ubuntu server 18.04 lts tutorial

Tutorial: How to Install Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS?

Quick guide on how to install Ubuntu 18.04 (either bare-metal or through a Virtual Machine)

Rafael Escalante · Actualizado Jun 14, 2026

Quick guide on how to install Ubuntu 18.04 (either bare-metal or through a Virtual Machine)

Ubuntu is currently one of the most widely used Linux distributions. This tutorial will help you install Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS, explaining each step and the considerations you need to keep in mind as a user and administrator.

## Decide whether the installation will be bare-metal or via a virtual machine

With the advances in virtualization, almost any operating system can now be installed through a virtual machine. To decide whether to install Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS bare-metal or on a VM, consider the following.

Choose bare-metal if:

* You want to dedicate all your hardware resources to Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS.
* You want hardware resource stability.
* You don't want to deal with specialized network configuration through a Virtual Switch.

Choose a virtual machine if:

* You only want to use a portion of your hardware resources for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.
* You want to share resources with another OS or other virtual machines.
* You understand VM network configuration (Bridge mode: to receive an IP from the same network segment; NAT mode: to create a specific subnet for virtual machines).

In either case, you need to boot Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS — via a USB drive for bare-metal, or using an `.iso` file for a VM.

Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS can be downloaded from: [Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS](https://releases.ubuntu.com/18.04.6/ubuntu-18.04.6-live-server-amd64.iso)

## Booting Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS

For bare-metal installations, create a bootable USB using [Universal USB Installer](https://pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/). For virtual machines (VirtualBox, VMware Workstation, Hyper-V, or Xen), mount the downloaded `.iso` file as a disk drive.

## Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS Installation Process

Select the language for the installation. The recommendation is to use English, especially for server operating systems.

![Ubuntu Server Installation Language Selection](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-language-selection.wuLEhQytKgEW.jpeg)

Select **Install Ubuntu Server** to continue.

![Ubuntu Server Installation Menu](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-menu.0iPThwsYqR32.jpeg)

Select the keyboard layout. English is recommended, though less critical than the OS language choice.

![Ubuntu Server Installation Second Language Selection](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-second-languade-selection.IYjW2naoPgsY.jpeg)

![Ubuntu Server Keyboard Configuration](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-keyboard-configuration.BlF82SIco2sy.jpeg)

Select **Install Ubuntu**. The other option (Install MAAS — Metal as a Service) enables a service for deploying virtual machines and building your own cloud.

![Ubuntu Server Select Mode Normal or MAAS](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-select-mode-normal-or-maas.rfrRZY3eraa8.jpeg)

Next, configure the network. Pay special attention here if you want your server to have internet access. DHCP assigns an IP automatically. If using a VM with a bridge-mode virtual NIC, the Ubuntu interface receives an IP as if it were physically connected to your local network. You can also set a static IP, where you'll need to specify the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers.

If the IP is assigned by a virtual switch, it may differ from your local network range. For example, if your local network assigns addresses in the `192.168.1.x` range, the virtual switch might assign a `192.168.88.x` address. That address will have internet access and can reach `192.168.1.x` hosts, but the reverse (from `192.168.1.x` to `192.168.88.x`) may not work on all ports unless the virtual switch is configured accordingly.

![Ubuntu Server Installation Network Configuration](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-network-configuration.QdVuZvipKmLN.jpeg)

If your network requires a proxy, enter it in the following format:

```
http://[user]:[pass]@[host]:[port]/
```

![Ubuntu Server Installation Proxy Configuration](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-proxy-configuration.NYV9lr5dMSS3.jpeg)

Configure the archive mirror Ubuntu will use to download packages via `sudo apt install`. The default is recommended unless you need a specific repository.

![Ubuntu Server Installation Archive Mirror](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-archive-mirror.kPiv0AU28Xg0.jpeg)

Configure the filesystem. For a VM, select **Use an Entire Disk** to use all the allocated disk space. For bare-metal, you can partition the disk for dual-boot (e.g., Windows 10 and Ubuntu on the same machine).

![Ubuntu Server Installation Filesystem Setup](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-filesystem-setup.bkd5LHGGiqyE.jpeg)

Select the partition. In this example, 20 GB is allocated in the VM, represented as `/dev/sda`. Partition 1 (~1 MB) holds the GRUB (Grand Unified Bootloader). Partition 2 is the ext4 filesystem used by Ubuntu. Confirm by selecting **Done**, then **Continue** to format `/dev/sda`.

![Ubuntu Server Installation Main Partition](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-main-partition.RsMvcbNl4LWd.jpeg)

![Ubuntu Server Installation Partition Summary](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-partition-summary.ky8rxQopqvFt.jpeg)

![Ubuntu Server Installation Partition Confirmation](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-partition-confirmation.KTm5mhFof0vn.jpeg)

Set up the user profile with superuser permissions. Use your name, a recognizable **hostname** (how the server identifies itself on the network), and a strong password containing at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one special character, and one number. Click **Done** when finished.

![Ubuntu Server Installation Profile Setup](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-profile-setup.oajxJuodYSve.jpeg)

It is strongly recommended to install OpenSSH (Secure Shell), which enables secure remote command-line connections from any tool on Windows 10 (such as PuTTY) or from another Linux machine using:

```sh
ssh [REMOTE_USERNAME]@[REMOTE_HOST]
```

![Ubuntu Server Installation Open SSH](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-open-ssh.SDl3y3uE31Q4.jpeg)

Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS will ask if you want to install optional snaps such as Docker or PowerShell. Use the spacebar to select them. Keep in mind you can also install these later with:

```sh
sudo apt install
```

![Ubuntu Server Installation Snaps](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-snaps.1MXPdLcGvjY5.jpeg)

Wait for Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS to finish installing with the configuration you set, including all packages and GRUB.

![Ubuntu Server Installation Wait Process](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-wait-process.Gz92uRQtnLjB.jpeg)

Select **Reboot Now** and eject the bootable media (USB drive for bare-metal, or unmount the `.iso` in your VM) before the system restarts.

![Ubuntu Server Installation Complete](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-complete.XblqT3w9NPUV.jpeg)

Once rebooted, you'll be prompted for the username and password configured earlier. You have now completed the **Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS** installation.

![Ubuntu Server Installation Login](https://storage.googleapis.com/rescalante.com/static/media/ubuntu-server-installation-login.WwI8pUed0lzT.jpeg)

## What's the first thing to do after installing Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS?

With Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS installed, it's important to run a few post-installation commands to set the root superuser password and pull the latest updates.

```sh
sudo passwd root
```

```
Enter new UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: password updated successfully
```

Then update your repositories and installed packages:

```sh
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
```

Congratulations — you have successfully installed Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS!

Tutorial: How to Install Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS?

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