How to Run Linux OS - Ubuntu on MacBook using VirtualBox

Ejiroghene — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 16:42:43 +0000

P.S. I documented this as a guide which I can always come back to in case I forget, as well as to help anyone in similar situation.

I just recently started out in Devops and one thing i realised is that the primary environment of operation when it comes to Devops is Linux based systems. I use a MacBook and i didn't want to go through the stress of dual-booting so i opted for the best alternative which is installing a VirtualBox and creating a virtual machine ontop which the OS will be installed.

Key definition;

VirtualBox - A software that allows you to run multiple operating systems on a single computer. It acts like a computer within a computer by creating an isolated environment in which an operating system can run.

STEP 1 - Download VirtualBox

Goto https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads to download the VirtualBox software.
Under VirtualBox platform packages, select and click your type of system; I’ll be selecting macOs/Intel hosts as my system platform.

This begins downloading the application for the platform you chose. After downloading, double click on the application to install on your system.

STEP 2 - Download Ubuntu ISO image

Goto https://ubuntu.com/download/server and click download. This will download the Ubuntu ISO image which we’ll later install after setting up our virtual machine.

STEP 3 - Creating the VM

Launch the VirtualBox application
On the toolbar, click on New - this will open a window modal where you enter the name and select the type of Operating system you wish to install; See image below.
- Name: Give it a descriptive name
- Type: Linux
- Version: Ubuntu (64 - bit)

Click continue; The memory size you allocate is dependent on how much memory you have on your host machine. If your system has a memory of 8GB, you can allocate a the memory size of 4GB for the OS on your virtual box, else, use the recommended size

Create virtual hard disk - VDI format - Dynamically allocated (at least 25GB)

After the VM has been created, “Primary Ubuntu” in this case;

On the toolbar, navigate to Settings → Systems → Processors, give it 2 CPUs
Under Settings → Display, set Video Memory to 128MB and enable 3D acceleration if available

STEP 4 - Installing the Ubuntu ISO image

Next, we’ll be installing Ubuntu on the virtual machine we just configured.

Navigate to Settings → Storage → click the empty optical drive → select the Ubuntu ISO you downloaded

Click on ok, and then start the VM by clicking the start icon on the tool bar, or double clicking on the VM — it'll boot into the Ubuntu installer

Select the first option - Try and install Ubuntu and follow the prompts.
Choose "Normal installation", select "Erase disk and install Ubuntu" (this only erases the virtual disk, not your Mac)
Follow prompts for username/password, then let it install and reboot

I hope you find the above guide helpful :)

DEV Community: Ejiroghene

How to Run Linux OS - Ubuntu on MacBook using VirtualBox