Ubuntu is known for its user-friendliness and an excellent choice for Linux beginners. Through this guide, you will learn how to install Ubuntu on a Windows PC using a virtual machine, specifically VMware Workstation Player.

Ubuntu is a free and open-source operating system with its foundation based on the Debian Linux distribution. Since its development as an alternative to Debian in 2004, Ubuntu has garnered widespread adoption over time, thanks to its distinct features. Not only is Ubuntu known for its user-friendliness, but it also boasts powerful capabilities, including support for extensive cloud operations, server management, and compatibility with numerous applications and games – some of which you might pay for on Windows and macOS.

If you are considering installing Ubuntu, here are some essential aspects to understand:

• Ubuntu and Windows are distinct operating systems; however, Ubuntu's desktop environment offers a user experience that's close to Windows.
• Ubuntu is a lightweight operating system, requiring minimal system resources, making it ideal for daily use.
• You have two primary options when it comes to installing Ubuntu into your system. One is a dual-boot configuration, which allows you to choose between Windows and Ubuntu each time you start your computer. The other option is to run Ubuntu within Windows through a virtual machine. For this article, we will be discussing how to install Ubuntu in a virtual machine known as VMware Workstation Player.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A VIRTUAL MACHINE?

A virtual machine is a software installed on a physical computer, which emulates the host, functions independently and within an isolated environment. Think of it as a software replica of your personal computer designed to maximize efficiency, flexibility, and security. To enable the installation of virtual machines on your system, you'll need a crucial component called a hypervisor. This inbuilt software allocates resources like CPU and memory to make VM operations possible, while also ensuring their control, management, and performance monitoring.

VMWARE WORKSTATION PLAYER

VMware Workstation Player is versatile desktop virtualization solution by VMware LLC that lets you run multiple virtual machines and different operating systems on a single computer. This software serves various purposes, ranging from server management and configurations to application testing, software development, simulations and provides snapshots for seemless system restoration.

HERE IS HOW TO INSTALL UBUNTU ON WINDOWS

Enable Virtualization in BIOS

It is crucial to ensure that virtualization is enabled on your Pc or else you might not be able to complete the installation process. This is one of the major challenges many encounter, but by following these steps below you can fix it beforehand.

Step One: Boot to the Advanced Startup Options

To access the advanced boot menu, simply power off your PC and press F12 for Dell or F9/F10 for HP when powering on. The result will be the page below:

Note: The display is from a DELL PC booting from a UEFI and might differ for other type of PCs.

Step Two: Navigate to the BIOS setup

Step Three: In the BIOS setup, click on 'Virtualization Support'

Step Four: Under ‘Virtualization Support’ select ‘Virtualization’

Step Five: Tick the ‘Enable Intel Virtualization Technology’ option

Note: If virtualization is already enabled, exit the interface, as there will be no need to make any changes on your PC.

Step Six: Save changes and exit

Virtualization should be enabled on your PC now, after following these steps.

Installing Vmware Workstation Player On Windows

Follow these steps to install Vmware on your PC:

Step One: Click the following link:

https://customerconnect.vmware.com/en/downloads/info/slug/desktop_end_user_computing/vmware_workstation_player/17_0

Step Two: Click on ‘Go to Downloads’

Step Three: Select Vmware Workstation for Windows and click download

Step Four: After downloading the application file, navigate to your downloads folder and double-click to open the downloaded file

Step Five: Click ‘Yes’ when the VMware installation launcher appears

Step Six: Accept all term and conditions and  Click ‘Next’

Step Seven:  Click ‘Next’ when the ‘VMware Workstation 17 Player Setup’ appears.

Step Eight:  In the Custom Setup section only select the ‘Add VMware Workstation console tools into system PATH’ option and click ‘Next’

Note: You only need to select the ‘Enhanced Keyboard Driver’ option if you are using a non-US keyboard for a better input and user experience.

Step Nine: In the User Experience Settings, ensure to select all options and Click ‘Next’

Step Ten: Click ‘Install’ to start installation

Wait for a few minutes for the process to be completed.

Step Eleven: Now, click the 'Finish' option. After this, the VMware software should have been installed on your PC

Use the windows search bar to find VMware workstation Player on your PC

Installing Ubuntu Image File on Windows

Step One: Click the following link:

https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop

Step Two: Click on ‘Download’ and wait for some minutes

Note: The size of the Ubuntu image file is about 4.7GB, so it might take more time to complete the download.

Installing Ubuntu Image File on VMware Workstation

Step One: Open VMware Workstation

Note: Since it's your first time, it will display an option to enter a license key or use it for free; select the free option and click on 'continue.’

Step Two: In the home page, click on ‘Create New Virtual Machine’

Step Three: Select ‘Installer disc image file’ option and click on ‘Browse’ to get the path of the ISO file

Step Four: Clicking on ‘Browse’ will take you to your PC folders, navigate to downloads and select the ‘Ubuntu ISO file’, then click on ‘Open’

Step Five: Click ‘next’ after the ‘Ubuntu ISO file’ has been added.

Step Six: Choose a username and password of your choice and click ‘Next’

Note: Ensure the username is typed in lowercase letters to avoid getting errors.

Step Seven: Choose a name for the virtual machine and click ‘Next’

Note: You can also leave this on default and move to the next step.

Step Eight:  Specify disk capacity by doing the following;

• Allocate a disk size to your machine, preferably 20GB; however, you can allocate more space depending on your system requirements.

• Select the 'Split virtual disk into multiple files' option. Storing the virtual disk can also work; however, if you intend to migrate to another computer, then splitting the disk into multiple files is ideal.

• Click ‘Next’

Step Nine:  Ensure that the 'Power on this virtual machine after creation' option is enabled and click on 'Finish' to create the virtual machine

Note: The process might take few minutes

Step Ten:  After Ubuntu has been installed on VMware, choose your preferred language and click on ‘Continue’

Step Eleven:  Select ‘Normal installation and click on ‘Continue’

Step Twelve:  Here, select the ‘Erase disk and install Ubuntu’ option and click on ‘Install Now’

Step Thirteen:  Click ‘Continue’ when the ‘Write the changes to disk’ prompt appears

Step Fourteen:  Click ‘Continue’ to set location

Step Fifteen:  Create your account, enable password login, and click ‘Continue’

Step Sixteen: Now, the software will automatically commence installation and configuration of dependencies after completing the steps above

Note: This will take some time

Step Seventeen: Now that the installation process is complete on your virtual machine, restart your computer to use the software

If you've meticulously followed each step, you’ve now successfully installed Ubuntu on your Windows PC using VMware Workstation. This installation not only leverages the latest power of VMware Workstation but also ensures that Ubuntu is configured optimally for smooth performance and compatibility with your Windows PC.