You will need to check the hardware requirements for your chosen hypervisor. Once the
hypervisor
is enabled or installed, you will need to choose the type of OS that you want
to install and the installation source (this is typically a .iso or .vhdx file). You will need to
give the VM a name, select the directory where files will be hosted,
select the amount of
memory to allocate to the VM and the size of the virtual hard drive where files will be
stored (you can typically choose between a fixed or dynamically allocated amount of
drive space). Sometimes integrations with a Linux virtual machine can be tricky due to
display drivers and other hardware dependencies, but most
hypervisors have an active
user community that can help. You may also need to set up a virtual network if you want
your VM to connect to the internet.
If you're new to hypervisors and want to learn more, try the free online training module:
Configure and manage Hyper-V virtual machines
.
If you want bare-metal Linux, whether to run a distribution alone
on a device or to dual-
boot between the distribution and Windows, here are the steps:
1. Download an image file for your chosen Linux distribution. This is usually an ISO
file. As an example, you can find an image file for the most recent version of
Ubuntu at
Download
Ubuntu Desktop
. Some Linux distributions may require you
to verify the image signature before downloading. Some Linux distributions also
Create a bootable USB drive to install bare-metal Linux
cannot be installed unless Windows Secure Boot is disabled (which is not
recommended).
2. Create a bootable USB drive. You will typically need a USB drive with at least 16gb
of space. You will also need software to create the bootable drive. There are many
options (such as balenaEtcher, Rufus, UNetbootin, etc.).
Often the download site
for your chosen Linux distribution will recommend which startup disk creater
software to use.
3. Boot your device from the USB drive. When restarting the device, you will need to
enter the boot menu. This is typically done by holding down the F12 key during
startup. You can then select the USB drive containing your
Linux distribution ISO to
install from.
4. Select install options. Typically the installer for your Linux distribution will include a
set of installation steps that will involve choosing options about whether you want
to include certain features, third-party software packages, etc. You may also need
to specify whether to erase the disk in the case that this
Linux distro will be the
only operating system, or to use a partition, if you plan to run multiple operating
systems. You may also be asked about whether you'd like to enable encryption.
5. Finally, as with any Linux installation, you will be asked
to create a user name and
password.
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