Q&A for How to Install Ubuntu on VirtualBox

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Will choosing the erase disk option while installing Ubuntu remove my original Windows operating system?

Community Answer

When you're asked this question inside the VirtualBox, it's talking about the virtual disk, not your physical disk. And since the virtual disk is "brand new", there is nothing there that you should worry about. There is no risk to your Windows system.

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If I install Ubuntu from VirtualBox, will it erase all content on my C drive?

Community Answer

I was worried about this too. Ubuntu will format/erase only the virtual disk space you allocated for the Virtual Machine, not your whole C: drive.

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Question

How do I get the 64-bit option on Virtualbox? I only have the 32-bit option.

Community Answer

To use 64-bit guests on VirtualBox, you need to have a CPU that supports Virtualization. Then, make sure that feature is turned on in the BIOS.

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Question

Will I need to boot to Windows first, or will it allow me to choose?

Community Answer

You will need to boot to Windows. If you want to run Ubuntu without Windows, you need to do a dual- boot installation.

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Question

Do I need to use any DVD or CD to install Ubuntu?

Community Answer

No. Just download the Ubuntu image file from the Ubuntu downloads specific to your PC. Follow the above steps to install the virtual box. After that, as mentioned in step 2, click storage and select your downloaded Ubuntu image file.

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Question

What is the problem if I have 800+ gigibytes of free space, but Ubuntu says I only have 4.2 MB?

Community Answer

The space available to the VM is determined by its virtual disk(s), not your actual storage drive. I don't think there's any way to increase the capacity of a virtual disk once it's created, but you can make a new one through the VM's settings in VirtualBox.

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Question

When installing Guest Additions in Ubuntu, I get an error saying, "unable to insert the virtual optical disk." What should I do?

Community Answer

Make sure you are using a recent version of Ubuntu. However, you can install Ubuntu normally as an operating system on both Mac and Windows, so using VirtualBox is unnecessary.

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Question

How much time does it take to install?

Community Answer

Minimal takes around 20 to 25 minutes, the complete option might take closer to 45 minutes.

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Question

I installed this on a flash drive. Will I be able to boot directly from the flash drive at the startup of my computer, or is VirtualBox required?

Community Answer

You don't need VirtualBox if you are booting from a flash drive. VirtualBox is a Windows platform, you are installing Ubuntu inside the VirtualBox in a virtual drive.

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Question

When I try to install from a CD, I get the following message: "This kernel requires a x86-64 CPU, but only detected an i686 CPU." How do I fix this?

Community Answer

Your *.iso image is for a 64 bit machine. Your machine is 32 bit. Possible solutions: 1. Download and install a 32 bit. *.iso image, or 2. Step into the 21st century and upgrade to a 64 bit machine.

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Question

Where can I download the 32 bit version of Ubuntu without using torrents?

Joshua Chuah

Community Answer

You can download the .iso for Ubuntu 16.04.6 by searching "ubuntu 16.04 download" on Google. The first result should be the official Ubuntu website. Ubuntu 16.04.6 is the last 32-bit variant of Ubuntu with LTS (Long Term Support). Be sure to select the i386 option for a 32-bit version of Ubuntu.

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Question

What could cause the screen to go blank when trying to install Ubuntu 12 on VirtualBox?

Community Answer

I got this error at first too. Then discovered that I didn't have the ISO mounted correctly (part 4).

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Question

I am trying to install Ubuntu 16.04 on an Oracle VM virtual box, but after selecting the language option it is not showing a "Continue" option for the installation. What should I do?

Community Answer

The "Continue" button was off screen for me. I was able to hit the button by tabbing and guessing the location. Also, you could try increasing the windows size before getting to that window.

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Question

How long does it take to install Ubuntu on VirtualBox?

Community Answer

It took me about 30 minutes, with most of the time spent creating a fixed size hard drive (my install was on an HP laptop).

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Question

How do I reinstall Ubuntu?

Community Answer

First, remove it from your machine along with any residual files. Then simply follow the steps in the article to reinstall it. You just want to ensure that it's fully uninstalled before you try to install it again.

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Question

When I launch Ubuntu it comes up in terminal, not desktop, and StartX doesn't work. How do I get desktop to launch?

Arrogance

Top Answerer

This is unlikely to happen in VirtualBox (the platform in the article). If it does, try increasing the size of the VRAM (video memory) in the VM settings. If you have a high-resolution monitor, the default is probably not enough to operate a large window or fullscreen. If you're encountering this on real hardware, try using the Safe graphics option from the boot menu. If this happens after install, you may need to install the proprietary drivers for your GPU. The exact package you need depends on the card, but you can install it from the terminal with the command "sudo apt install ". "sudo apt install nvidia-driver-510" would work for most recent Nvidia cards, for example.

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Question

How do I install Ubuntu after installing CentOS?

Arrogance

Top Answerer

There's no practical reason to dual-boot in VirtualBox; you should just create a separate VM. Dual-booting Ubuntu and CentOS basically just requires creating at least one partition to install Ubuntu on. Either use the "Guided" feature, or use the manual setup, and create an ext4 partition of at least 25 GB (for a desktop install). Set "Use as" to "/". If you don't have space, resize your CentOS partitions. If you're not using hibernation, you can share the swap partition. Set "Use as" on the swap partition to "swap."

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Question

Part two step eleven says "Make sure that your Ubuntu file is done downloading." How do I know that the download is complete?

Arrogance

Top Answerer

When your web browser or BitTorrent client has stopped downloading it, and reports no errors. Often, it will say "Finished" or "100%" as well.

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Question

Can I install Ubuntu in VirtualBox using a bootable USB drive?

Rahul Kumar

Community Answer

To install Ubuntu in VirtualBox using a bootable USB drive, download the Ubuntu ISO, install VirtualBox, and create a new virtual machine. Attach the Ubuntu ISO to the virtual machine, start it, and follow the installation instructions. Once installed, you can use Ubuntu in a virtual environment for testing, development, or learning.

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Question

How can Ubuntu run on 1024 MB RAM and a 10 GB hard disk when the requirements state 2 GB RAM and 25 GB HDD?

Kirti Agrawal

Community Answer

If Ubuntu doesn't run on 1024 MB RAM, you might consider using Kali Linux or Parrot OS, which can work with 1024 MB RAM. It's also recommended not to compromise on the hard disk; aim for at least a 100 GB HDD.

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Question

It asks me to reinstall every time I log in. If I quit, it allows access to the desktop without signing in. How can I fix this?

Rahul Kumar

Community Answer

It sounds like Ubuntu is installed correctly, but the setup might reset after each reboot. Different versions may have unique installation processes.

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Question

Why does Ubuntu try to reinstall when I restart my virtual machine, and how can I fix it?

Involix

Community Answer

Ensure the virtual machine boots from the hard drive, remove the installation media, confirm the installation is error-free, repair GRUB with a live USB if needed, check VM settings, and consider recreating the VM if issues persist.

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Question

How can I access the root account after creating a normal user during installation?

Rahul Kumar

Community Answer

Open a terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or searching for "Terminal" in the Applications menu. Use "sudo" to run commands with root privileges by typing `sudo` followed by your command and entering your normal user's password when prompted. Alternatively, switch to a full root shell by typing `sudo -i` and then entering your password; this changes the prompt to #, indicating root access. Type `exit` to return to your normal user account.

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Question

How do I resolve the "grub-install /sda/ failed" error when installing Ubuntu in Oracle VirtualBox?

Rahul Kumar

Community Answer

Ensure your VM is set to the correct boot mode (EFI or Legacy BIOS) and matches your Ubuntu installation media. Disable "Enable Fast Boot" in VirtualBox settings under System > Motherboard. If needed, manually reinstall GRUB by booting into a live Ubuntu environment and running `sudo grub-install /dev/sda` and `sudo update-grub` in the terminal. If that fails, try using the Boot Repair tool by adding its PPA: `sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu`.

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Question

Even after adding my Ubuntu ISO file in VirtualBox, I am still getting a FATAL error that no bootable disk is found.

Delena sOdEeP mUsIc

Community Answer

Check the ISO integrity, VM settings, and disable EFI. Try a different ISO, update VirtualBox, or consider using alternative virtualization software like VMware or QEMU if the problem persists.

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Question

When I try to install Ubuntu, I can't type my name or my computer's name. Does anyone know how to fix this?

Delena sOdEeP mUsIc

Community Answer

Check the input focus and verify your keyboard layout. Try using different keys and ensure mouse integration is enabled. Restart the installation if needed, explore alternative methods, or use the terminal for configuration.

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What should I do if Ubuntu shows a blank screen?

Delena sOdEeP mUsIc

Community Answer

You should check the monitor and cable, restart the computer, boot into recovery mode, reconfigure graphics drivers, and check for hardware issues. Additionally, try using nomodeset or safe graphics mode, test with a Live USB/CD, and review log files for errors.

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Question

Why won't Linux accept the file when it first boots and asks for the disk file? Did I miss something?

Community Answer

Follow these general steps to resolve the issue: Verify the installation media for Linux to ensure it's not corrupted. - Check BIOS/UEFI settings to set the correct boot sequence for the installation media. - Use the appropriate boot option when starting the system. - Recreate the installation media if needed, ensuring you use a reliable tool. - Confirm compatibility between the Linux distribution and your hardware. - Ensure your system meets the minimum requirements for the Linux distribution. - Try different USB ports or DVD drives if available. - Disable Secure Boot temporarily if using UEFI. - Check for BIOS/UEFI firmware updates.

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Question

I have already Windows and Ubuntu 18.04, now I want to install Ubuntu 19. 04 by removing Ubuntu 18.04/ How can I do that?

Arrogance

Top Answerer

Delete the Ubuntu 18.04 VM and hard disk image, and create a new 19.04 VM, using the steps in the article.If you want to upgrade from Ubuntu 18.04 to 19.04 instead, edit /etc/apt/sources.list as root, replace "bionic" with "disco", and run "sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade".

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Question

When I follow the exact same steps and try to restart the vm at the end, it make me go over the entire installation process again even though it recognizes the installation. How can I fix this?

Arrogance

Top Answerer

It sounds like the disc is still in the virtual drive. Normally, this shouldn't happen, as it is removed when Ubuntu "ejects" the disc, unless you checked the "Live CD" box. You can remove the ISO from the drive in the Storage section of the Settings window. Click on the DVD drive/the name of the ISO, then the DVD icon, and select "Remove disk from virtual drive."

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