Install virtual linux on windows

The Dead-Simple Guide to Installing a Linux Virtual Machine on Windows

There’s something refreshing about installing a new operating system onto a computer. And now, it’s easier than ever to do it without wiping out your existing setup. Whether you want to learn bash scripting, try out a new program, or test hardware compatibility, running a Linux virtual machine (VM) will get you there. Best of all, it takes just a few minutes to do.

The Basics

Before we really get going, there’s an important distinction to make about terminology. When it comes to virtualization, the operating system you already have is the host OS. The one you are installing is the guest. Simple, right? Also, now is a good time to take a moment and decide whether you will create a fixed size or dynamically allocated virtual hard drive for your VM. The difference is pretty straightforward: a fixed-size drive carves out a specific amount of storage space for the guest OS, while a dynamically allocated drive will expand the space as needed. Depending on your use of the VM, you should be able to decide pretty easily if you can predict the physical storage space needed. Although there are ways to resolve issues later (such as increasing a virtual disk’s space limit), it’s much easier to make the right decision from the get-go. All set? Let’s get started.

1. Install VirtualBox

VirtualBox is a free program provided by Oracle. This is the software that powers the entire virtualization process, so go ahead and download it here if you haven’t already and then install it.

2. Download Linux

Next, you’ll need to track down a version of Linux that suits your needs. This is easier said than done. There are a vast number of distributions that you can choose from. You can start with this article for help defining your specific needs and refer to this one for a quick rundown of some popular options. Once you find the version you want to try, download the installation file. You should end up with an ISO file in your Downloads folder.

3. Set Up Your Virtual Machine

Now that you have VirtualBox installed and Linux downloaded, it’s time to get your guest OS set up. Open VirtualBox, click New, and use the following steps as a guide:

1. Name and operating system. Give the VM a name, choose Linux from the Type dropdown, and select the Linux version as indicated. Go with Other Linux if your distribution isn’t listed.
2. Memory size. Select the memory size. This will siphon RAM from your system for the VM, so don’t overdo it. This number can be changed easily later under the VM settings menu.
3. Hard drive. Since we’re starting fresh, leave it on the default Create a virtual hard drive now.
4. Hard drive file type. There are multiple choices here for advanced users. Choose VDI for now unless you know you will need one of the other options.
5. Storage on physical hard drive. Based on your decision earlier, select either Dynamically allocated for an expandable drive file or Fixed size for a static drive file. As the description states, please note that a dynamic drive file will expand as needed, but will not shrink again automatically when space on it is freed.
6. File location and size. Since you’re making a virtual hard drive within your existing file space, you can give this file a name and choose where it is stored. Adjust the slider or type in a specific number in the box to the right to specify the virtual hard drive size.

In VirtualBox, you should now see that there is an item on the left-hand side listing your name from step 1 followed by Powered Off. Let’s go ahead and get it powered on.

4. Install the Linux OS

We’ve set the stage for the new guest operating system, but it still needs to be installed. Select your new VM on the left and click Start at the top. The next window will prompt you to select a start-up disk for the VM. Click on the icon next to the dropdown to open a file explorer window, then track down the Linux ISO you downloaded earlier. Once you have selected the file, click Start. This will take you to the boot-up options for the OS, and from here you can simply follow the prompts. Many Linux distributions will give you the option to try the software or outright install it – keep in mind that you have set up a virtual disk drive for this VM and you will not be affecting your files on the host machine by installing the new OS. Once the installation is complete, you’re all set!

Additional Notes

Guest additions. Some integrations with a Linux virtual machine can be tricky due to display drivers and other hardware dependencies. To resolve some of these issues, VirtualBox comes with a guest additions ISO image. Once you have the Linux OS installed and running, go to the menu items at the top, click on Devices, then click on Insert Guest Additions CD image… to install them. My 64-bit Ubuntu installation insisted on using a fixed screen size and resolution until I installed the guest additions and restarted the VM.

Consider going light. Unless you have plenty of processing power to spare, consider going with a lightweight distribution that is easy on your system’s resources. Look for variants of popular distributions such as Ubuntu, Fedora or Mint that include a desktop environment that will be less resource intensive. LXDE and Xfce are popular options and worked well for me in my VMs.

Troubleshooting. If you’re having trouble running a particular distribution, you can try wiping the installation and trying again, searching for a solution online, or using another version altogether.

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Install Linux Inside Windows Using VirtualBox [Step by Step Guide]

Using Linux in a virtual machine allows you to try Linux within Windows. This step-by-step guide shows you how to install Linux inside Windows using VirtualBox.

• You can clean everything from your system and install Linux.
• You can dual boot Linux with Windows and choose one of the operating systems at the boot time.
• You can even install Linux within Windows from Microsoft Store (though this only provides you with the command line version of Linux).

But if you want to use Linux without making any changes to your Windows system, you can go the virtual machine route.

Basically, you install and use Linux like any regular Windows application. When you just want to try Linux for limited use, virtual machines provide the most comfortable option.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to install Linux inside Windows using VirtualBox.

Installing Linux inside Windows using VirtualBox

VirtualBox is free and open source virtualization software from Oracle. It enables you to install other operating systems in virtual machines. It is recommended that your system should have at least 4GB of RAM to get decent performance from the virtual operating system.

Requirements

• Good internet connection to download software and Linux ISO. (You can also use some other computer with an internet connection to download these files.)
• Windows system with at least 12 GB of free space.
• Windows system with 4GB of RAM. (It can work with less RAM as well, but your system will start to lag while using Linux in the virtual machine.)
• Make sure to enable virtualization in the BIOS (some system need it)

I am installing Ubuntu 17.10 in this tutorial, but the same steps apply to any other Linux distribution. If you prefer videos, you can watch the one below from our YouTube channel:

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.

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.

I recommend using the VDI file type here.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

Things are pretty straightforward from here.

Try to choose a password that you can remember. You can also reset the password in Ubuntu if you forget it.

You are almost done. It may take 10-15 minutes to complete the installation.

Once the installation finishes, restart the virtual system.

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

I strongly recommend using VirtualBox Guest Additions on Ubuntu for it provides better compatibility and you would be able to use copy-paste and drag-drop between Linux and Windows.

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

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.

Any questions?

That’s all you need to do to install Linux in VirtualBox on Windows.

If you have any doubts, or if you encounter any issues, please feel free to ask your questions in the comment box below.

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