Skip to main content

Linux Installation Guide

Chapter Overview​

In this chapter you will learn:

  • Why virtualization is important
  • Installing VirtualBox
  • Installing VMware
  • Installing Ubuntu Linux
  • Installing Kali Linux
  • Installing WSL
  • Dual Boot installation
  • Disk partitions
  • VM networking
  • Snapshots
  • Recommended software for learning Linux

Before Installing Linux

There are several ways to use Linux:

MethodDifficultyRecommended
Virtual MachineEasy⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
WSLVery Easy⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dual BootMedium⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dedicated PCMedium⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For beginners, using:
VirtualBox

Why Use Virtual Machines?

A Virtual Machine (VM) allows Linux to run inside Windows. Advantages: ✅ No risk to Windows installation ✅ Easy backups ✅ Snapshots ✅ Multiple operating systems ✅ Perfect for Ethical Hacking labs​

What is Virtualization?

Virtualization means:

Running one operating system
inside another operating system.

Example:

Windows Host
       ↓
VirtualBox
       ↓
Ubuntu Guest

Virtualization Architecture

Hardware
    ↓
Host OS
    ↓
Hypervisor
    ↓
Guest OS

Hypervisor

Software responsible for virtualization. Examples:

  • VirtualBox
  • VMware
  • Hyper-V
  • Proxmox

System Requirements

Recommended minimum:

CPU:
4 Cores
RAM:
8GB
Storage:
50GB Free Space

Recommended:

CPU:
6+ Cores
RAM:
16GB+
SSD:
100GB+

Part 1: Installing VirtualBox

What is VirtualBox?

VirtualBox is a free virtualization software developed by Oracle. Perfect for:

  • Linux Learning
  • Ethical Hacking
  • Networking Labs
  • Server Testing

Download​

Official Website: https://www.virtualbox.org​

Installation Steps​

Step 1​

Download:

Windows Hosts

Step 2​

Run installer.​

Step 3​

Keep default settings.​

Step 4​

Install VirtualBox Extension Pack. This enables:

  • USB Support
  • Better Networking
  • Clipboard Sharing
  • Drag and Drop

Recommended VirtualBox Settings

For Ubuntu:

RAM:
4096 MB
CPU:
2 Cores
Disk:
40GB

For Kali Linux:

RAM:
4096-8192 MB
CPU:
4 Cores
Disk:
60GB

Part 2: Installing VMware

What is VMware?

VMware is another virtualization software. Advantages: ✅ Better Performance ✅ Better Drivers ✅ Enterprise Usage​

Official Website: https://www.vmware.com​

VMware vs VirtualBox

FeatureVirtualBoxVMware
Free✅Limited
PerformanceGoodExcellent
NetworkingGoodExcellent
Enterprise UsageMediumHigh

Which Should You Use?

For students:

VirtualBox

For advanced users:

VMware

Part 3: Download Linux ISO

Ubuntu

Official Website: https://ubuntu.com/download Recommended version:

Ubuntu LTS

Kali Linux

Official Website: https://www.kali.org Recommended:

Installer ISO

Part 4: Creating Ubuntu Virtual Machine

Step 1

Open VirtualBox. Click:

New

Step 2

Name:

Ubuntu 24.04

Step 3

Select ISO.​

Step 4

Allocate RAM:

4096 MB+

Step 5

Allocate CPU:

2-4 Cores

Step 6

Create Disk:

40GB+

Virtual Machine Layout

Windows
      ↓
VirtualBox
      ↓
Ubuntu VM

Ubuntu Installation Steps

Language​

Select:

English

Keyboard​

Select your layout.​

Installation Type​

Recommended:

Normal Installation

Third Party Drivers​

Enable:

Install third-party software.

Create User​

Example:

Username:
aayan
Password:
********

After Installation

Run:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Part 5: Installing Kali Linux

Why Kali?

Kali Linux contains:

600+
Security Tools

Used for:

  • Ethical Hacking
  • Penetration Testing
  • Security Research

Kali Installation

Steps are similar to Ubuntu.​

Recommended Resources:

RAM:
8GB
CPU:
4 Cores

Enable Guest Additions

Install:

sudo apt install virtualbox-guest-utils

Part 6: WSL Installation

What is WSL?

WSL means:

Windows Subsystem for Linux

Allows Linux to run directly inside Windows.​

Advantages

✅ Fast ✅ Lightweight ✅ No Virtual Machine Needed​

Installation

Open PowerShell as Administrator. Run:

wsl --install

Restart system.​

Check Installed Distros

wsl -l

Open Linux

wsl

Install Ubuntu

wsl --install Ubuntu

WSL Architecture

Windows
     ↓
WSL Layer
     ↓
Linux Environment

WSL vs Virtual Machine

FeatureWSLVM
PerformanceExcellentGood
GUILimitedFull
Networking LabsMediumExcellent
Ethical HackingMediumExcellent

Part 7: Dual Boot Installation

What is Dual Boot?

Installing two operating systems. Example:

Windows
Linux

User chooses at startup.​

Advantages

✅ Native Performance ✅ Full Hardware Access​

Risks

❌ Wrong partitioning may delete data. Always backup first.​

Partition Requirements

Recommended:

Root:
/ → 50GB+
Swap:
8GB
Home:
/home → Remaining Space

Linux Partitions

Root Partition​

/

Contains:

  • Operating System
  • Programs
  • Configuration

Home Partition​

/home

Stores:

  • User Files
  • Documents
  • Downloads

Swap Partition​

Acts as virtual memory.​

Example Layout

500GB SSD
Windows:
250GB
Linux Root:
100GB
Home:
130GB
Swap:
20GB

Linux File Systems

Most common:

ext4

Other file systems:

  • XFS
  • BTRFS
  • ZFS

Part 8: Virtual Machine Networking

Networking is extremely important. Especially for:

  • Ethical Hacking
  • Server Hosting
  • Computer Networking Competitions

NAT Mode

Default mode.

VM
 ↓
Host
 ↓
Internet

Advantages: ✅ Easy setup. Disadvantages: ❌ Hard to access VM externally.​

Bridged Adapter

VM becomes a real device
on your network.

Example:

Windows → 192.168.1.100
Ubuntu → 192.168.1.101

Excellent for networking labs.​

Internal Network

Used for:

VM ↔ VM

No internet. Perfect for:

  • Ethical Hacking Labs
  • Capture The Flag setups

Host Only Adapter

Communication:

Host ↔ VM

No internet.​

Networking Comparison

ModeInternetLAN Access
NATYesLimited
BridgedYesFull
InternalNoVM Only
Host OnlyNoHost + VM

Recommended Setup

For ZyroNetwork Students:

Adapter 1:
NAT
Adapter 2:
Bridged

This provides: ✅ Internet ✅ LAN Communication​

Snapshots

Snapshots are backups of virtual machines.​

Why Use Snapshots?

Suppose:

You break Linux.

Restore snapshot. Everything returns.​

Creating Snapshot

VirtualBox:

Machine
 ↓
Take Snapshot

Recommended snapshots:

Fresh Install
Networking Lab
Before Hacking Practice
Before Server Configuration

Recommended Linux Software

Install:​

Git​

sudo apt install git

Curl​

sudo apt install curl

Net Tools​

sudo apt install net-tools

SSH​

sudo apt install openssh-server

HTOP​

sudo apt install htop

Build Tools​

sudo apt install build-essential

Recommended Tools for ZyroNetwork Students

Development​

  • Git
  • VSCode
  • PHP
  • Composer

Networking​

  • Wireshark
  • nmap
  • net-tools

Servers​

  • Nginx
  • MySQL
  • Docker

Ethical Hacking​

  • Burp Suite
  • Metasploit
  • Gobuster

Practice Environment

Recommended setup:

Windows Host
Ubuntu VM
Kali VM
Windows Server VM

Networking:

Bridged + Internal Network

This allows:

  • LAN Creation
  • DHCP Practice
  • SSH Practice
  • FTP Practice
  • Server Administration

Exercises

Exercise 1​

Install VirtualBox.​

Exercise 2​

Install Ubuntu VM.​

Exercise 3​

Install Kali Linux VM.​

Exercise 4​

Configure Bridged Networking.​

Exercise 5​

Create Snapshot.​

Mini Project

Create lab:

Windows Host
      ↓
Ubuntu Server
      ↓
Kali Linux

Practice:

  • Ping
  • SSH
  • FTP
  • Web Servers

Summary

You learned: ✅ Virtual Machines ✅ VirtualBox ✅ VMware ✅ Ubuntu Installation ✅ Kali Installation ✅ WSL ✅ Dual Boot ✅ Linux Partitions ✅ Networking Modes ✅ Snapshots This environment will be used throughout the entire Linux course.​

References

Ubuntu: https://ubuntu.com Kali: https://kali.org VirtualBox: https://virtualbox.org VMware: https://vmware.com​

Next Chapter

➡ Linux File System ➡ Directory Structure ➡ Linux Terminal Basics ➡ First Linux Commands