How to Download and Install Linux OS?

Linux is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Designed primarily as free, open-source software, Linux is a popular choice for servers, desktop computers, mobile devices, and embedded systems. The Linux kernel acts as an integral part of this operating system, providing the functionality needed to communicate with hardware devices, manage system resources, and run operating systems.

Linux distributions, often referred to as distributions or distros, incorporate the Linux kernel with other software components, including system libraries, utilities, desktop environments, and package management systems, to create complete operating systems for specific purposes. From a perspective, Linux distributions differ in many ways.

Advantages of Linux OS

Linux is well known for its stability, security, and flexibility, which makes it attractive to individual users and organizations. It offers computing devices from personal computers and servers to supercomputers and embedded devices, and it strongly offers many Internet services such as web servers, cloud infrastructure, and networking tools. Moreover, Linux is surrounded by enthusiastic and active developers, contributors, and users.

Moving to Linux is a great way to explore a different operating system and take advantage of its open-source features. In the section below, we have provided complete steps to download and install Linux:

Methods of Installation:

Here are some of the most popular ways to run the Linux operating system on your computer.

1. Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL): If you're using Linux for the first time, this option is the easiest way to start. WSL allows you to run Linux alongside Windows. You can easily install it by using the command. You can then install your chosen Linux distribution within WSL, such as Ubuntu.
2. Bare Metal Linux: This option allows you to run Linux as your primary operating system without any virtualization. It's complicated, but it allows you to access all of your hardware.
3. Virtual Machine (VM): If you work in a business environment or need more complex features related to scale or security, consider running Linux as a VM in the cloud (e.g., using Azure).

Choose a Linux Distribution:

Linux comes in various flavors called distributions or distros. Some popular ones include:

• Ubuntu: It is a user-friendly distro that best suits newbie Linux users.
• Debian: This distro is best known for stability and reliability.
• Kali Linux: It is designed for penetration testing and security purposes.
• openSUSE: It is a community-driven distro that is known for its focus on stability and performance.

Apart from these, several distros can be easily installed and run on your computer, depending on your needs and the purpose for which you are using them.

Install Method Instructions:

We will discuss each method individually here; for now, we provide the procedures for installing Linux using WSL.

• Run the Command Prompt as Administrator or Windows Powershell and enter the given command.

Command

The wsl --install command will install the Ubuntu distro by default. If you want to see all the available distros in the Microsoft Store or to install them, see the commands below:

• To see the available distros, just open the CMD or Powershell and enter the following command.

Command

• Now, if you want to install a distro other than Ubuntu, just type the below command by replacing thewith your chosen distro (i.e., Ubuntu):

Command

Note: If the distribution you want to install is not available in the Microsoft Store, you can import any Linux distribution to use with WSL by visiting the Windows Subsystem for Linux documentation.

Now, you can use two methods: either creating a VM in the cloud or locally. Both methods will allow you to run Linux on your computer easily.

Create a Linux VM in the Cloud

Create a Microsoft Azure account, log in and select the option Create a Virtual Machine. Next, follow the steps ahead to create a user name, project, instance, SSH keys, ports, and IP address.

Azure comes up with a number of options for creating Linux VMs in the cloud. To set up a Linux method, you can go with the provided methods here:

• Azure Portal
• Azure Powershell
• Azure CLI (Command Line Interface)
• ARM (Azure Resource Manager) Template
• A Bicep File
• Terraform

Create a Linux VM Locally

To create a virtual machine locally, you will need virtualization software such as VMware, VirtualBox, or Windows Hyper-V. After that, follow the steps here.

1. You should check the hardware requirements of the selected hypervisor.
2. After installing the Hypervisor, select the OS type you want to install.
3. Now, you need to give the VM a name and choose a directory where the files will be stored.
4. You need to choose the size of the memory to allocate for the VM and the size of the virtual hard drive on which the files will be stored.

We're using VirtualBox here to create virtual machines locally:

1. Download the appropriate VirtualBox for your operating system and follow the installation instructions.
2. Get the ISO file of the Linux distribution you want to install, such as Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS, etc.
3. Now, start VirtualBox after installation.
4. Next, click the New button in the VirtualBox toolbar. Enter the name of your virtual machine and select the type (Linux) and version.
5. After that, assign memory (RAM) to the virtual machine and create a virtual hard disk.
6. Select the newly created virtual machine from the list. Click Settings to change settings such as network, storage, and display settings.
7. Under Storage, attach the Linux ISO file you downloaded earlier to the virtual CD/DVD drive.
8. Finally, start the virtual machine by pressing the Start button in the VirtualBox. The VM will boot from the included ISO file, starting the Linux installation process. Next, follow the on-screen instructions to install Linux configuration settings such as language, keyboard configuration, disk partition, and user account installation. When the installation is complete, remove the ISO file from the virtual CD/DVD drive.

After configuring VirtualBox settings and running the Ubuntu, you can see something like this of your VirtualBox's status.

Bare Metal Linux

When you run the Linux OS directly on your hardware, you are actually using the Bare Metal Linux install method. To do this, you need to make a bootable USB by downloading an ISO file from the official Linux site. Several users are using the dual boot method. To boot both Windows and Linux, you need to partition your hard drive to create space for both operating systems.

Creating a Bootable USB Drive to Install Bare Metal Linux

If you want to incorporate Bare Metal Linux into your system, either to run the distribution alone or to dual-boot between the distribution and Windows, follow the steps:

• Download the image file for your selected Linux distribution. For example, if you want to install Ubuntu, go to the Linux official website and download the latest ISO version of Ubuntu Desktop.
• To make it bootable, you need a USB drive with at least 16 GB of free space.
• In addition, you will need software to create the bootable drive. For this, you can use software like BalenaEtcher, Rufus, UNetbootin, etc. Actually, the site from where you have downloaded the Linux distro will recommend which startup disk creator software to use.
• From the USB drive, boot your device. Next, you need to enter the boot menu by holding the F12 key when restarting the device. Then, select the USB drive from which you want to install the ISO file.
• Select install options. Usually, the installer for your Linux distribution includes a set of installation steps. These steps entail selecting options such as including specific features, third-party software packages, etc. Additionally, you might need to indicate whether you want to erase the disk, if this Linux distribution will be the sole operating system, or if you prefer to use a partition to run multiple operating systems. Encryption preferences might also be inquired about during the installation process.
• Finally, create a username and password. It will be asked about any Linux installation.

Remove the USB drive after installing it during the Reboot. Finally, you have successfully installed the Ubuntu alongside your Windows OS without using dual boot. Enjoy using Windows as well as Linux Ubuntu!

Conclusion

There are many ways to install Linux, depending on your needs. The easiest way is the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which is great for testing Linux commands in Windows. For a more isolated environment, virtual machines allow you to run Linux alongside your current OS. Suppose you prefer a more direct and efficient hardware approach. In that case, you can install Linux directly on your machine, commonly referred to as the Bare Metal approach, but this requires more technical knowledge.