Using a hypervisor like VirtualBox will give you a wider choice of distributions. While major distros like Ubuntu, Debian, openSUSE, and Alpine Linux, are available on WSL, other more obscure distros are less represented. While WSL offers a choice of distributions, it's still limited in the Microsoft Store. Here is the Vagrant boxes repository hosted on Vagrant cloud. In order to install Ubuntu or any other OS VM for that reason we need an installation image from somewhere. If you want to try the different window managers and desktop environments that Linux has to offer, you have to use some workarounds with WSL in the stable version.įor those who want to try different distros, you'll also be better off using VMs. Installing Ubuntu VM on VirtualBox using Vagrant CLI. If you need access to graphical apps on Linux, a virtual machine is still a better bet at the moment, even as Microsoft promises support for GUI apps in WSL. To bring a Generation 2 VM on Azure, follow these steps: Change directory to the boot EFI directory: Console.

Please have a look at the docs for Convert-VHD here: Convert-VHD. If you're considering a career in IT, knowledge of these things will be crucial. If the VMs OS disk isnt a fixed-size VHD, use the Convert-VHD PowerShell cmdlet and specify the -VHDType Fixed option. If you're learning Linux and want to get into the nitty-gritty of installing and configuring a Linux system, a virtual machine is the best option.

The up arrow key opens an interactive screenshot.

When I RDP into the VM from my Windows 11 PC using Gnome Desktop Sharing, the arrow keys do not work. Sometimes, running Linux in a virtual machine using a hypervisor like VirtualBox makes the most sense. I have deployed an Ubuntu Server on Azure and installed the Ubuntu Desktop and XRDP on it.

Install ubuntu vm