How to Install Ubuntu in a Virtual Machine on Windows Using VirtualBox

Written by Kai Hoshira & Noah Taylor

First Edition
October 24, 2026

A step-by-step guide to running Ubuntu Desktop inside Windows, without replacing your existing operating system.

Introduction

Want to run Ubuntu without installing it directly on your computer? A virtual machine (VM) lets you run an entire operating system inside another operating system.

Using Oracle VirtualBox, you can install Ubuntu Desktop inside Windows, giving you a separate Linux environment that behaves much like a dedicated computer.

This is particularly useful for testing Linux applications, experimenting with Ubuntu, or running software such as KaiLink without dedicating an entire computer to it.

In this guide, we'll walk through downloading VirtualBox, creating an Ubuntu virtual machine, installing Ubuntu, and configuring useful features such as clipboard sharing and display resolution.

These instructions are based on an actual installation and test performed by KaiSoft Labs.

What You'll Need

Before starting, make sure your Windows computer meets the following requirements.

Component Minimum for this guide Recommended
Windows Windows 10/11, 64-bit Windows 11
Host RAM 16 GB 32 GB
VM RAM allocation 8 GB 16 GB
VM processors 4 logical CPUs 4 or more
VM disk 40 GB 60 GB
Virtualization Enabled in BIOS/UEFI Enabled in BIOS/UEFI
Internet Required for downloads Broadband

These are our suggested specifications for running a KaiLink-capable Ubuntu VM, not official VirtualBox minimum requirements.

Important: A virtual machine uses resources from your Windows computer while it is running. If you assign 8 GB of RAM to Ubuntu, Windows must operate using the remaining physical memory.

We do not recommend allocating an 8 GB Ubuntu VM on a Windows computer with only 8 GB of physical RAM.

You'll also need:

  • Oracle VirtualBox
  • An Ubuntu Desktop ISO file
  • Sufficient free disk space
  • Administrator access to install VirtualBox

No USB flash drive is required.

Step 1: Download and Install VirtualBox

Visit the official Oracle VirtualBox download page:

https://www.oracle.com/virtualization/technologies/vm/downloads/virtualbox-downloads.html

  1. Locate the latest VirtualBox base package.
  2. Under the Windows section, select Windows Installer.
  3. Download the installer.
  4. Run the downloaded executable.
  5. Follow the installation wizard, accepting the default settings unless your environment requires otherwise.
  6. Launch Oracle VirtualBox Manager.

For our test, we used VirtualBox 7.2.22.

There was no special configuration required during installation.

VirtualBox works on supported Windows Home and Pro systems, so users do not need Windows Pro or Hyper-V to follow this guide.

Step 2: Download Ubuntu Desktop

Visit the official Ubuntu download page:

https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop

Download the 64-bit Ubuntu Desktop ISO.

For our test, we used Ubuntu Desktop 26.04.1 LTS (Resolute Raccoon).

The downloaded file will have an .iso extension.

Save it somewhere convenient, such as your Windows Downloads folder.

Do not extract the ISO or write it to a USB drive. VirtualBox can use the ISO file directly.

Step 3: Create Your Virtual Machine

Open VirtualBox Manager.

  1. Click New in the upper-left corner.
  2. Enter a name for your virtual machine.
  3. Select the folder where the VM files will be stored.
  4. Under ISO Image, browse to the Ubuntu ISO you downloaded.
  5. Confirm that the operating system type is Linux and the distribution is Ubuntu.
  6. Uncheck Proceed with Unattended Installation.
  7. Click Next.

We named our virtual machine KaiLink Ubuntu Test.

Disabling unattended installation allows you to complete Ubuntu's normal installation process manually.

Important: VirtualBox May Identify the Wrong Ubuntu Version

VirtualBox may incorrectly identify the version of Ubuntu contained in your ISO.

During our test, VirtualBox identified an Ubuntu 26.04.1 ISO as Ubuntu 25.04 (Plucky Puffin).

This does not mean the wrong version will be installed.

VirtualBox uses its detected operating system information to select default virtual hardware settings. The actual Ubuntu installation comes from the ISO you selected.

As long as you've downloaded and selected the correct ISO, Ubuntu will install the version contained in that file.

You do not need to download a different ISO simply because VirtualBox displays an older Ubuntu version.

Step 4: Configure Virtual Hardware

On the Specify virtual hardware screen, choose how much of your computer's resources Ubuntu can use.

For our minimum-configuration test, we selected:

Setting Value
Base Memory 8192 MB
Number of CPUs 4
Disk Size 40 GB
Use EFI Enabled

We deliberately selected 8 GB of RAM and a 40 GB virtual disk to evaluate KaiLink on a relatively constrained Ubuntu installation.

If your computer has sufficient resources, you can increase the RAM allocation to 16 GB and the disk size to 60 GB.

Remember: The RAM you assign to a running VM is no longer freely available to Windows. Choose an allocation that leaves enough memory for your host operating system and other applications.

Click Next.

Step 5: Review and Create the VM

VirtualBox displays a summary of your configuration.

Verify the following:

  • The VM name and storage location are correct.
  • Your Ubuntu ISO is selected.
  • Unattended installation is disabled.
  • The RAM and CPU allocations are correct.
  • The virtual disk size is correct.
  • EFI is enabled.

Click Finish.

Your new virtual machine will appear in VirtualBox Manager.

Adjust Video Memory

Before starting the VM:

  1. Select your new VM.
  2. Click Settings.
  3. Open Display.
  4. Under the Screen tab, change Video Memory to 128 MB.
  5. Leave Graphics Controller set to VMSVGA.
  6. Click OK.

This gives Ubuntu's graphical desktop additional video memory.

Step 6: Start the Virtual Machine

Select your new VM and click Start.

VirtualBox will boot from the Ubuntu ISO and load Ubuntu's installation environment.

The VM may initially start at a relatively low display resolution, such as 1024×768.

This is normal.

Adjusting the Display Resolution

Once Ubuntu's graphical installer desktop loads, you can adjust its resolution through Ubuntu's display settings.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Select Displays.
  3. Choose a resolution that fits comfortably inside your Windows desktop.
  4. Apply and confirm the change.

For a typical 1920×1080 Windows monitor, we suggest using 1600×900 inside the VM.

This leaves room for the VirtualBox title bar, application menus, and Windows taskbar.

For larger monitors, a 1920×1080 VM resolution may be more comfortable.

During our test, we used a 1920×1080 Ubuntu desktop inside a 3440×1440 Windows desktop.

You do not need to modify VirtualBox configuration files or run special Windows commands to change the resolution once Ubuntu's graphical environment is available.

Step 7: Install Ubuntu

From the Ubuntu installer, follow the standard installation wizard.

You'll be asked to select options such as your language, keyboard layout, network connection, and installation preferences.

For most users, the default selections are appropriate.

Disk Installation

When Ubuntu asks where to install the operating system, choose:

Erase disk and install Ubuntu

Although that sounds intimidating, in this setup Ubuntu is installing onto the empty 40 GB virtual disk created by VirtualBox.

It is not erasing your Windows installation.

Important: This is safe only when the installer is targeting the virtual disk you created. Verify the selected disk before confirming. Do not follow this instruction blindly on a physical computer or an installation with additional disks attached.

Continue the installer, create your Ubuntu username and password, and complete the installation.

When prompted, restart Ubuntu.

If Ubuntu asks you to remove installation media, use VirtualBox's Devices → Optical Drives menu to remove the ISO if necessary, then continue the restart.

After rebooting, sign in to Ubuntu.

You now have a working Ubuntu Desktop virtual machine.

Step 8: Install VirtualBox Guest Additions (Optional)

VirtualBox Guest Additions provides improved integration between your Windows computer and the Ubuntu VM.

Features include improved display handling, mouse integration, and shared clipboard functionality.

While this is optional, we strongly recommend installing Guest Additions.

Install Required Dependencies First

During our Ubuntu 26.04.1 test, Guest Additions initially failed because several required packages were missing.

To avoid those errors, open a Terminal inside Ubuntu and run:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y bzip2 tar build-essential dkms linux-headers-$(uname -r)

Enter your Ubuntu password when prompted.

This command installs the archive utilities, compiler tools, and kernel development components used by the Guest Additions installer.

Note: If Ubuntu cannot find matching kernel headers, check that the system is fully updated and that headers are available for the running kernel before continuing.

Mount the Guest Additions Installer

With the Ubuntu VM running:

  1. Open the Devices menu at the top of the VirtualBox window.
  2. Select Insert Guest Additions CD Image.
  3. Open Ubuntu's Files application.
  4. Select the mounted VirtualBox Guest Additions disk.

Inside the disk, you'll see several files, including Windows installers and Linux installation scripts.

The file needed for Ubuntu is:

VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

Run Guest Additions With Administrator Privileges

Rather than launching the installer by double-clicking, run it from the terminal using administrator privileges.

First, locate the mounted disk.

On our test system, it was mounted at:

/run/media/kailink/VBox_GAs_7.2.22/

Your username, mount path, and VirtualBox version may differ.

Open Terminal and run:

ls /run/media/$USER/

If your system uses another mount location, you can find the disk through Ubuntu's Files application.

Once you've identified the correct path, run:

sudo bash "/run/media/$USER/VBox_GAs_7.2.22/VBoxLinuxAdditions.run"

Replace VBox_GAs_7.2.22 with the actual mounted disk name if your version differs.

If the CD is mounted under /media/$USER/ rather than /run/media/$USER/, use that location instead.

The installer will extract its files and build the required VirtualBox kernel modules.

Check the output for errors.

When installation completes successfully, restart Ubuntu:

sudo reboot

Common Guest Additions Installation Errors

Error: bzip2 not found

The archive extraction utility is missing.

Install it using:

sudo apt install -y bzip2 tar

Error: make: not found

Ubuntu is missing the development tools used to build kernel modules.

Install them with:

sudo apt install -y build-essential dkms linux-headers-$(uname -r)

Error: This program must be run with administrator privileges

The installer was launched without sufficient privileges.

Run VBoxLinuxAdditions.run using sudo, as demonstrated above.

Message: Could not find the X.Org or XFree86 Window System

Modern Ubuntu releases may use Wayland rather than X.Org.

This message does not automatically mean the entire installation failed. Check whether the kernel modules built successfully and whether the desired Guest Additions features work after rebooting.

Step 9: Enable Copy and Paste Between Windows and Ubuntu

Once Guest Additions has been installed, you can enable shared clipboard functionality.

With the Ubuntu VM running:

  1. At the top of the VirtualBox window, select Devices.
  2. Select Shared Clipboard.
  3. Choose Bidirectional.

This allows text to be copied between Windows and Ubuntu in either direction.

For example, you can copy a command from your Windows web browser and paste it directly into the Ubuntu terminal.

Terminal Keyboard Shortcut

When pasting into Ubuntu's terminal, use:

Ctrl + Shift + V

The standard Ctrl + V shortcut generally does not paste into a Linux terminal.

If clipboard sharing does not work, verify that Guest Additions installed successfully and restart the Ubuntu VM.

Shared clipboard access is disabled by default for security. Enable Bidirectional only when you trust both the Windows host and the VM.

Step 10: Verify Your Ubuntu Virtual Machine

Before installing additional software, it's a good idea to check that Ubuntu recognizes its allocated resources.

Check Available Disk Space

Open Terminal and run:

df -h /

This displays the total, used, and available storage for Ubuntu's main filesystem.

Remember that filesystem capacity will be slightly smaller than the virtual disk's nominal capacity due to filesystem formatting and system overhead.

Check Memory Usage

Run:

free -h

This displays how much RAM Ubuntu recognizes and how much is currently in use.

Check CPU Availability

Run:

nproc

This displays the number of processing units available to Ubuntu.

For our test configuration, the VM was allocated four virtual CPUs.

If Ubuntu boots normally, its graphical desktop works, the network connection is available, and the allocated resources appear correctly, your virtual machine is ready for application installation.

Step 11: Running KaiLink in an Ubuntu Virtual Machine

Our primary reason for testing this configuration was to determine whether KaiLink could operate reliably inside an Ubuntu virtual machine.

KaiLink uses several components, including a Linux desktop environment, Chromium, the Bridge service, and Heartbeat.

These components do not inherently require a dedicated physical computer.

During our initial test, we successfully installed and launched KaiLink inside VirtualBox using:

Component Tested configuration
Host OS Windows Pro
Virtualization VirtualBox 7.2.22
Guest OS Ubuntu Desktop 26.04.1
RAM 8 GB
Virtual CPUs 4
Virtual Disk 40 GB
Display 1920×1080
Networking NAT

The KaiLink Console launched successfully, and its First-Run Setup Wizard opened.

After configuration, we tested Discord communication by sending a message to the bot.

KaiLink successfully received the message and generated a reply through the bridge.

This confirmed that KaiLink could install, launch, and exchange Discord messages from inside the Ubuntu virtual machine.

However, this initial test does not yet establish long-term stability, unattended operation, or reliable recovery after restarting the virtual machine.

Those behaviors require additional testing before we can declare the minimum VM configuration fully validated.

Final Thoughts

VirtualBox provides a practical way to run Ubuntu without replacing Windows, configuring a dual-boot system, or purchasing a separate Linux computer.

For developers, experimenters, and KaiLink users, it also offers several advantages:

  • A self-contained Linux environment.
  • The ability to run Windows and Ubuntu simultaneously.
  • Configurable RAM, CPU, and storage allocations.
  • Snapshot and restore capabilities for testing.
  • No need for a dedicated computer or USB installer.

Once the virtual machine is configured, you can start and stop Ubuntu directly from VirtualBox Manager.

Just remember that virtual machines consume system resources while running, so your Windows computer must have sufficient RAM and processing power to support both operating systems.

Our initial KaiSoft Labs testing demonstrates that KaiLink can run and communicate successfully from inside Ubuntu on VirtualBox, even with our proposed 8 GB RAM and 40 GB disk configuration.

For users with sufficient Windows hardware, this is a promising alternative to maintaining a dedicated Ubuntu machine.

Welcome to Ubuntu, running right inside Windows.

Guide based on KaiSoft Labs testing conducted October 24, 2026.

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