Installing Linux is much easier than its reputation suggests. On a desktop or laptop, it’s a guided installer that takes 15–30 minutes. On a VPS, it’s usually a few clicks in the control panel. This guide covers both, plus the decisions you need to make first.

1. Choose a distribution

Use Good choices
First desktop Linux Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Fedora Workstation
Servers (general purpose) Ubuntu Server LTS, Debian
RHEL-compatible servers AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux
Older or low-spec hardware Lubuntu, Xubuntu, Debian with Xfce

For servers, pick a long-term support release (Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Debian 12): years of security updates without major upgrades. See Ubuntu vs Debian for servers.

2. Installing on a PC or physical server

Check the hardware

  • 64-bit CPU, 4 GB RAM or more for a desktop (2 GB is enough for servers without a GUI), 25 GB+ disk.
  • Back up your data before touching partitions.

Create a bootable USB

  1. Download the ISO from the distribution’s official website, and verify its checksum (sha256sum file.iso, compare with the published value).
  2. Write it to a USB stick (8 GB+) with balenaEtcher, Rufus (Windows) or Ventoy, or on Linux:
lsblk                                   # find the USB device, e.g. /dev/sdb
sudo dd if=ubuntu-24.04-desktop-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync

dd overwrites the target device completely: double-check the device name.

Boot from USB

Restart, and open the boot menu (often F12, F11, F10 or Esc, depending on the manufacturer). Choose the USB stick. If it doesn’t appear, check the UEFI settings: enable USB boot. Most distributions boot fine with Secure Boot enabled.

Run the installer

Typical steps:

  1. Language and keyboard.
  2. Network (Wi-Fi, for updates during install).
  3. Installation type:
    • Erase disk and install: simplest, removes everything.
    • Install alongside Windows: dual boot; the installer shrinks the Windows partition.
    • Manual partitioning: full control.
  4. Time zone, user account and password.
  5. Wait for the copy, then reboot and remove the USB stick.

Partitioning basics (UEFI systems)

Partition Size Purpose
EFI System Partition 512 MB–1 GB, FAT32 Bootloader (reuse the existing one when dual booting)
/ (root) 25 GB+ System
/home (optional) Rest Your files; survives reinstalls
Swap Optional A swap file is created automatically by many installers

See swap file vs partition and the GUID partition table.

Dual boot with Windows

  • Disable Fast Startup in Windows, and suspend BitLocker if it’s on, before installing.
  • Shrink the Windows partition from Windows’ Disk Management, leaving free space for Linux.
  • The GRUB menu then lets you choose the system at boot. See the GRUB bootloader.

3. Installing Linux on a VPS

On a VPS you don’t boot from a USB stick. The provider gives you ready-made OS templates:

  1. Order a VPS and choose the OS (for example Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 12, AlmaLinux).
  2. The server is deployed with that system in a few minutes. You receive the IP address and root credentials.
  3. To switch to another distribution later, use Reinstall OS in the control panel. This wipes the disk, so back up first.

On VPS.DO, every VPS includes OS reinstall and a VNC console in the control panel, with Ubuntu, Debian and CentOS templates (AlmaLinux on USA plans), and Windows Server on plans with enough disk. See Ubuntu VPS, Debian VPS and CentOS VPS.

4. First steps after installing

On a server:

ssh root@your-server-ip
apt update && apt upgrade -y          # Debian/Ubuntu
adduser deploy && usermod -aG sudo deploy

Then set up SSH keys, a firewall, and automatic security updates. See Ubuntu 24.04 initial server setup and connecting to a VPS with SSH.

On a desktop: run the update manager, install drivers it suggests (GPU, Wi-Fi), and add your applications from the software center.

Troubleshooting

Problem Fix
USB doesn’t boot Use the one-time boot menu; enable USB boot; recreate the USB stick
Installer doesn’t see the disk Switch the SATA mode from RAID/RST to AHCI in UEFI (Windows may need preparation first)
Windows not in the boot menu after install sudo update-grub (os-prober may need enabling)
Black screen with NVIDIA GPU Boot with “safe graphics” / nomodeset, then install the proprietary driver
Server unreachable after VPS reinstall Wait a few minutes; use the VNC console to check networking

See Linux boot troubleshooting.

Quick reference

Task Tool
Create USB balenaEtcher, Rufus, Ventoy, dd
Verify ISO sha256sum
Boot menu F12 / F11 / F10 / Esc
Dual boot Shrink Windows, disable Fast Startup
VPS Choose OS template / Reinstall OS in panel

Related: what is a VPS and Linux VPS plans in the USA.

  • Linux
  • Ubuntu
  • Beginners