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Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Installation Guide

This guide walks you through installing Ubuntu 18.04 (Bionic Beaver) in VirtualBox 5.2 or later.

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Prerequisites

System Requirements
  • VirtualBox 5.2 or later
  • 64-bit processor with virtualization extensions enabled in BIOS
  • Minimum 2 GB RAM available for the VM
  • At least 25 GB free disk space
  • Ubuntu 18.04 ISO image (download here)
If you only see 32-bit options in VirtualBox, your virtualization extensions are likely disabled in BIOS/EFI. You’ll need to enable Intel VT-x or AMD-V before proceeding.

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Creating the Virtual Machine

1

Download Ubuntu ISO

Download the Ubuntu 18.04 LTS Desktop 64-bit ISO from the official Ubuntu releases page.
If you’re in the classroom, ISOs are available at http://172.29.0.254/
2

Create New Virtual Machine

  1. Open VirtualBox and click New
  2. Set the following:
    • Name: Ubuntu-Bionic or any descriptive name
    • Type: Linux
    • Version: Ubuntu (64-bit)
3

Allocate Memory

Assign at least 2048 MB (2 GB) of RAM. If running multiple VMs simultaneously, consider the total available RAM on your host system.
4

Create Virtual Hard Disk

  1. Select Create a virtual hard disk now
  2. Choose VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image)
  3. Select Dynamically allocated for better space efficiency
  4. Set disk size to at least 25 GB
Dynamically allocated: The disk file grows as you add data, up to the maximum size. Better for saving space.Fixed size: The entire disk space is allocated immediately. Better performance for disk-intensive operations like RAID.
5

Configure Network

  1. Right-click the VM and select Settings
  2. Go to Network → Adapter 1
  3. Enable the adapter and set to NAT
Alternatively, you can use Bridged Adapter connected to your Ethernet interface for direct network access.
6

Attach Installation ISO

  1. In VM Settings, go to Storage
  2. Under Controller: IDE, click the empty optical drive
  3. Click the disc icon and select Choose a disk file
  4. Browse to your downloaded Ubuntu 18.04 ISO

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Installing Ubuntu

1

Start the VM and Boot

Start the virtual machine. You’ll see the VirtualBox logo followed by a purple/brown Ubuntu boot screen.
Press any key during the boot screen to change language or access boot options. Otherwise, it boots automatically in English after a few seconds.
2

Select Language

Choose your preferred installation language (e.g., Español for Spanish).
3

Configure Keyboard Layout

Select your keyboard layout (e.g., Spanish - ES-es).
4

Choose Installation Type

  • Select Normal installation for a full desktop environment
  • Uncheck all options under “Other options”:
    • Don’t download updates during installation (faster, can update later)
    • Third-party software can be installed later if needed
5

Partition the Disk

Select Erase disk and install Ubuntu since this is a new virtual disk.
In a real dual-boot scenario, carefully review partition operations before confirming. For this VM with a new empty disk, it’s safe to proceed.
Confirm the changes when prompted.
6

Set Timezone

Select your timezone (e.g., Madrid for Spain).
7

Create User Account

Configure the installation user:
  • Your name: Full name with capitals (e.g., Pedro García García)
  • Computer name: Machine hostname (e.g., pc02, ubuntu-desktop)
  • Username: Login identifier (e.g., adminiso, usuario)
  • Password: Suggested password: admin1s0
  • Select Require my password to log in
This user will have sudo and adm privileges, making them the local administrator.
8

Complete Installation

Wait for the installation to complete. Ubuntu will show a carousel of included applications during this process.When finished, you’ll see: “Remove the installation medium, then press Enter”
This message may not appear if the display isn’t detected properly. Just press Enter to reboot.

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First Boot Configuration

1

Login

At the LightDM login screen, click your user icon and enter your password.
2

Welcome Tutorial

A welcome wizard will appear on first login. You can skip this tutorial or go through it to familiarize yourself with the Ubuntu desktop.
3

Skip Livepatch

When prompted about Ubuntu Livepatch, select Skip for now. This can be configured later if needed.
4

Error Reporting

Choose whether to send error reports and system statistics to Ubuntu. This helps developers but is optional.
5

Install Updates

Click Install Now when prompted for updates. Enter your password when requested.
Always keep your system updated for security and stability. Ubuntu 18.04 has received many updates since its April 2018 release.
6

Restart

After updates complete, restart the system. Pending updates may be applied during shutdown.

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Next Steps

Your Ubuntu 18.04 system is now ready! You can:
  • Install additional software from the Ubuntu Software Center
  • Configure additional users
  • Set up shared folders with VirtualBox
  • Install VirtualBox Guest Additions for better integration
For classroom environments, the default administrator password is admin1s0.

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