Ubuntu Server is Canonical’s open-source server operating system. It is compatible with every hardware or any virtualized platform. It does not have a GUI installation but a text-based process, which allows it to use the resources for server tasks instead of managing desktop resources.
This article will help you to install Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS on your system. LTS means long-term support. It means Canonical will support this version for 5 years i.e. until 2025. Through the Extended Security Maintenance service, users can extend the service for 5 more years. It provides stability, security, and resilience to your enterprise operations.
Prerequisites for Installation
Before you start the installation, ensure that your system has:
- 2 GB free storage space.
- Ubuntu Server version ready on a USB drive or DVD.
- If you wish to keep your data intact and install Ubuntu Server alongside it, take a backup beforehand.
Steps to Install Ubuntu Server
Just follow these steps to install Ubuntu Server on your system in no time.
1. Install The Media
Plugin the USB drive or insert the DVD drive into your system and restart the computer. Generally, the computer automatically starts to boot from the USB or DVD but if it is disabled, boot the system from your installed media.
A message will pop up on the screen telling you the key to press to start the boot process. Different systems have different keys, such as F9, F10, F11, F12, or Escape.
2. Select The Language
After the boot completes, you will see a menu asking you the preferred language. Select the language using the Up, Down, and Enter key.
3. Choose Keyboard Layout
On the next screen, you will be asked to choose your keyboard layout and variant. You can choose the default for now and change it later on after your installation is complete. It is a lot easier to change it later on.
4. Choose What You Want To Install
The list will have 3 options:
- Install Ubuntu
- Install MAAS Region Controller
- Install MAAS Rack Controller
We are installing Ubuntu Server right now. Choose it and move ahead.
5. Network Connections
If your system is connected to the Internet, the installer will detect and establish a connection to the network via DHCP. If not, the installation will continue. It is an automatic process, and you don’t need to do anything at this stage.
6. Set Up Storage
Here again, you will see 2 options. Whether you want to use an entire disk or partition or you want to set it manually. If you have already set aside a partition, select the first option. Setting storage manually is a bit complicated.
7. Select The Disk
The menu lists down the disks available on your system. They are listed using their system ID. Select the desired one, and press enter to move ahead.
8. Confirm Partitions
The drive you have selected will be partitioned, and the installer will ask you to confirm partitions. You can also change the partitions manually by selecting “Edit Partitions” if you know how to do so. If you have selected the wrong drive, you can go back to the previous screen and select another drive.
9. Confirm The Changes
This is your last chance to review the changes you want to make and the selections you have made. After you confirm, the previous content will be lost, and it will be replaced with the overwritten content. You can go back to previous pages and make any changes that are required. So, double-check what you have selected and then confirm.
10. Profile Set-Up
Before installing the software on your system, you must feed the installer some more information. It needs at least one user, a hostname as well as a password.
11. Installation
Once you provide the requested information, the installation will start. After installation is complete, you can always install the required additional software.
12. It’s Done
As it gets installed, a message will be displayed. Now, remove the install media, reboot the system, and you can start your Ubuntu Server.
Updating The 20.04 LTS
It is always recommended to use the latest version and update the latest security updates, bug fixes, and new features. You must update your OS and any packages that need updating. To install the available updates, one must run the following command:
sudo apt update -y
It will find all the available updates from the Ubuntu repositories. To apply the updates, execute the following command:
sudo apt upgrade –y
All done! Now, you have an updated 20.04 LTS Ubuntu Server on your system.
Why Should You Install Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS?
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS will not be supported from April 30, 2021. It would be best if you had an Ubuntu server that is stable, secure, and resilient. Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS is here with all of these features.
10 Years Of Service
20.04 is an LTS version, i.e. Long Term Support. It will have Canonical’s support till 2025. Apart from this, those with Ubuntu Advantage for Infrastructure subscription (UA-I) can extend their security updates for 5 further years through ESM. This makes 20.04 LTS the most stable Ubuntu Server for enterprise requirements as of now.
SSH Two-Factor Authentication
Generally, SSH uses single-factor authentication, which uses passwords or keys. Thus, it is easy to be compromised. With 20.04 LTS, SSH is launching its two-factor authentication to improve security. A physical device or an authenticator app will authenticate the SSH session.
Automatic Updates
It takes time to manually update the features on your server. Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS has the Ubuntu Server Live Installer, automatically updating the server every time the system boots.
As the system boots, the installer will see, with the help of the Internet, if there are any new updates available and notify the user. If you want to install them now, you can choose the option to update. Else, you can skip the update. The session will restart as the update finishes.
Increased Resilience
In 20.04 LTS, the installer allows writing a bootloader on multiple disks, which was not the case in earlier versions. It has increased the resilience of the server. A bootloader is software that starts on a computer boot.
Apart from it, there are several features in the Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS version, making it the first choice for your company’s server needs.
Final Words
If you follow the above-mentioned steps, you will install Ubuntu Server without any hiccups. If you get stuck anywhere, you can always take help from the Ubuntu Community.
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