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Ubuntu Desktop is an operating system: the main software that starts a computer, manages its storage and hardware, and provides the desktop where applications run. Windows and macOS are operating systems too.
Linux is the kernel at the center of many operating systems. A kernel connects software to hardware. Ubuntu combines the Linux kernel with a desktop, installer, applications, update service, and a large software archive. People often say “Linux” when they mean a complete Linux-based system such as Ubuntu.
An internal disk is the SSD or hard drive built into the computer. It is different from the removable USB used to start the installer. A partition is a defined section of one disk; one physical disk can contain several partitions.
This lesson does not change the computer. Its job is to help you decide what you want and protect what you already have.
Choose the result before choosing installer options
Answer this question before continuing:
Do you want to keep the current Windows installation?
Write down “yes” or “no.” Do not leave the answer undecided until the disk screen. Keeping Windows changes the later BitLocker, storage-controller, free-space, and partition steps. Each unfamiliar term is explained before you need to act on it.
| Method | Changes internal disk? | Keeps Windows? | Full Ubuntu desktop? | Best for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Try Ubuntu from USB | No, unless you start the installer | Yes | Yes, as a temporary live session | Checking hardware and exploring | Changes normally disappear after restart |
| Virtual machine | Stores a virtual disk as files | Yes | Yes, inside a window | Safe practice on capable hardware | Shares memory and speed with the host system |
| WSL | Adds a Windows feature and Linux environment | Yes | Not the same full desktop installation | Linux command-line and development work in Windows | Does not test a native Ubuntu desktop or its hardware support |
| Dual boot | Yes, partitions or a second disk change | Yes | Yes | Native Windows and Ubuntu on one computer | Highest preparation burden because both systems must remain bootable |
| Replace Windows | Yes, the selected disk is erased | No | Yes | A dedicated Ubuntu computer | Windows, applications, and unbacked files are removed |
| Separate internal drive | Yes, the selected second drive changes | Yes, if the Windows drive is left intact | Yes | Keeping operating systems on separate physical disks | You must identify the target drive with complete certainty |
Try Ubuntu from USB
- Changes internal disk?
- No, unless you start the installer
- Keeps Windows?
- Yes
- Full Ubuntu desktop?
- Yes, as a temporary live session
- Best for
- Checking hardware and exploring
- Main limitation
- Changes normally disappear after restart
Virtual machine
- Changes internal disk?
- Stores a virtual disk as files
- Keeps Windows?
- Yes
- Full Ubuntu desktop?
- Yes, inside a window
- Best for
- Safe practice on capable hardware
- Main limitation
- Shares memory and speed with the host system
WSL
- Changes internal disk?
- Adds a Windows feature and Linux environment
- Keeps Windows?
- Yes
- Full Ubuntu desktop?
- Not the same full desktop installation
- Best for
- Linux command-line and development work in Windows
- Main limitation
- Does not test a native Ubuntu desktop or its hardware support
Dual boot
- Changes internal disk?
- Yes, partitions or a second disk change
- Keeps Windows?
- Yes
- Full Ubuntu desktop?
- Yes
- Best for
- Native Windows and Ubuntu on one computer
- Main limitation
- Highest preparation burden because both systems must remain bootable
Replace Windows
- Changes internal disk?
- Yes, the selected disk is erased
- Keeps Windows?
- No
- Full Ubuntu desktop?
- Yes
- Best for
- A dedicated Ubuntu computer
- Main limitation
- Windows, applications, and unbacked files are removed
Separate internal drive
- Changes internal disk?
- Yes, the selected second drive changes
- Keeps Windows?
- Yes, if the Windows drive is left intact
- Full Ubuntu desktop?
- Yes
- Best for
- Keeping operating systems on separate physical disks
- Main limitation
- You must identify the target drive with complete certainty
“Try Ubuntu” and a virtual machine are useful when you are uncertain. A live USB lets Ubuntu use the real Wi-Fi, graphics, sound, keyboard, and storage controller, so it is the better compatibility check. A virtual machine is easier to reset but shows virtual hardware rather than all the computer’s real devices.
WSL is useful for Linux command-line tools while Windows remains the main operating system. It does not follow this desktop installer path. A native dual boot or replacement gives Ubuntu direct use of the computer’s hardware.
Why this path uses an LTS release
LTS means long-term support. Canonical publishes an Ubuntu LTS every two years and supports it for longer than the interim releases published between them.
Ubuntu Desktop 26.04 LTS is the principal flow for this series because it is the current official LTS on the verification date and is the calmer default for a first installation.
An interim release can contain newer changes but has a shorter support period. It is not “bad”; it simply requires more frequent upgrades. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS remains supported and its installer is similar, but labels and screens can differ. Follow documentation for the image you actually downloaded.
Separate official requirements from practical preparation
Canonical’s 26.04 release notes list a 2 GHz dual-core processor, 6 GB of memory, and 25 GB of free storage as the Desktop requirements for a comfortable experience.
The official installation tutorial recommends an 8 GB or larger USB flash drive. These are current published requirements, not numbers invented for this lesson.
The next points are practical recommendations for a smoother installation. They are not additional Ubuntu minimum requirements:
- Keep the charger connected throughout testing and installation.
- Leave more than the bare minimum storage if you plan to install development tools and keep projects.
- Use a known-good USB drive and a direct USB port rather than an unreliable hub.
- Check the Ubuntu certified hardware catalogue when your exact model appears there.
- If your model is not listed, use the live session in Lesson 3.2 to test it rather than assuming it will fail.
Complete the protection checklist
Installation preparation checklist
Copy personal documents, photos, projects, and other irreplaceable files to another device or service.
- Open several backup files from the backup location to prove that the copy works.
- Synchronize or export important browser bookmarks and data.
- Confirm access to saved passwords and two-factor-authentication methods.
- Record Windows recovery or product information when it matters for this computer.
Find the BitLocker or Device Encryption status and back up the recovery key away from the encrypted computer.
- Record the computer manufacturer and exact model.
- Record the approximate size and model of every internal drive you expect to see.
- Confirm that the installation USB contains nothing you need; it will be erased.
- Use reliable power and keep a laptop charger connected.
- Plan to disconnect unnecessary external drives before the installer’s disk-setup stage.
For a Microsoft account, confirm that the stored recovery key is actually visible to you; do not assume it exists. Work- or school-managed devices may store the key with the organization’s administrator. Ask that administrator rather than changing the machine yourself.
Common mistakes and recovery
Treating cloud synchronization as a complete backup. Synchronization can copy deletions or damaged files. Keep a separate verified copy of anything important.
Choosing dual boot without checking encryption. BitLocker can prevent the Ubuntu installer from safely mapping Windows. Lesson 4.3 explains the preparation; do not improvise by deleting encrypted partitions.
Assuming a second partition is a second physical drive. One physical SSD can contain many partitions. A separate-drive installation means a genuinely different storage device.
Beginning on a managed computer. Firmware—the startup software and settings built into the computer—and encryption policies may belong to an employer or school. Close the installer and contact the administrator.
If you have already started the live USB, selecting Try Ubuntu does not itself install Ubuntu. Close the installer and shut down normally. Nothing should be written to the internal disk until you deliberately confirm an installation choice.
Practice
Knowledge check
Choose a safe setup. Explain aloud why a live USB and a virtual machine test different hardware. Then answer: if you want to keep Windows, which two items must be available before later storage changes? The answer is a verified file backup and the BitLocker recovery key when encryption is enabled.
What to learn next
Continue to How to Download Ubuntu Desktop Safely. That lesson explains the ISO file, LTS and amd64, and an optional integrity check before anything is written to USB.