To try Linux without installing it directly on your computer, download a distribution’s ISO from its official site, attach it to a virtual machine (VM), and boot the VM. The guest runs separately from your normal installation, reducing the risk of changing your host’s disk—but a VM is not a guarantee of perfect isolation. Keep optional links such as shared folders and USB passthrough disabled unless you need them.
What a VM does—and what it does not do
A VM runs a guest operating system using virtual hardware managed by software called a hypervisor. You can boot a Linux installer or live environment in that guest without directly partitioning or replacing the host installation, provided you create a separate VM and do not choose an option that targets the host’s physical storage.
This separation is useful for exploration, but it is not an absolute security boundary. Features that connect the guest to the host can expose files or devices, and a VM should not be treated as a safe place to run hostile code.
Choose a VM route that fits your host
Check your host operating system and CPU architecture before choosing VM software. Support and setup differ by host, so no single hypervisor is the right choice for every computer. Ubuntu’s official tutorial demonstrates VirtualBox 7 for trying Ubuntu Desktop, while its tryout documentation also describes Multipass as a way to run Ubuntu in a VM. Those examples establish two possible routes, not a universal feature comparison or winner. Ubuntu’s VirtualBox tutorial describes it as one of the easiest ways to try Ubuntu Desktop in a virtual machine; Ubuntu’s tryout guide covers its other tryout options.
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Consider whether you want a full desktop experience or a command-line-oriented VM, how much control you need over virtual hardware, and whether you need snapshot rollback or device integration. Consult the hypervisor’s current documentation for your specific host and architecture rather than assuming that an option supported on one system will work on another.
Download and verify the Linux image
- Choose a distribution. Open the project’s official download page and select an ISO appropriate for your computer’s architecture. Avoid an unknown third-party download when the project provides an official source.
- Check for verification instructions. If the project publishes a checksum and signature, follow its instructions to verify the download before using it. Ubuntu documents SHA256 hashes for its installation media and a signed checksum file distributed alongside the media; see Ubuntu’s image verification instructions.
Verification helps detect a damaged or altered download when the publisher provides a trustworthy verification method. Do not assume every distribution uses the same files or commands; follow the selected project’s current instructions.
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Create the VM and attach the ISO
- Install a compatible hypervisor. Get it from the vendor or the host operating system’s official software channel, and follow instructions for your host. For Linux hosts, Oracle’s download guidance says to match the package architecture to the Linux kernel architecture and recommends SHA256 rather than MD5 for package integrity checks: Oracle’s VirtualBox Linux downloads page. That guidance is specific to Linux hosts.
- Create a new virtual machine. In the hypervisor, start its new-VM workflow and select the guest operating system type if requested. Labels and screens vary between products and versions.
- Allocate virtual memory and storage. Keep allocations within your host’s available capacity and check the distribution’s current requirements. There is no universal RAM or disk size suitable for every distribution, desktop environment, and host.
- Attach the ISO as the VM’s virtual optical disk. Use the VM’s storage or boot settings to select the downloaded image, then start the VM. The exact control names depend on the hypervisor.
Boot Linux without changing the host installation
Follow the distribution’s startup flow inside the VM. Some images offer a live session or a “try” option; others open an installer. If your goal is evaluation, use a live session when available, or install only into the VM’s virtual disk. Read each destination and disk-selection screen carefully: do not choose the host’s physical disk or an option intended to replace the host operating system.
If you are unsure which disk an installer will change, stop before confirming and check the hypervisor and distribution documentation. The VM workflow avoids direct host-disk installation only when the guest is configured and used as a separate virtual machine.
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Limit connections between the guest and host
Shared folders, shared clipboard, drag-and-drop, and USB passthrough can make a VM more convenient, but they also create paths between the guest and host. Leave these features off initially and enable only what you need. For example, a shared folder gives the guest access to files you expose through it.
Guest Additions are software installed inside the guest to provide integration features; they are not a physical accessory. Ubuntu’s community documentation describes features such as file sharing: Ubuntu’s Guest Additions page. If you decide to replace preinstalled Guest Additions, Oracle recommends taking a VM snapshot first. Follow the instructions for the versions of the hypervisor and guest you are using; see Oracle’s Guest Additions documentation.
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Use snapshots to make experiments reversible
A snapshot records a VM state so you can return to it after guest changes. Once the VM is working, take a snapshot before substantial updates or configuration experiments. A snapshot is a rollback aid for the VM, not a substitute for keeping important host files backed up.
Snapshot controls and behavior vary by hypervisor. Check its current documentation before relying on a snapshot as your only recovery option.
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Finish or remove the test environment
- Shut down Linux from inside the guest when possible, then close or stop the VM in the hypervisor.
- If you want to keep the test environment, leave the VM stored in the hypervisor. If not, use the hypervisor’s removal or delete-VM workflow and check whether it will also delete the VM’s virtual disk.
- Delete the downloaded ISO if you no longer need it. Removing the VM and ISO does not uninstall or alter the host operating system when you used a separate VM and did not change the host’s physical storage.
When a VM is not the right test
A VM is useful for exploring a desktop or software workflow, but it does not fully reproduce your computer’s physical hardware. If your main question is whether Linux works with your actual Wi-Fi adapter, graphics, or other devices, Ubuntu also documents a USB-based tryout that runs without permanent changes. That approach requires booting from external media and is separate from the VM workflow; see Ubuntu’s tryout guide.
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