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Installing Linux: Get It Running

You need Linux running to learn Linux. Here's how to get it.

Here's the thing: You have options. Cloud. Virtual machine. Physical. Pick what works for you.

Three Options​

Why: Matches production. Learn cloud. Free tiers available.

Best for: DevOps learning. Cloud skills. Real environments.

My take: Start here. It's what you'll use in production anyway.

Option 2: Virtual Machine​

Why: Safe. Easy to reset. Try different distros.

Best for: Learning. Experimentation. Local development.

My take: Good for learning. Safe. Easy to reset.

Option 3: Physical​

Why: Full performance. Dedicated machine.

Best for: Advanced users. Dedicated Linux machine.

My take: Advanced. Only if you're committed.

Cloud Installation (AWS EC2)​

Step 1: Create Account​

  1. Go to aws.amazon.com
  2. Sign up (free tier available)
  3. Verify account

My take: Free tier gives you 750 hours/month. Enough to learn.

Step 2: Launch Instance​

Using Console:

  1. Go to EC2
  2. Click "Launch Instance"
  3. Choose:
    • Name: linux-learning
    • AMI: Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS
    • Instance type: t2.micro (free tier)
    • Key pair: Create new
    • Network: Allow SSH (port 22)
  4. Launch

My take: Ubuntu is easiest. t2.micro is free. Good for learning.

Step 3: Connect​

# Download key first, then:
chmod 400 your-key.pem
ssh -i your-key.pem ubuntu@your-instance-ip

My take: SSH is how you connect. Learn it. You'll use it constantly.

Virtual Machine (VirtualBox)​

Step 1: Install VirtualBox​

Download from virtualbox.org. Install it.

My take: VirtualBox is free. Works well. Good for learning.

Step 2: Download Ubuntu ISO​

Download Ubuntu Server ISO from ubuntu.com.

My take: Server edition is lighter. Good for learning Linux.

Step 3: Create VM​

  1. Open VirtualBox
  2. Click "New"
  3. Set:
    • Name: linux-learning
    • Type: Linux
    • Version: Ubuntu (64-bit)
    • Memory: 2GB (minimum)
    • Hard disk: 20GB (minimum)
  4. Create

Step 4: Install Ubuntu​

  1. Start VM
  2. Select Ubuntu ISO
  3. Follow installer
  4. Set username/password
  5. Install

My take: Installation is straightforward. Follow the prompts.

Post-Installation​

Update System​

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

My take: Always update after installation. Get latest packages.

Install Basic Tools​

sudo apt install -y vim curl wget git htop

My take: Install tools you'll use. These are essentials.

Configure SSH (If Needed)​

sudo systemctl enable ssh
sudo systemctl start ssh

My take: SSH lets you connect remotely. Enable it.

Verification​

uname -a                          # Check Linux version
lsb_release -a                     # Distribution info
whoami                             # Current user

My take: Verify installation works. Check basics.

Common Issues​

Can't Connect via SSH​

# Check if SSH is running
sudo systemctl status ssh

# Check firewall
sudo ufw status

My take: SSH issues are common. Check service. Check firewall.

No Internet​

# Check network
ip addr show
ping 8.8.8.8

My take: Network issues happen. Check configuration.

What's Next?​

Now that Linux is installed, let's start with First Steps. Learn the basics.

Personal note: When I started, I installed Linux on a physical machine. It was hard. Then I tried cloud. Much easier. Now I use cloud for everything. It's what production uses anyway. Start with cloud.