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To install Ubuntu 22.04 Server in VirtualBox, download the Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS AMD64 server ISO, create a Linux VM with a virtual disk, boot from the ISO, and complete Ubuntu’s text-based installer. For a first install, VirtualBox’s default NAT network and Ubuntu’s guided storage option are suitable starting points. Check the proposed disk changes carefully before confirming: the installer warns that the selected devices will be overwritten.
What you need before you start
Use the official Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS live-server AMD64 ISO for a standard 64-bit PC guest. Ubuntu’s release directory lists the file as ubuntu-22.04.5-live-server-amd64.iso, dated September 11, 2024, with a size of 2.0G (Canonical / Ubuntu, 2024). Ubuntu’s Server download page may offer newer LTS images; if you specifically need 22.04, use the 22.04 image rather than a newer release.
You also need Oracle VirtualBox installed on the host computer. VirtualBox supplies virtual hardware, not the Ubuntu operating system or its license; the ISO is the installation media you attach to the VM.
Ubuntu’s basic-installation tutorial gives a baseline of 2 GB RAM and 5 GB of disk space (Canonical / Ubuntu, documentation accessed 2026). Those are minimum tutorial figures, not a recommendation for a useful server workload. Allow space for the OS, packages, and data you plan to add. Choose memory and CPU allocations according to what your host can spare; memory assigned to a running VM is not available to the host.
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Create and configure the VirtualBox VM
- In VirtualBox Manager, choose New and give the VM a descriptive name. Choose a machine folder on a host drive with enough free space for its virtual disk.
- Set the operating system to Linux and Ubuntu (64-bit) if VirtualBox has not detected them automatically. Select the Ubuntu Server ISO as the optical image. VirtualBox versions may present setup screens in a different order, including an unattended-installation option; this guide uses the manual installer.
- Set the VM’s memory and processor allocation to fit your host and intended use. Avoid assigning so much that the host becomes resource constrained.
- Create a virtual hard disk large enough for Ubuntu and the software and data you expect to use. The virtual disk is storage for the guest; it is separate from the host’s RAM allocation.
VirtualBox creates the VM’s virtual hardware, but Ubuntu is not installed until you boot the VM from the attached ISO and run the installer.
Boot the ISO and run Ubuntu’s installer
- Start the VM. The virtual optical drive should boot the ISO and open Ubuntu Server’s text-based installer.
- Select a language and keyboard layout, then choose Install Ubuntu.
- Review the network status. The installer attempts DHCP automatically. If the guest has no network connection, installation can continue offline, but it cannot check for updates during setup.
- Choose the storage configuration. For a straightforward lab VM, guided storage is usually easiest; choose manual storage only if you need a specific partition layout. Ubuntu’s recommended guided install does not require a separate swap partition.
- Inspect the proposed disk layout and confirm that it targets the VM’s virtual disk, not a device you did not intend to change. Ubuntu warns: “There is no ‘Undo’ for this step, once you confirm the changes, the indicated devices will be overwritten and any contents may be lost.” Proceed only when the target and proposed changes are correct.
- Enter a hostname, username, and password. The installer can also import SSH keys from supported accounts for SSH login; choose an appropriate key or account and protect your credentials.
- Wait for installation to finish, then follow the installer’s reboot prompt.
Choose the right network mode
A newly created VirtualBox VM uses NAT by default. NAT is a practical first choice when the guest mainly needs outbound internet access, such as for updates or package downloads. Ubuntu’s installer tries DHCP automatically when a network is available.
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The right mode depends on who needs to connect to the guest:
- NAT: Keep the default for basic outbound access. If a service in the VM must be reachable from the host, configure port forwarding for that service.
- Bridged networking: Use this when the VM needs its own presence on the local network, for example when other LAN devices need to discover or reach it. Whether this is appropriate depends on your network and access requirements.
Do not expose a service simply to make it reachable; choose forwarding or bridging deliberately and secure the service and its credentials.
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Complete the first boot and connect
After the installer reboots, the VM should start from the installed virtual disk. If it opens the installer again, eject or detach the ISO from the VM’s optical drive, or adjust boot order so the virtual disk starts before optical media.
Ubuntu Server provides a concise server-oriented software base and a text-menu installer, rather than Ubuntu Desktop’s graphical desktop experience. If your goal is a graphical workstation, Ubuntu Desktop may be a better starting point; adding a desktop environment to Server is a separate choice.
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To connect over SSH, use the VM’s network address and an account configured in Ubuntu. With NAT, a host generally cannot initiate a connection to the guest without port forwarding. If you need LAN devices to reach the guest, choose a network configuration that provides that access and check the guest’s address.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When to install VirtualBox Guest Additions
Guest Additions are optional integration software, not a prerequisite for installing or operating a basic headless Ubuntu Server VM. Install them only if you need a feature they provide, such as shared folders. Oracle documents inserting the Guest Additions CD image from VirtualBox’s Devices menu and installing the guest-side software; desktop-oriented display integration is not central to a text-mode server.
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Fix common installation problems
- The VM opens a blank screen or does not start setup: Check that the ISO is attached to the virtual optical drive and that the VM is configured for Linux and a 64-bit Ubuntu guest. If it starts from an empty disk, check the boot order and put optical media ahead of the empty virtual disk.
- The installer cannot check for updates: Confirm that the guest has network access and that DHCP is available. You can finish installation offline, but updates cannot be checked during setup without a connection.
- The VM returns to the installer after reboot: Detach the installation ISO or set the installed virtual disk ahead of optical media in the boot order.
- The VM runs slowly or the host struggles: Reduce the resources assigned to the VM if the host needs them. Increase VM resources only when the host can spare them.
- You cannot reach a service in the VM: NAT is the default and does not by itself provide inbound access from other machines. Set up port forwarding for host-to-guest access or choose bridged networking when LAN visibility is required.
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