TEST-DRIVE UBUNTU IN VIRTUALBOX
If you’d like to give Ubuntu a more thorough test drive without committing an entire PC (or setting up a dual-boot system) to it, then the next logical step is to run it inside a virtual machine (VM). The obvious tool for the job is VirtualBox (www.virtualbox.org). You’ll also need a copy of the Ubuntu 21.04 install media in ISO format, which you can obtain from www.ubuntu.com/download.
In VirtualBox, choose Machine>New. Type Ubuntu 21.04 into the Name field and you’ll see it automatically assigns its type (Linux) and version (Ubuntu 64-bit). Check the default Machine Folder and change the drive if necessary, to one that has at least 32GB spare if you plan to run the VM for an extended period. Click Next and allocate it a minimum of 2,048MB (2GB) RAM, preferably more if you can spare it. Leave ‘Create a virtual hard disk now’ and click Create followed by Next twice, then set the size to 32GB and click Create.
Your new VM will be created. Next, click Settings to tweak its hardware settings. If your PC is powerful enough, we advise selecting System> Processor tab to allocate it between two and four CPUs. Select Display and tick Enable 3D Acceleration and allocate the maximum (128MB) amount of video memory you can. Finally, under Storage select the Empty DVD drive under Controller: IDE and click the disc button on the right to select your Ubuntu 21.04 install ISO file.
Once done, click OK followed by Start to launch your VM, then follow the steps in the main body to install Ubuntu. It’s a simple process in a VM: just leave ‘Erase disk and install Ubuntu’ selected under Installation type and click Install Now when prompted – no fiddly partitioning to worry about. At the end, it will automatically ‘eject’ the install disc for you, so just press Enter to reboot.
When you boot into Ubuntu itself proper, the screen will initially be cramped – skip through the first-run wizard, then open Settings> Screen Display to choose a more comfortable view – 1,360x768, for example.