How to install Ubuntu in VMWare Workstation

Before we dive into the installation process, it is important to ensure that your system meets the necessary prerequisites. First and foremost, your computer must have enough free disk space to accommodate the virtual machine and the Ubuntu operating system. Ideally, you should have at least 20GB of free space. Additionally, your system must have a minimum of 4GB of RAM, although 8GB or more is recommended for optimal performance. It is also important to note that your processor must support hardware virtualization, and it must be enabled in your system's BIOS settings.

To enable virtualization from BIOS, you will need to boot into the BIOS firmware of your system. The steps for accessing the BIOS may vary depending on your computer's manufacturer, but it is usually achieved by pressing a key such as F2 or Delete during the boot process. Once you are in the BIOS, navigate to the Advanced Settings and look for a setting that enables virtualization. The exact name of this setting may differ, but it is usually labelled as 'Virtualization Technology' or 'Intel Virtualization Technology'. Enable this setting and save your changes before restarting your system.

The next step is to download the necessary software. You will need to download VMWare Workstation from vmware.com and the Ubuntu ISO file from ubuntu.com. The ISO file is essentially a disc image of the Ubuntu operating system that you will use to install it on the virtual machine.

Once you have the software downloaded, you can launch VMWare Workstation Player. Click on 'Create a New Virtual Machine' and select 'Typical (recommended)' as the configuration option. Next, select 'Linux' as the guest operating system and 'Ubuntu' as the version. Click on 'Next' and give your virtual machine a name and choose a location to save it. In the next step, you will be asked to specify the disk capacity for your virtual machine. It is recommended to split the virtual disk into multiple files, as this allows for better performance. You can choose the size of the virtual disk according to your needs, but 20GB is a good starting point. Click on 'Next' and then 'Finish' to create the virtual machine.

Now that the virtual machine is created, it is time to install Ubuntu. To do this, select the virtual machine you just created and click on 'Edit virtual machine settings'. In the Hardware tab, click on 'CD/DVD (SATA)' and select 'Use ISO image file'. Browse for the Ubuntu ISO file that you downloaded earlier and click 'OK'. Now, you can start the virtual machine by clicking on the 'Power on this virtual machine' button.

The virtual machine will boot from the Ubuntu ISO file, and you will be prompted to select your preferred language. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process, which includes selecting your time zone, creating a username and password, and choosing whether to install third-party software or not. Once the installation is complete, you can log in to your new Ubuntu virtual machine and start exploring the features and functionalities it has to offer.