This tutorial explains in step by step how you can download Ubuntu computer operating system from the internet. This includes various methods to do so, among them are via torrents and mirrors, and how to further verify the ISO file with the official checksums. This excludes how to create a bootable media, as it's been covered in a separate tutorial. We hope this article helps everyone in adopting Ubuntu into their computing starting from the most basic things.
Subscribe to UbuntuBuzz Telegram Channel to get article updates.
Goal
What we will do? We will download a version of Ubuntu operating system from the internet.
What version we will download? To make everything easier, we pick Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, the latest version to date as an example.
Can we do this to another Ubuntu versions as well? Yes, we can. You can do this to version 10.04, 16.04, 18.04, 20.04, even Server Edition, and any later versions.
Continue to Requirements once you understood.
Requirements
A computer: it can be a PC, a laptop, a Macintosh, or even a phone.
A web browser: we recommend Mozilla Firefox.
A bittorrent client application (optional): if you want to download via torrent instead of standard method.
A checksum verification program: see Verifying Downloaded File section.
Continue to Downloading Ubuntu once you fulfilled all requirements.
Downloading Ubuntu
Step 1. Run your web browser.
Step 2. Visit releases.ubuntu.com.
Step 3. From the choices displayed on the web page, select 22.04 LTS, also known as its codename Jammy Jellyfish.
Step 4. Once the selected version's web page opened, you will see its multiple file download choices.
Step 5. Click the file named ubuntu-22.04-desktop-amd64.iso and the download will start.
Step 6. Wait for the download to finish.
Step 7. Once finished, you will get the file stored on your computer's disk drive with the file name 'ubuntu-22.04.desktop-amd64.iso' with file size larger than 600MB.
You finished downloading Ubuntu! Now, you can continue to Verifying Downloaded File section.
If you are not satisfied with the result, or if you want to download another editions of Ubuntu, you might want to continue next step below, alternative ways to download Ubuntu.
Downloading Kubuntu, Xubuntu and other Official Flavors
Do this if you want to download Kubuntu instead of Ubuntu, or any other one of the seven official flavors.
Step 1. Run your web browser.
Step 2. Visit cdimage.ubuntu.com. Please notice it's different to the previous one.
Step 3. The Official Flavors will be displayed on the web page namely:
- kubuntu/
- xubuntu/
- lubuntu/
- ubuntustudio/
- ubuntu-mate/
- ubuntu-budgie/
- ubuntukylin/
Step 4. Select one Flavor you want to download. For example, if you want Kubuntu, then select kubuntu/ download page.
Step 5. From the web page opened, select releases/.
Step 6. The versions available to download will be displayed on the web page.
Step 7. Select one version of the Flavor you want. For example, if you want Kubuntu 22.04 then select 22.04/.
Step 7. From the web page opened, once again select releases/.
Step 9. The official download page of the Flavor will open with several files displayed.
Step 10. Click the file named kubuntu-22.04-desktop-amd64.iso and the download will start.
Step 11. Wait for the download to finish.
Step 12. Once finished, you will get the file stored on your computer by the file name 'kubuntu-22.04-desktop-amd64.iso' by the size larger than 600MB up to some GB.
Step 13. Repeat step 3-12 to download Xubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubuntu Studio and other Flavors.
You finished downloading Kubuntu and/or other Flavors!
Downloading Ubuntu from a Mirror
Step 1. Run your web browser.
Step 2. Visit https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+cdmirrors.
Step 3. The web page will list out Ubuntu mirrors across countries.
Step 4. Find your country and select a mirror nearest to your location. For example, if you live in Indonesia, click the 'http' choice right to 'Datautama', to choose a server located at Surabaya, East Java.
Step 5. Ubuntu download page will open from that mirror.
Step 6. Repeat step 3-7 from Downloading Ubuntu section.
You finished downloading Ubuntu from a mirror!
Downloading Ubuntu via Torrent
Step 1. Repeat step 1-3 from Download Ubuntu section.
Step 2. Click the file named ubuntu-22.04-desktop-amd64.iso.torrent, a small file, and it will be saved. Please notice the file extension is .torrent.
Step 3. Run your torrent client application. For example, here we run Transmission BitTorrent.
Step 4. On Transmission BitTorrent, click menu File > Open > select the small .torrent file > OK.
Step 4. It will ask where to save the actual file, that is the Ubuntu ISO image file, and answer with OK and the download will start.
Step 5. Wait for the download to finish.
Step 6. Once finished, it will change status from "downloading" to "seeding". You will have the file saved as ubuntu-22.04-desktop-amd64.iso by the size larger than 600MB. Please notice now the file name is .iso and not .torrent anymore.
Verifying Downloaded File
Every Ubuntu ISO file is accompanied with an official checksum file e.g. a file named SHA256SUMS for verification purpose. Verifying is needed to make sure your downloaded file is authentic or identical to the original copy on the developer's hands. Firstly, you should get the checksum file and then, you do the verification. This can be done on Ubuntu, Windows, or MacOS.
Getting the verification checksum file:
For verifying Ubuntu 22.04 LTS as an example,
Step 1. Go to releases.ubuntu.com, the same as the above.
Note: for Official Flavors, go instead to cdimage.ubuntu.com.
Step 2. Download the file / link named SHA256SUMS.
Step 3. Open the file with text editor program.
Step 4. You should see individual lines of alphanumeric characters followed by file names. Each one of alphanumeric character set is called checksum value or hash. Now you are ready to do the verification below.
Doing verification on Ubuntu:
Step 1. Run Terminal.
Step 2. Do the checksum command against the ISO file. For example:
$ sha256sum ubuntu-22.04-desktop-amd64.iso
Step 3. Open the official checksum file e.g. SHA256SUMS above.
Step 4. Do a text search (press Ctrl+F).
Step 5. Copy and paste the checksum value from your ISO file into the text search. Here's the verification: the ISO is OK if your checksum matches with checksum in the official file, otherwise the ISO is NOT.
Step 6. Once you verified OK your ISO file, now you can go further using it to make Ubuntu bootable USB (read the tutorial here). Otherwise, redownload the ISO file to the same directory using torrent. See Downloading Ubuntu via Torrent section.
Step 7. Verify the other ISO files you downloaded, if any.
Doing verification on Windows:
Step 1. Read this tutorial https://pureinfotech.com/verify-windows-10-2004-iso-hash-powershell.
Step 2. Repeat step 5-6 from the Ubuntu verification above.
Doing verification on MacOS:
Step 1. Follow this tutorial https://www.mytecbits.com/linux/verifying-linux-mint-iso-image.
Summary
If you want to download Ubuntu, simply follow the first section. If you want to download Ubuntu Studio and the companions, follow the second. If you want alternative way to download either via mirror or BitTorrent, follow the third or fourth. Lastly, once you downloaded Ubuntu, you should verify its checksum, so follow the last section above. We hope this helps everyone. Happy downloading!
This article is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.