{"id":9196,"date":"2009-08-12T21:58:49","date_gmt":"2009-08-12T16:28:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=9196"},"modified":"2026-10-12T09:33:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T04:03:49","slug":"install-ubuntu-linux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Install Ubuntu Linux from a USB Drive (Ubuntu 26.04 LTS)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Wondering how to install Ubuntu Linux? Ubuntu is a free, fast and secure operating system that runs well even on older laptops, and it comes with a browser, office suite, media player and app store built in. When this guide was first written you had to burn a DVD; today you only need a USB stick and about 30 minutes. Here is how to <strong>install Ubuntu Linux<\/strong> step by step with the current long-term support release, Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-64134\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/install-ubuntu-linux-usb-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"How to install Ubuntu Linux from a USB drive\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/install-ubuntu-linux-usb-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/install-ubuntu-linux-usb-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/install-ubuntu-linux-usb-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/install-ubuntu-linux-usb-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/install-ubuntu-linux-usb.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Download the Ubuntu Desktop ISO, write it to a USB drive of 8 GB or more with balenaEtcher or Rufus, restart the PC and boot from the USB (press F12, F2, Esc or Del for the boot menu), choose &#8220;Try or Install Ubuntu&#8221;, then follow the installer to install alongside Windows or erase the disk.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae82ac1b1727\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae82ac1b1727\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/#What_you_need\" >What you need<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/#How_to_install_Ubuntu_Linux_step_by_step\" >How to install Ubuntu Linux step by step<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/#Step_1_Download_Ubuntu\" >Step 1: Download Ubuntu<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/#Step_2_Create_a_bootable_USB_drive\" >Step 2: Create a bootable USB drive<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/#Step_3_Boot_from_the_USB\" >Step 3: Boot from the USB<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/#Step_4_Try_Ubuntu_first\" >Step 4: Try Ubuntu first<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/#Step_5_Run_the_installer\" >Step 5: Run the installer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/#Step_6_Restart_and_update\" >Step 6: Restart and update<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/#Tips_after_installing\" >Tips after installing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/#Is_Ubuntu_free\" >Is Ubuntu free?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/#Can_I_install_Ubuntu_without_removing_Windows\" >Can I install Ubuntu without removing Windows?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/install-ubuntu-linux\/#Which_Ubuntu_version_should_I_install\" >Which Ubuntu version should I install?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_you_need\"><\/span>What you need<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>A 64-bit PC or laptop. Ubuntu lists 6 GB of RAM (8 GB is more comfortable) and 25 GB of free disk space as the requirements for 26.04 LTS.<\/li>\n<li>A USB flash drive of 8 GB or larger. It will be erased.<\/li>\n<li>A backup of your files, in case you change partitions.<\/li>\n<li>Internet access during installation for updates and drivers (optional but useful).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_install_Ubuntu_Linux_step_by_step\"><\/span>How to install Ubuntu Linux step by step<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Download_Ubuntu\"><\/span>Step 1: Download Ubuntu<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/ubuntu.com\/download\/desktop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ubuntu.com\/download\/desktop<\/a> and download the latest LTS version (26.04 LTS), which gets five years of standard security updates. The ISO file is several gigabytes.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Create_a_bootable_USB_drive\"><\/span>Step 2: Create a bootable USB drive<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/etcher.balena.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">balenaEtcher<\/a><\/strong> (Windows, Mac, Linux): choose the ISO, choose the USB drive, click Flash.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/rufus.ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rufus<\/a><\/strong> (Windows): select the USB, select the ISO, keep the default GPT partition scheme for modern UEFI PCs and click Start.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ventoy.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ventoy<\/a><\/strong>: lets you copy several ISO files to one USB and pick at boot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Having trouble with the stick? See how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/01\/how-to-format-usb-pen-drives\/\">format a USB flash drive<\/a> first.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Boot_from_the_USB\"><\/span>Step 3: Boot from the USB<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Plug in the USB and restart the computer.<\/li>\n<li>Press the boot menu key as it starts: usually F12, F11, F9, Esc or F2, depending on the brand.<\/li>\n<li>Pick the USB drive (it may show as &#8220;UEFI: USB&#8221;). If it doesn&#8217;t appear, enter the BIOS\/UEFI setup and move USB up the boot order.<\/li>\n<li>Ubuntu supports Secure Boot, so you normally don&#8217;t need to disable it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_4_Try_Ubuntu_first\"><\/span>Step 4: Try Ubuntu first<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Choose <strong>Try or Install Ubuntu<\/strong>. You can test Wi-Fi, sound and the display before changing anything on your disk.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_5_Run_the_installer\"><\/span>Step 5: Run the installer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Pick your language, keyboard layout and Wi-Fi network.<\/li>\n<li>Choose <strong>Interactive installation<\/strong> and the default app selection (or Extended for more apps).<\/li>\n<li>Tick the option to install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware.<\/li>\n<li>Choose the installation type:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Install Ubuntu alongside Windows<\/strong> keeps Windows and lets you choose at startup (dual boot).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Erase disk and install Ubuntu<\/strong> deletes everything and uses the whole drive.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Manual installation<\/strong> for custom partitions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Create your user name and password, pick your time zone and click <strong>Install<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_6_Restart_and_update\"><\/span>Step 6: Restart and update<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Remove the USB when asked and restart. Open <strong>Software Updater<\/strong> to install the latest updates, then add apps from the App Center.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_after_installing\"><\/span>Tips after installing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Install your browser of choice, and apps like LibreOffice (preinstalled), VLC and GIMP from the App Center.<\/li>\n<li>Use <strong>Additional Drivers<\/strong> for NVIDIA graphics.<\/li>\n<li>To give an old PC a speed boost, also read how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/run-computer-faster\/\">make your computer run faster<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Ubuntu_free\"><\/span>Is Ubuntu free?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes. Ubuntu is free to download, use and share, including updates.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_install_Ubuntu_without_removing_Windows\"><\/span>Can I install Ubuntu without removing Windows?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes. Choose &#8220;Install Ubuntu alongside Windows&#8221; to dual boot, or run Ubuntu in a virtual machine such as VirtualBox, or with WSL on Windows 11.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_Ubuntu_version_should_I_install\"><\/span>Which Ubuntu version should I install?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The latest LTS (long-term support) release, currently 26.04 LTS, for stability and long security support.<\/p>\n<p><em>Originally written by guest author Althaf of the tech blog TechNascent. Updated for 2026 by QuickOnlineTips.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wondering how to install Ubuntu Linux? Ubuntu is a free, fast and secure operating system that runs well even on&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[44,49],"class_list":["post-9196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computers","tag-guest-posts","tag-tutorials"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9196"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64136,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9196\/revisions\/64136"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}