Ubuntu Starter Guide

This article collections provides Ubuntu tips for beginners,

including how to install Ubuntu on a computer or virtual machine,
set up Ubuntu virtual machines, and use commands to monitor system resources.
By Brien Posey

Getty Images
NEXT
Ubuntu Starter Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Is Ubuntu?............................................................................................... 4

How To Install Ubuntu on a Computer or Virtual Machine ........................................ 8

Create Ubuntu Virtual Machines the Easy Way..................................................... 11

Installing Ubuntu on Windows Services for Linux................................................. 14

How to Install Docker on Ubuntu ....................................................................... 17

3 Ubuntu Commands for Monitoring System Resource Use.................................... 20

PREVIOUS NEXT
2
Ubuntu Starter Guide

INTRODUCTION
Ubuntu is frequently touted as an attractive alternative to Windows and a The articles in this guide offer a general introduction to Ubuntu. First,
smart way for users to get started with Linux. As an operating system, it is free, we explain what you need to know about this Linux distribution, including
user friendly, and backed by an enthusiastic user and developer community. Ubuntu’s main benefits and drawbacks. We then walk you through the
Taking your first steps into Ubuntu doesn’t have to be intimidating. In fact, process of installing Ubuntu on a computer or virtual machine. Next, we
installing Ubuntu Desktop can take just a few minutes to complete. illustrate how to set up an Ubuntu virtual machine on a Windows desktop.
We also show how to install Docker on Ubuntu. Finally, you will learn Ubuntu
commands for monitoring system resource usage.

PREVIOUS NEXT
3
Ubuntu Starter Guide

What Is Ubuntu?
Learn about the Ubuntu Linux distribution, as well as the pros and cons associated
with its use.

U
buntu is a Linux distribution from software developer Canonical. In recent years,
Ubuntu has become one of the most popular Linux distributions.
Canonical makes four editions of Ubuntu:
Ubuntu Desktop is designed for use on desktop and laptop systems, similarly to the way
that you might run Windows 10 or Windows 11 on a desktop system;
Ubuntu Server is Canonical’s server product, which can be configured for a variety of
use cases;
Ubuntu Core is an operating system engineered for IoT devices and embedded
environments; and
Ubuntu distributions optimized for public clouds, including AWS, Google Cloud Platform,
Microsoft Azure, and Oracle Cloud.
In addition, Ubuntu’s developer community have created a range of “Ubuntu flavors” –
unique versions of Ubuntu designed for a specific type of desktop experience, use case, or
theme. Popular Ubuntu flavors include Kubuntu, Lubuntu, and Ubuntu Studio. Lubuntu, for
example, is a lightweight version of Ubuntu that has basic system requirements. Ubuntu
Studio, meanwhile, is customized for amateur and professional content creators. UBports
offers a mobile version of Ubuntu called Ubuntu Touch.

PREVIOUS NEXT
4
Ubuntu Starter Guide

What Are the Benefits of Using Ubuntu?

For the purposes of this article, the discussion will focus on Ubuntu Desktop.
Ubuntu Desktop is an operating system that is free and open source, which makes it an
attractive option for many users. Ubuntu can be downloaded from Canonical’s website or
a torrent website. Additionally, Ubuntu is not supported by ads, so users generally won’t
have to worry about having the operating system’s graphical user interface (GUI) cluttered
by ads, as is sometimes the case with the Windows Start menu.
Another appealing Ubuntu Desktop feature is that it is easy to use, making it a good
operating system for people who are unfamiliar with Linux. Linux has long had a reputation
for being difficult to operate, largely because many Linux distributions are primarily command
line environments. While it is true that Ubuntu Server (see in Figure 1) is designed for
command line operations, Ubuntu Desktop comes equipped with a full GUI that looks and
feels a lot like Windows. It is worth noting that Ubuntu is not the only Linux distribution for
which a GUI is available, but its GUI is one of the easier ones to use.

Figure 1: This is what Ubuntu Server looks like. Figure 2: Ubuntu Desktop is characterized by its GUI interface.

PREVIOUS NEXT
5
Ubuntu Starter Guide

Despite its user-friendly desktop, Ubuntu is a true Linux build, which means you can
interact with Ubuntu from the command line. To do so, just click on the Apps icon and
then double-click on the Terminal icon. You can see what the command line environment
looks like in Figure 3.
This brings up another important advantage to using Ubuntu Desktop. Ubuntu Desktop
comes preloaded with multiple applications and basic utilities (such as the Calculator,
a text editor, and a few games). The most noteworthy application that is included with
Ubuntu is LibreOffice, which might best be described as a free, open-source alternative to
Microsoft Office. You can see the LibreOffice Writer application in Figure 4.

Figure 3: You can interact with Ubuntu Desktop from the command line by using the Terminal app. Figure 4: LibreOffice Writer is a free, open-source alternative to Microsoft Word.

PREVIOUS NEXT
6
Ubuntu Starter Guide

The Ubuntu operating system also comes preloaded with the FireFox web browser. You
can easily download other browsers such as Google Chrome, however.
Other Ubuntu benefits include the following:
• It’s easy to install. An entire Ubuntu Desktop installation can be completed in a few minutes.
• Canonical developed Ubuntu with strong security features and provides security
updates regularly.
• Like other Linux-based operation systems, Ubuntu is highly customizable. Users can
customize the desktop environment to suit their needs and preferences.
• Ubuntu users can tap into a large user and developer community. Many of the communities
focus on a specific Ubuntu flavor.
Overall, Ubuntu is a great option for individuals and for businesses alike. The operating
software vendors do build Linux versions of their applications. Additionally, there are
system is stable, secure, and available for free.
countless open-source applications available through the Ubuntu Software Center. However,
What Are the Drawbacks of Using Ubuntu? you may find that some of your favorite applications are Windows only.
Individual and business users must consider a few potential disadvantages of Ubuntu
before adopting the system. Where Can I Find More Information About Ubuntu?
The first disadvantage is that if you install Ubuntu onto a physical machine, you may There are plenty of online resources available to learn more about Ubuntu.
have difficulties getting it to recognize some of your hardware. Some hardware vendors Here are a few examples:
simply do not offer Linux device drivers. Realistically, you probably won’t have any issues • The Official Ubuntu Documentation (available on help.ubuntu.com)
with hardware compatibility so long as you are running Ubuntu on mainstream hardware. • Ubuntu Forums
If you have anything special, however, you could encounter problems. You may find that • The Ubuntu Wiki
you need to use a more mainstream operating system such as Windows.
Another potential drawback: Not all software has a Linux version available. That means Conclusion
Ubuntu may not be compatible with all the applications you need to run. While it is becoming Ubuntu Desktop is a free, open-source desktop operating system that can make for a
much more common for software vendors to create Linux versions of their products, many compelling alternative to Windows. Ubuntu Desktop is widely known for its ease of use.
applications run only on Windows or MacOS. The primary disadvantage to using Ubuntu, however, is that Windows software will not
This is not to suggest that there is no software available for Ubuntu. Many commercial natively run on Ubuntu.

PREVIOUS NEXT
7
Ubuntu Starter Guide

How To Install Ubuntu on a

Computer or Virtual Machine
As a lightweight operating system, the entire Ubuntu Desktop installation can be
done in a few minutes.

A
s far as desktop operating systems go, Ubuntu is extremely easy to install. In this
article, you will learn how to deploy Ubuntu Desktop on a system.

What You Need To Know Before You Install Ubuntu

Unlike Windows, MacOS, and other commercial operating systems, Ubuntu is free and
open source. You can download Ubuntu Desktop at ubuntu.com.
The download consists of a single ISO file, from which you can create a bootable DVD or
USB memory stick. If you are going to be installing Ubuntu to a virtual machine, you can Figure 1: Select the option to Try or Install Ubuntu.

use the ISO file without having to create boot media. Hypervisors such as VMware and
Microsoft’s Hyper-V can install guest operating systems directly from an ISO file.
How To Install Ubuntu Desktop
The current Ubuntu build (Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS) has relatively modest system
Installing Ubuntu Desktop is a relatively straightforward process.
requirements. Assuming you will deploy Ubuntu Desktop to an X86 / X64 system, you Begin by inserting the boot media that you have created and powering up the computer
will need a PC with at least a 2 GHz, dual core CPU, and 4 GB of RAM. Additionally, you or virtual machine on which you will install Ubuntu. Some PCs may require you to press
will need 25 GB of hard disk space and either a DVD drive or a USB port from which the a key to boot from the installation media.
installation media can be mounted. Internet access is recommended but is not required. At this point, you will see a screen like the one shown in Figure 1. Select the Try or

PREVIOUS NEXT
8
Ubuntu Starter Guide

Install Ubuntu option and press Enter. before and want to try it out prior to installing it.
At this point, the installer will display an Ubuntu splash screen that is displayed for At this point, you will be taken to a screen that asks you to choose your keyboard layout.
a couple of minutes while the installer loads the required binaries. When this process You can usually use the default options without any problem. When you have made your
completes, a couple of other installer screens will briefly appear, then you will be taken selection, click Continue.
to the screen that is shown in Figure 2. The next screen asks you what you want to install. The default option, which you
Select your preferred language from the list on the left side of the screen and then can see in Figure 3, installs a variety of software, including a web browser, various
click Install Ubuntu. Make sure not to choose the Try Ubuntu option because it does not games and utilities, a media player, and LibreOffice. You can opt to perform a minimal
actually install Ubuntu. Instead, the Try Ubuntu option causes Ubuntu to run directly from installation instead. A minimal installation installs a web browser and some basic
the installation media. This option is intended for those who have never used Ubuntu utilities but forgoes the games and the Office software.
This same screen also includes two checkboxes. The first checkbox gives you the
option of downloading updates during the installation process. The second checkbox
installs third-party software (usually drivers) based on your system’s hardware. If you
are installing Ubuntu to physical hardware, it is a good idea to select this checkbox.

Figure 2: Select your language and click Install Ubuntu. Figure 3: You can perform either a normal or a minimal installation.

PREVIOUS NEXT
9
Ubuntu Starter Guide

Click Continue and you will be taken to a screen that asks you to choose your installation The screen shown in Figure 5 is self-explanatory. You will need to enter your name, then
type. Normally, you should choose the Erase Disk and Install Ubuntu option, shown in Figure assign yourself a username and password. You will also need to confirm a password. The
4. However, other options exist in case you want to encrypt the disk, perform a dual boot one thing that you should note here is that unless you choose the Active Directory option,
installation, or use a nontraditional storage configuration. usernames must be lower case.
When you have made your selection, click the Install Now button. After you do this, a When you are finished, click Continue and Ubuntu will be installed. When the process
warning message will tell you that the disk’s partition table is about to be changed. Assuming finishes, click the Restart Now button.
that you are OK with the change, click the Continue button. As you can see, deploying Ubuntu Desktop is a simple process. Because Ubuntu Desktop
Even though it seems like Ubuntu is about to be installed, you must work through a is such a lightweight operating system, the entire installation process can be completed
couple more screens before the installation can start. The first of these screens simply in just a few minutes. Of course, you can also evaluate Ubuntu first without installing it by
asks you to choose your time zone. After doing so, click Continue. You will then be taken simply booting from the installation media, then choosing the Try Ubuntu option.
to the Who Are You screen, shown in Figure 5.

Figure 4: The Erase Disk and Install Ubuntu option is selected by default. Figure 5: You will need to choose a username and password for your new Ubuntu installation.

PREVIOUS NEXT
10
Ubuntu Starter Guide

Create Ubuntu Virtual

Machines the Easy Way
Microsoft provides a simple process for creating Ubuntu virtual machines on
Window desktops.

U
buntu is an open-source Linux distribution that is based on Debian. While you can
download a copy of the Ubuntu installation media and use it to set up a Ubuntu virtual
machine, there is an easier option. Microsoft has greatly simplified the process of
deploying Ubuntu virtual machines, particularly on Windows desktops.
In this article, you will learn how to quickly set up Ubuntu on a Windows 10 desktop.
Before we begin, this article assumes that you have already installed Hyper-V on your
Windows 10 system. If Hyper-V is not currently installed, you can install it by opening the
legacy Control Panel, then clicking Programs. Click the Turn Windows Features On or Off Figure 1: You will need to install Hyper-V if it is not already set up.
link. Now select the Hyper-V option, shown in Figure 1. Click OK, then follow the prompts
to deploy Hyper-V.
included with Windows Server. There are some exceptions, however. For example, there are
Create an Ubuntu Virtual Machine enterprise-grade features such as failover clustering and replication that are not supported
The primary tool for managing Hyper-V virtual machines is the Hyper-V Manager. The on the desktop version of Hyper-V.
simplest way to access the Hyper-V Manager on a Windows 10 machine is to type “Hyper-V” The desktop version of Hyper-V has at least one feature that does not exist on the
into the search box at the bottom of the Windows desktop. Click on Hyper-V Manager Windows Server version. The feature, Quick Create, is a tool designed to simplify the
within the list of results. process of creating virtual machines. Quick Create allows you to set up new virtual
Generally, the copy of Hyper-V that comes with Windows 10 is identical to the one that is machines without having to worry about manually provisioning virtual hardware or

PREVIOUS NEXT
11
Ubuntu Starter Guide

downloading operating system binaries. shortcuts for different versions of Ubuntu. To get started, simply select the Ubuntu version
Figure 2 shows what the Hyper-V Manager looks like. The Quick Create link is in the you want to deploy, then click the Create Virtual Machine button.
upper-right corner of the console (in the Actions section). Even though using Quick Create greatly streamlines the process of setting up a new
To create an Ubuntu virtual machine, click the Quick Create link. This causes Windows to virtual machine, the process can take some time to complete. That’s because Windows
open the Create Virtual Machine dialog box. As you can see in Figure 3, Microsoft provides must download the operating system binaries and any other required components prior

Figure 3: Choose the Ubuntu release that you want to deploy and then click the Create Virtual Machine button.
Figure 2: This is the Hyper-V Manager.

PREVIOUS NEXT
12
Ubuntu Starter Guide

to beginning the installation process. When the deployment process eventually finishes, Final Steps
you will see a screen like the one shown in Figure 4. The only thing left to do at this point is to finish setting up Ubuntu. To do so, just connect
Clicking the Connect button opens the virtual machine’s console, whereas clicking the to the virtual machine (you may need to start the virtual machine), then follow the prompts.
Edit button causes Windows to open the Hyper-V Settings page for the newly created As you can see in Figure 5, for example, you will need to specify the language that you
virtual machine. You can use the Settings page to adjust the virtual hardware allocation want to use.
(e.g., add more memory to the virtual machine). However, the default settings are typically
adequate unless you plan to run a resource-intensive workload within the virtual machine.

Figure 4: The virtual machine has been created. Figure 5. Complete a few minor configuration tasks and Ubuntu is ready to use.

PREVIOUS NEXT
13
Ubuntu Starter Guide

Installing Ubuntu on Windows

Services for Linux
Windows Services for Linux, which is available on Windows 10 and 11, lets users
install popular Linux distributions.

E
ver since Windows 10 version 2004, Microsoft has made it possible to run Linux on
top of Windows through Windows Services for Linux.
Let’s look at how to use Windows Services for Linux (WSL) to deploy Ubuntu, the
default Linux distribution.

What Is WSL?
WSL, which is also supported in Widnows 11, is a tool that lets you to install popular Linux
distributions. Distributions include Ubuntu, Debian GNU/Linux, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.
WSL is accessible through PowerShell or a Command Prompt window by way of a
command line tool called WSL.EXE. Entering WSL /? displays the full command syntax,
as shown in Figure 1.
As you can see in the figure at right, most of the command line arguments are geared
toward installing the Windows Services for Linux. The command line option that you should
note is the -d argument. This is the parameter that lets you specify the Linux distribution
you want to install. You can see a list of the available distributions by entering this command:
Figure 1: This is the command syntax for WSL.exe.
Wsl --list --online

PREVIOUS NEXT
14
Ubuntu Starter Guide

In Figure 2, note that Ubuntu is the very first Linux distribution on the list. It features an
asterisk beside it, which indicates that Ubuntu is the default Linux distribution.
I will explain how to specify Ubuntu as the distribution to be installed so that you can see
how the installation process works. (As a side note, you are not solely limited to installing
the Linux distributions that are listed here. You can theoretically install any Linux distribution
so long as you have the required Tarball file.)

Install Ubuntu
Let’s go ahead and install Ubuntu.
Start the installation process by entering the following command:
Wsl--install -d Ubuntu
In the above command, the Install parameter tells Windows that you want to install WSL. Figure 2: This is the list the available Linux distributions.

The -D switch (which must be entered as a lowercase letter) lets you specify the distribution
that you want to install — in this case, Ubuntu.
Figure 3 shows what the deployment process looks like.
When the Ubuntu installation process finishes, you will need to reboot the machine.
Upon rebooting, you should see a message indicating that the Ubuntu build is installing.
This installation process can take quite a while to complete. The important thing is to avoid
getting impatient and closing the window, even though it looks like nothing is happening.
Eventually, the installation process should finish up and display a message prompting you

Figure 3: This is how you install Ubuntu.

PREVIOUS NEXT
15
Ubuntu Starter Guide

to enter a new UNIX username and password. You can see what this looks like in Figure
4. Note that the username must be entered as lowercase text.

Check Your Windows Subsystem for Linux Version

At this point, the deployment process is finished and your Ubuntu instance is ready to
Figure 4: This is what the completion of the Ubuntu deployment process looks like.
use. Before moving ahead, however, make sure that you are running the latest version of
the Windows Subsystem for Linux.
Normally, the version won’t be an issue, but if Windows is missing updates, an older
version might be deployed.
To check your version, open an elevated PowerShell window and enter the
following command:
Wsl --list -v
When you enter this command, you should see that version 2 of the Windows Subsystem
for Linux is in use, as shown in Figure 5.
If by chance you discover that version 1 is being used, you can upgrade by entering
this command:
Figure 5: Ubuntu is running on version 2 of the Windows Subsystem for Linux.
Wsl --ser-version Ubuntu 2

PREVIOUS NEXT
16
Ubuntu Starter Guide

How to Install Docker

on Ubuntu
Installing Docker on Ubuntu is a relatively easy process.
Here are the steps for doing so.

D
Figure 1: The Docker installation process leverages the Application Package Installer.
ocker is a container platform that you can use to create containers on top of Ubuntu
or other Linux platforms. For those who might not have worked with containers
before, they are similar to virtual machines. However, containers consume far fewer
resources because they can share a common base image.
In this article, I will show you how to install Docker and create an interactive Ubuntu
container on an Ubuntu server.

How To Install Docker on Ubuntu Using the Command Line

Installing Docker on Ubuntu is a relatively simple process. As with other application
installation processes, it uses the Application Package Installer (APT).
Here is the command used to install Docker:
Sudo apt install docker.io Figure 2: The Docker dependencies must be installed from a snap bundle.
You can see what this process looks like in Figure 1. Notice that Docker will consume just
under 300 megabytes of disk space. However, keep in mind that you will need additional of applications and/or dependencies that are designed to work with a variety of Linux
storage space for image files and for any containers that you may create. distributions, including Ubuntu.
Once Docker has been installed, the next thing to do is install its dependencies. These To install the Docker dependencies, use this command:
dependencies exist in the form of a snap bundle. A snap bundle is essentially a collection Sudo snap install docker

PREVIOUS NEXT
17
Ubuntu Starter Guide

Testing Your Docker Installation

At this point, Docker should be installed and functional. It’s a good idea to try running
the “Hello World” image just to ensure Docker works properly.
To do so, enter the following command:
Sudo docker-run hello-world
When you run this command, Ubuntu should display a message that says, “Hello from
Docker”, which indicates that Docker works properly. However, since Docker was just
recently installed, the Hello World image likely will not exist on your machine. This means
that you will initially see an error message telling you that the image does not exist locally.
After that, you should get a message that Docker has pulled the Hello World image from
the library. You should then see the “Hello from Docker” message. You can see what this
looks like in Figure 3.

Modifying the Docker Group

You might have noticed in the previous figure that I had to type sudo prior to entering the
Docker Run command. Sudo tells Linux that a command must run with elevated privileges.
However, most of the Docker tutorials that exist online show the Docker command being
used without the aid of sudo.
If you would prefer not to enter sudo each time you execute a Docker command, you
must add your username to the Docker group. Here is a command for adding the account
that you are currently using to the Docker group:
Sudo usermod -aG docker ${USER}
Figure 3: You can use the Hello World image to test Docker.
Next, you will either need to log out and log back in or run the following command to
make the change take effect:
Su - ${USER}

PREVIOUS NEXT
18
Ubuntu Starter Guide

If you type the word “groups,” you should see confirmation that you are now a member Once you find an image that you want to use, enter the Docker pull command, followed
of the Docker group. by the image name. In Figure 4, for example, I found an image named “Ubuntu” and then
pulled that image by typing “docker pull ubuntu”.
Working With Docker Images
Before you can create a container, you must install a base image. Assuming that the How To Use Ubuntu Images in Docker Containers
image will be based on Ubuntu, you should begin by searching for Ubuntu images. Now that you have a Docker base image, you can use that image to create an
Here is the command for searching for Ubuntu images: Ubuntu container.
Docker search ubuntu
We already created one container using the Hello World image. As you saw in that
example, we simply entered the Docker Run command, followed by the name of the
image (Hello-World).
While that technique can be used to run a container, you can also make the container
interactive (giving you shell access) by specifying the -it switch. Hence, if we want to create
an interactive Ubuntu container, this is the command for doing so:
Docker run -it ubuntu
As you can see, Ubuntu makes it simple to install Docker. It is equally as easy to search
for and pull base images and then create containers from those images.

Figure 4: This is how you search for and pull a Docker base image. Figure 5: This is how you create an interactive Ubuntu container.

PREVIOUS NEXT
19
Ubuntu Starter Guide

Ubuntu Commands for Monitoring System Resource Use

Three basic commands can help you monitor system resource use in Ubuntu and other Linux distributions.

A
big part of maintaining a healthy Ubuntu machine is ensuring it has the right amount
of system resources available. System resources should sufficiently accommodate
any workload that may run on the machine, as well as meet the needs of the OS itself.
Fortunately, there are three simple Ubuntu commands you can use to monitor hardware use.

Monitoring Disk Space: The DF Command

The first command to know is the DF command.
DF stands for “Disk Free.” As the name implies, the DF command is used to find out how
much free disk space is available.
If you come from a Windows background, you will find that the DF command works a
little bit differently than the Get-ChildItem cmdlet or DIR command. Those commands
display the current volume’s contents and the amount of remaining disk space.
By contrast, when you enter the DF command, Ubuntu will display a list of file systems
present on the system, as well as the total size and amount of free space available within
each file system.
As a best practice, you should append the -H switch when using the DF command. The Figure 1: The DF command shows the disk’s contents.
-H switch tells Ubuntu to put the results into a human-readable format. The output will be
shown in megabytes and gigabytes as opposed to bytes. You can see what this command
looks like in Figure 1.

PREVIOUS NEXT
20
Ubuntu Starter Guide

Monitoring Processes: The Top Command If you try the command on your own system, the Top data will be continuously displayed
Windows systems use numerous background processes to perform low-level tasks until you press Ctrl+C.
within the operating system. There are also processes associated with any applications Incidentally, the screen capture shown in Figure 2 was taken from a command line-
that you might choose to run. You can view these processes through the Windows Task only Ubuntu shell running on Windows Services for Linux. The reason why most Linux
Manager or by using the Get-Process cmdlet within PowerShell. deployments are command line only is because the GUI consumes a significant amount
The concept of processes is not unique to Windows. Ubuntu and other Linux systems
of system resources.
also make use of processes. As in the case of Windows systems, some of these processes
To see just how much of a difference this makes, see Figure 3, which shows the results
make extremely light use of the available hardware resources, while others tend to be far
of running the Top command on an Ubuntu machine that has the Linux desktop installed.
more demanding.
You can see the processes that are running on an Ubuntu machine by entering the Top
command. After you enter this command, Linux will present a summary of the total
number of tasks that are running on the system. Linux will also give you a breakdown of
the individual processes. This not only includes the amount of CPU and memory resources
used by each process, but also the user who launched the process, the process ID, and
the command that is tied to the process.

Figure 2: The Top command provides information about the processes that are running on the system. Figure 3: The GUI consumes significant system resources.

PREVIOUS NEXT
21
Ubuntu Starter Guide

Monitoring Memory Use: The Free Command

Finally, just as the Top command will show the processes running on your system,
the Free command will show how the system’s memory is used.
Entering Free at the command prompt causes Ubuntu to display the system’s total
memory, how much memory is in use, and how much memory is free. You can also get
information about swap memory by using the Free command.

Figure 4: The Free command shows how the system is using the available memory.

PREVIOUS
22