How to Install Ubuntu 20.04 Locally

As a former Windows user several years ago, I remember envying people that were able to automate tedious tasks using Linux. Luckily I discovered Ubuntu, a Linux variety that offers people with backgrounds in Windows and Mac a seamless transition to the world of Linux. I started my Linux journey in 2014, but recently had to re-learn the process of installing Linux on a new laptop. In this article, I briefly go over the steps for installing Ubuntu 20.04, also known as Focal Fossa, on a computer.

For this article, you will first need a new or old laptop with at least 5 GB of storage, a 4GB or larger USB stick, and another computer that has access to the internet to download the Ubuntu 20.04 image file. The key steps to installing Ubuntu 20.04 are to (1) download the image or .iso file, (2) write the image to the USB drive, and (3) install Ubuntu 20 on the desired computer from the USB drive.

Obtaining an Image File

Before you can install Ubuntu 20, you need to prepare a USB drive with an image or .iso file. To do this, head on over to Canonical's website, and under "Ubuntu Desktop" select "20.04 LTS." This will download the image file you need to put on the flash drive. Depending on your internet speed, this might take an hour or more to download. The good news however, is that this is by far the longest step in the process.

Writing the Image to a USB

Once you have downloaded the image file, you need to use special software to prepare the the USB stick. This step depends on what operating system you used to download the image file. Here I give a very brief overview for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Windows Users

Windows users can download Rufus. After downloading, you just need to configure the "Boot selection" as the image file that you just downloaded, and the Device, which is Ubuntu 20 in this case.

MacOS Users

Mac users can download Balena Etcher. Select "Etcher for MacOS" for download. If you intend to install Ubuntu 20 on an old Mac or on new Mac hardware, please follow Canonical's instructions on first preparing the USB stick before writing the image with Etcher.

Linux Users

If you are already on a Linux system, then plug in the blank USB drive. Then, click on the Linux applications icon and type in "Startup Disk Creator". When I clicked on Startup Disk Creator, it automatically recognized both the image I downloaded in the Downloads folder, and also the target USB drive. After clicking "Make Startup Disk", it took a few minutes to prepare the USB drive. Make sure to right click and eject the USB drive before pulling it out of the computer socket, or the image may not be properly written to the stick.

Installing Ubuntu 20 on a Computer from USB

Now that you have a USB drive with an Ubuntu 20 image written to it, it's time to install Ubuntu 20 on the new or old computer. For this step, although not necessary, I recommend plugging in an Ethernet cable to your computer for faster internet (or make sure you know the WiFi password) so that you can optionally download what you want for your Ubuntu 20.04 operating system, and so that the installer can do things like help you automatically pick a time zone.

First, insert the USB drive into the target computer. Then, turn on the computer, and immediately press the key to enter the Boot Menu. For me, this was F7, but for your computer this might be F2, F10, F12, or ESC. Once inside the Boot Menu, you can use the arrow keys to select "Ubuntu" from the list of options. After you've done that, the Ubuntu installation menu gives you the option to either try out or install Ubuntu 20.04. Then the installer lets you choose your language, time zone, login name, and password.

That's pretty much it. For a more in depth version of installing Ubuntu, I recommend Canonical as a valuable resource.