shared/
# Your host files appear here

Step 7: Take a Snapshot

Snapshots let you save the VM state and roll back if something goes wrong — invaluable when learning:

# In VirtualBox:
# 1. With the VM running or paused, go to: Machine → Take Snapshot
# 2. Name: "Clean Ubuntu Install"
# 3. Click OK

# Now you can experiment freely — if you break something:
# Machine → Restore Snapshot → select "Clean Ubuntu Install"

Common VirtualBox Tips

# Increase VM RAM (shut down VM first)
# Settings → System → Motherboard → Base Memory

# Enable bidirectional clipboard
# Settings → General → Advanced → Shared Clipboard: Bidirectional

# Full-screen mode
# Host key (Right Ctrl) + F     ← toggle fullscreen
# Host key (Right Ctrl) + H     ← minimise
# Host key (Right Ctrl) + P     ← pause VM

# Check Ubuntu version inside the VM
lsb_release -a
# Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS

# Check VM resources from inside Ubuntu
nproc          # Number of CPUs
free -h        # RAM
df -h /        # Disk space

Troubleshooting

Problem Solution
VM is very slow Enable Hardware Acceleration in BIOS; increase RAM and CPU in VirtualBox settings
Screen is too small Install Guest Additions (Step 5)
Copy/paste doesn’t work Settings → General → Advanced → Shared Clipboard: Bidirectional
“VT-x is disabled” error Enable virtualisation in your BIOS/UEFI settings
Network not working inside VM Settings → Network → Adapter 1 → Attached to: NAT

Key Takeaways

  • VirtualBox lets you run Ubuntu inside your existing OS — no partitioning needed
  • Allocate at least 4 GB RAM and 25 GB disk to the VM
  • Guest Additions enable auto-resize, clipboard sharing, and shared folders
  • Take a snapshot before major changes — rollback takes seconds
  • The Ubuntu terminal inside VirtualBox is a real Linux environment
← Back to Setup & Environment Next → WSL2 on Windows

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