step by step guide to install ubuntu server 24.04

Here’s a clean, no-nonsense, step-by-step you can follow to install Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS (Noble) on a physical machine or VM. I’ll keep it practical and add a few post-install hardening steps you’ll likely want anyway.

1) Prep: downloads & USB

What you need

1× USB drive (≥4 GB)
The ISO: ubuntu-24.04.x-live-server-amd64.iso
A machine/VM to install to (UEFI recommended)

Download ISO

From ubuntu.com → Server → 24.04 LTS.

Physical machine Requiremnt

CPU: 1 GHz or better (a 2 GHz dual-core processor is recommended).
RAM: 2 GB minimum (4 GB recommended).
Disk Space: 2.75 GB minimum (25 GB recommended).
Network Connection: A network connection is needed for the installation process.
Bootable Media: A USB port or DVD drive to boot from the installation media.

Virtual machine Requiremnt (Proxmox/VMware/VirtualBox)

Resources: 2 vCPU, 2–4 GB RAM, 20–40 GB disk (grow as needed).
Disk: Use VirtIO SCSI + SSD emulation if available.
NIC: VirtIO/VMXNET3 for performance.
Boot: UEFI with Q35 chipset (where supported).

Make a bootable USB

Windows (Rufus)
1. Open Rufus → Select your USB
2. Select the ISO
3. Partition scheme: GPT; Target system: UEFI (non-CSM)
4. Start.
Cross-platform (balenaEtcher): Select image → Select USB → Flash.
Linux (dd)

sudo dd if=ubuntu-24.04*.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync

# replace /dev/sdX with your USB device (NOT a partition like /dev/sdX1)

2) Firmware & boot

In your BIOS/UEFI, set:
- Boot mode: UEFI
- Boot order: USB first
- (Optional) Enable virtualization (Intel VT-x/AMD-V) if this will run VMs/containers.
Insert the USB and boot it. Choose Try or Install Ubuntu Server.

3) The installer (screens you’ll see)

Work through these in order:

Language → choose your language.
Keyboard → detect or pick layout.
Networking
- If DHCP is fine, continue.
- For a static IP now: select the interface → Edit IPv4 → Manual → enter address, gateway, and DNS.
Proxy → leave empty unless you use one.
Mirror → accept default (usually fine).
Storage
- Easiest: Use an entire disk → (optional) Set up LVM (recommended for flexibility).
- For encryption: choose Encrypt the LVM group (you’ll set a passphrase).
- Manual partitioning if you need custom layouts/RAID/ZFS.
- Default filesystem for root is ext4 (sensible for most).
Profile setup
- Your full name, username, password.
- Server name (hostname) – pick something meaningful (e.g., srv-app-01).
SSH setup
- Install OpenSSH: Yes (so you can manage remotely).
- You can also import SSH keys from GitHub/Launchpad or paste a key.
Featured Server Snaps
- Optional (e.g., docker, microk8s, nextcloud). You can skip and install later.
Confirm partitions → Install.
After install completes, remove the USB and Reboot.

4) First boot & essentials

ssh youruser@server-ip

Update immediately

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade -y
sudo reboot

Basic tools (handy)

sudo apt install -y curl ca-certificates git htop vim ufw fail2ban

Firewall (UFW)

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status

Timezone & NTP (India example)

sudo timedatectl set-timezone Asia/Kolkata
timedatectl

5) Configure a static IP later (Netplan)

If you didn’t set static networking during install, do it now. Find your interface:

ip -br a

Edit the netplan file (name may vary, e.g., /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml):

# /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml
network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    enp0s31f6:
      dhcp4: false
      addresses:
        - 192.168.1.20/24
      routes:
        - to: default
          via: 192.168.1.1
      nameservers:
        addresses: [1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8]

Apply:

sudo netplan apply

6) Quick trouble-shooting

No network after netplan edit → sudo netplan try to test safely; fix YAML spacing.
SSH refused → check sudo systemctl status ssh, firewall rules, and that PasswordAuthentication isn’t disabled unless keys work.
Boot issues after changing disks/RAID → verify boot order in UEFI, re-create GRUB if needed using the live ISO’s “Rescue” mode.

Step by Step Guide to Install Ubuntu Server 24.04