Installation Walkthrough

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS ships a new installer built with Flutter: a cleaner interface and a smoother flow. This page follows the actual order of the screens, illustrated with real screenshots from the 26.04.1 desktop installer.

About the installer

Compared with the old Ubiquity installer:

A redesigned, modern interface
Smoother interactions
Automated installation (autoinstall)
Better disk management
Improved accessibility support

Note

The installer has 18 steps, but most are either skipped automatically or need only a confirmation. The screens below are the ones you actually operate.

Step 1: Choose your language

The first screen is language selection.

Scroll down and pick your language
The interface switches as soon as you select it
Click Next

Language selection screen of the Ubuntu 26.04 installer with English selected — Language: pick yours from the list; the interface switches immediately after selection

Step 2: Accessibility

Accessibility comes right after the language. You can enable large text, high contrast, a screen reader and related options here. If you do not need them, click Next.

Installer accessibility screen with sections for seeing, hearing, typing, pointing and clicking, and zoom — Accessibility: everything is off by default; expand a section only if you need it

Step 3: Keyboard layout

The layout is matched to your language automatically
Use the test box to type a few characters and confirm the keys are right
Click Next

Installer keyboard layout screen with a layout selected and a test input box below — Keyboard: the layout follows the language; type a few characters in the test box to be sure

Step 4: Connect to the internet

A wired connection normally comes up automatically
A virtual machine or a system without a wireless card shows No Wi-Fi devices detected
You can also pick Do not connect to the internet and configure it later

Tip

With a connection the installer can download updates and language packs, so staying online is recommended.

Installer network screen offering wired connection, Wi-Fi and an offline option — Network: wired usually just works; without a wireless card the Wi-Fi option is disabled

Step 5: Installation type

This screen chooses how to install, not “minimal vs full”:

Interactive installation: the default, guided step by step
Automated with autoinstall file: reads an autoinstall.yaml, for repeatable deployments
Automated with Landscape: for organisations managing devices through Landscape

Installer installation type screen listing interactive, automated and Landscape options — Installation type: keep the default interactive installation for desktop use

Step 6: Applications

Default selection: the essentials, a web browser and basic utilities
Extended selection: adds an office suite and a wider set of everyday apps

Installer application selection screen offering a default or an extended set of apps — Applications: the default set is lean; the extended set is what used to be the full install

Step 7: Proprietary software

This page decides whether extra drivers and codecs are installed:

Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware: NVIDIA drivers and similar; worth ticking on desktops and laptops
Download and install support for additional media formats: MP3, MP4 and friends; worth ticking for daily use

Installer proprietary software screen with checkboxes for third-party drivers and media formats — Proprietary software: tick both and you can skip installing drivers by hand later

Step 8: Disk setup

The most consequential step:

Install alongside: resize a partition and keep the existing system
Erase the existing Ubuntu and install: removes only an existing Ubuntu
Erase disk and install Ubuntu: wipes everything on the selected disk
Manual installation: custom partitioning for advanced layouts

See whole-disk install, dual boot with Windows and manual partitioning.

Installer disk setup screen offering install alongside, erase existing system, erase disk, or manual partitioning — Disk setup: four options appear when the disk already holds a system; the erase options destroy data, so back up first

Step 9: Disk encryption

No encryption: the default and the simplest
Encrypt with a passphrase: asks for the passphrase on every boot; sensible for laptops
Use hardware-backed encryption: relies on the TPM and unlocks automatically

Warning

Forget the passphrase and the data is gone. Store it safely, or keep a recovery key.

Note

The option titles are translated, but the explanatory lines underneath are still English-only in the current installer build. It does not affect how encryption works.

Installer encryption and file system screen with no encryption, passphrase encryption and hardware-backed options — Encryption: off by default; passphrase encryption is worth it on a laptop, but only if you will remember it

Step 10: Create your account

Fill in:

Your name: the display name, localised characters are fine
Your computer’s name: generated for you; English letters and digits are safer
Username: the login name, lowercase letters, digits and underscores only
Password: a strong one; the meter on the right shows its strength

Warning

Unless the machine is personal and holds no sensitive data, keep Require my password to log in ticked.

Installer account screen with name, hostname, username and password filled in — Account: the hostname is auto-generated (on a VM it looks like ubuntu-Standard-PC-Q35); rename it to something memorable

Step 11: Choose your time zone

Click your location on the map, or type a city name
For China pick Asia/Shanghai (UTC+8)

Installer time zone screen with China highlighted on the map and Asia/Shanghai selected — Time zone: typing a city name is fastest

Step 12: Review and install

The installer lists every choice; check them:

Installation type and target disk
Disk encryption and proprietary software
Partition layout
User and time zone

When everything is right, click Install.

Installation

Installation takes 10-30 minutes depending on hardware and whether updates are downloaded. A slideshow runs while the system is copied.

Finishing up

When installation finishes the installer asks you to:

Click Restart now
Remove the USB stick when prompted, then press Enter
Boot into your new Ubuntu 26.04 system

Installation complete screen showing Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS is installed and ready to use — Done: click Restart now and remove the USB stick when prompted

Next, follow first steps after install to finish setting the system up.

FAQ

How long does installation take?

On a modern machine with an SSD the whole process usually takes 10-20 minutes. Downloading updates during installation adds time depending on your connection, but it rarely exceeds 30 minutes.

Will installing Ubuntu delete Windows?

Not necessarily. You can choose to install alongside Windows and keep both systems. Only “erase the entire disk” removes everything. Back up important files first.

What if installation fails?

Verify the ISO first (see the ISO verification page) and check that the USB stick was written correctly. If the installer hangs, try adding nomodeset to the boot parameters to rule out a graphics issue. You can also install offline and configure the network afterwards.