Objective of this lesson

In this lesson, we will create a complete Linux practice lab using VMware on your laptop or desktop so you can safely practice Linux administration without touching production systems.

We will cover the full setup flow: installing VMware → downloading Linux ISO → creating VM → installing Linux.

System requirements for the lab

Before creating virtual machines, make sure your computer has enough resources for smooth Linux installation and practice.

Host Machine

Windows or Linux laptop/desktop with virtualization enabled in BIOS (Intel VT-x / AMD-V).

CPU, RAM & Disk

Recommended: 4 CPU cores, minimum 8 GB RAM and at least 50–80 GB free disk space for virtual machines.

Software

VMware Workstation Pro / Player and a Linux ISO such as Ubuntu Server, Rocky Linux or Debian.

Step 1 – Install VMware Workstation / Player

VMware will act as the virtualization platform where we create and run our Linux virtual machines.

Download & install VMware

Go to the VMware website and download VMware Workstation Pro or VMware Workstation Player.
Choose the installer for your operating system (Windows or Linux).
Run the installer and complete the setup using default options.
Launch VMware after installation and verify it starts successfully.

You may also use VirtualBox or other hypervisors, but this course demonstrations and screenshots will primarily use VMware.

Step 2 – Download Linux ISO

Next, we need a Linux installation ISO image which will be used to boot and install Linux inside the virtual machine.

Recommended Linux distributions

Ubuntu Server – beginner friendly and widely used.
Rocky Linux – enterprise RHEL-compatible distribution.
Debian – stable and lightweight Linux environment.

Downloading the ISO

Visit the official Linux distribution website.
Download the latest stable ISO image.
Prefer 64-bit x86 ISO for modern systems.
Store the ISO in a dedicated folder for easy access.

Example folder:D:\ISOs\Linux

Step 3 – Create a Linux virtual machine

We will now create a new VM and prepare the virtual hardware for Linux installation.

Basic VM setup

Click 'Create a New Virtual Machine' inside VMware.
Choose 'Typical' configuration.
Select the downloaded Linux ISO image.
Choose Linux as the guest operating system.

Hardware allocation

Assign 2 virtual CPUs for better performance.
Allocate at least 2–4 GB RAM.
Create a virtual disk of 30–50 GB.
Use NAT networking initially for internet access.

After completing the wizard, your Linux VM should appear in the VMware dashboard.

Step 4 – Install Linux inside the VM

Once the VM is ready, we can boot from the ISO and begin the Linux installation process.

Booting the installer

Power on the virtual machine.
The VM should automatically boot using the attached ISO.
Choose 'Install Linux' from the boot menu.
Follow the installation wizard displayed on screen.

Linux installation flow

Select language, keyboard layout and timezone.
Configure disk partitioning (automatic partitioning is fine for beginners).
Create a normal user account and password.
Configure hostname and network settings.
Complete the installation and reboot into Linux.

First boot after installation

After rebooting, you should successfully log in to your Linux system either through:

GUI Desktop (if installed)

Login using graphical interface.
Explore terminal application.
Check system settings and networking.

Terminal / Console

Login using username and password.
Practice basic commands like pwd, ls and cd.
Verify internet connectivity and updates.

What you should have after this lesson

VMware installed and working properly.
A Linux ISO downloaded and ready for use.
A fully functional Linux virtual machine.
Basic familiarity with Linux boot process and login experience.

In the next lessons, we will start exploring Linux terminal commands, filesystem navigation, users, permissions and system administration fundamentals.