Ubuntu 26.04 Tutorial / Install Ubuntu Server and Verify the First Login

Install Ubuntu Server by booting a verified ISO and configuring networking, the destination disk, and a regular user account. Use a dedicated VM without production data for the first exercise, and finish by verifying console login, release information, networking, and filesystems.

Decide these items before installation

Prepare the 26.04 LTS Server ISO, VM resources, a new virtual disk with a known capacity, and console access. Check that no host disk containing important data is attached. The installer’s whole-disk option changes the selected destination; a VM snapshot does not protect unrelated physical disks.

Choose a hostname, regular username, and securely stored password. Start with NAT and DHCP when internet access is needed; do not invent proxy or mirror settings. If you select disk encryption, plan the unlock procedure at reboot and secure storage of recovery material. For the related conditions and procedure, see Restore Snapshots and Clone a VM Safely.

Select language, keyboard, and networking

1. Boot the ISO and choose language and keyboard layout. Test the layout before entering passwords.
2. If an installer update is offered, review its notice and network availability. Installer updates can change screen names and order.
3. Check that the interface received a DHCP address. A NAT guest address may not be directly reachable from the host or other LAN machines.
4. Configure a proxy or mirror only when required, and inspect the mirror test. Investigate networking and DNS separately from disk issues if downloads fail.

The official basic-installation guide explains the installer workflow and default choices.

Confirm storage and accounts

On the storage screen, compare capacity, model, and attached-disk count rather than relying only on a device name. Guided whole-disk installation is suitable for a dedicated empty VM. Selecting LVM introduces physical volumes, a volume group, and logical volumes; keep the final layout summary.

Read the final list of storage changes before confirming writes. Then configure the regular account and hostname. A user login password and a disk-encryption unlock secret serve different purposes and must not be confused.

Choose SSH installation and reboot

Select OpenSSH server installation if you intend to practice remote administration. Confirm the account and actual public keys before using a key-import feature; you can also install the package later if networking is unavailable. Do not select every optional server Snap without a reason.

Reboot when installation finishes and detach the ISO when requested. If the installer appears again, inspect optical-media attachment and boot order rather than reinstalling. For encrypted storage, unlock the disk through the console before signing in as the regular user.

Verify the installed system

cat /etc/os-release
uname -r
ip -br address
ip route
lsblk -f
df -h /

Confirm the 26.04 release, the intended root filesystem, an interface address, and a default route. A logical volume may be smaller than the whole virtual disk, so unallocated volume-group space is not automatically an error. Installing SSH does not by itself verify its listener, firewall, or network path.

A working console login and recorded checks establish the installation baseline. Investigate login failures through keyboard layout and username, and network failures through link, address, route, then DNS. Consider resetting or reinstalling only after confirming that the VM contains no data that must be preserved.

Decisions and evidence at installer screens

This is a decision checklist, not a recreated screenshot. Installer updates can change screen names and order; follow the current help and final change summary.