Complete Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS Installation Guide

3 Nov 2026, 19:0320 min readby ITYantra Admin

Complete step-by-step guide to installing Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS including partitioning, networking, user setup, and post-installation configuration.

# Complete Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS Installation Guide

Introduction

Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS (Long Term Support) is a free, open-source server operating system based on Debian, supported with security updates until 2029. It provides a stable, secure, and widely supported platform for hosting web applications, databases, containers, and virtualization workloads.

This tutorial provides a complete step-by-step guide to installing Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS, from downloading the ISO and creating installation media through disk partitioning, network configuration, user setup, and post-installation hardening.

By the end of this guide, you will have a fully installed and configured Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS system ready for production workloads.

Technical Background

Ubuntu Server Lifecycle

| Release | Version | Release Date | Support Until | |---------|---------|--------------|---------------| | Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS | Jammy Jellyfish | April 2022 | April 2027 | | Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS | Noble Numbat | April 2024 | April 2029 | | Ubuntu Server 26.04 LTS | (planned) | April 2026 | April 2031 |

LTS releases receive 5 years of standard security updates, with optional Ubuntu Pro extending support to 10 years.

Installation Methods

| Method | Description | Best For | |--------|-------------|----------| | ISO image | Boot from USB/DVD | Bare metal servers | | Cloud image | Pre-built cloud image | AWS, Azure, GCP, OpenStack | | Netboot | Network boot via PXE | Datacenter automated deployment | | Subiquity | Ubuntu server installer | Interactive installation |

Ubuntu Pro

Ubuntu Pro provides extended security maintenance (ESM), FIPS compliance, and livepatch for kernel updates without rebooting. Free for personal use up to 5 machines.

Prerequisites

  • 64-bit x86_64 or ARM64 server
  • Minimum 2 GB RAM (4 GB+ recommended)
  • Minimum 25 GB disk space (50 GB+ recommended)
  • Network interface with DHCP or static IP
  • USB flash drive (4 GB+) for installation media
  • Internet access for package updates

Architecture

Ubuntu Server Partition Layout

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     Disk Layout                             │
├──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬───────────────┤
│   /boot      │     /        │    /home     │     swap      │
│   (1 GB)     │   (20 GB+)   │   (remaining)│   (2-4 GB)    │
│  ext4        │   ext4       │   ext4       │   swap        │
└──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴───────────────┘

Recommended Partition Scheme

| Mount Point | Size | Filesystem | Purpose | |-------------|------|------------|---------| | /boot | 1-2 GB | ext4 | Kernel and bootloader | | / | 20-50 GB+ | ext4 | Root filesystem | | /home | Remaining | ext4 | User home directories | | swap | 2-4 GB | swap | Virtual memory (optional with RAM > 8 GB) | | /var | Separate (optional) | ext4 | Logs, databases, packages |

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Download Ubuntu Server ISO

**Purpose**: Obtain the official Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS installation image.

**Commands**:

# Download Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS ISO
wget https://releases.ubuntu.com/24.04/ubuntu-24.04-live-server-amd64.iso

# Verify ISO checksum
sha256sum ubuntu-24.04-live-server-amd64.iso
# Compare with official SHA256 from Ubuntu website

**Expected output**: ISO downloaded; checksum matches official release.

**Verification**:

ls -lh ubuntu-24.04-live-server-amd64.iso
# File should be approximately 1.8 GB

Step 2: Create Bootable USB Installation Media

**Purpose**: Write the Ubuntu ISO to a USB flash drive.

**Commands** (Linux):

# Identify USB device
lsblk

# Write ISO to USB (replace /dev/sdX with your USB device)
sudo dd if=ubuntu-24.04-live-server-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress
sync

**Commands** (Windows):

  • Use Rufus, Etcher, or Windows USB/DVD Download Tool

**Expected output**: USB drive is bootable with Ubuntu Server installer.

**Verification**:

# Boot from USB on target server
# Ubuntu Server installation menu appears

Step 3: Boot and Start Installation

**Purpose**: Boot the target server from installation media and begin installation.

**Procedure**:

1. Insert USB installation media into target server 2. Power on server and enter BIOS/UEFI (typically F2, F10, or Delete) 3. Set boot order to boot from USB device first 4. Save and exit BIOS 5. Select "Install Ubuntu Server" from the boot menu 6. Select language and keyboard layout 7. Select installation type (Ubuntu Server)

**Expected output**: Ubuntu Subiquity installer starts.

Step 4: Configure Network

**Purpose**: Set up network connectivity during installation.

**Procedure** (Subiquity installer):

1. Select network interface 2. Choose DHCP or static IP configuration 3. For static IP, enter:

4. Configure hostname (e.g., `ubuntu-server-01`) 5. Continue to storage configuration

  • IP address
  • Subnet mask
  • Gateway
  • DNS servers

**Expected output**: Network configured; installer can reach Ubuntu archives.

**Verification**:

# During installation, network connectivity is tested
# Package downloads succeed

Step 5: Configure Storage and Partitioning

**Purpose**: Partition the disk and configure filesystems.

**Procedure** (Subiquity installer):

1. Select "Custom Storage Layout" for manual partitioning 2. Create partition table (GPT for UEFI, MBR for BIOS) 3. Create partitions:

4. Review and confirm changes 5. Continue to profile setup

  • /boot (1 GB, ext4)
  • / (remaining space, ext4)
  • swap (optional, 2-4 GB)

**Commands**: None (installer GUI)

**Expected output**: Disk partitioned and filesystems created.

**Verification**:

# After installation, verify partitions
lsblk
df -h

Step 6: Create User Account

**Purpose**: Create administrative user account.

**Procedure** (Subiquity installer):

1. Enter your name 2. Choose server name (hostname) 3. Choose username 4. Choose password 5. Optionally import SSH key from GitHub or Launchpad 6. Continue to SSH setup

**Expected output**: User account created with sudo privileges.

Step 7: Configure SSH

**Purpose**: Enable SSH for remote management.

**Procedure** (Subiquity installer):

1. Select "Install OpenSSH server" 2. Optionally import SSH keys 3. Continue to feature selection

**Expected output**: SSH server installed and running after installation.

Step 8: Select Server Features

**Purpose**: Install optional server features.

**Options**:

  • Docker
  • Kubernetes
  • LXD
  • Mail server
  • PostgreSQL
  • Print server
  • Samba file server
  • Tomcat

**Procedure**: Select features as needed or select "Done" for minimal installation.

**Expected output**: Selected features installed.

Step 9: Complete Installation

**Purpose**: Finalize installation and reboot.

**Procedure**:

1. Review installation summary 2. Select "Install" to begin 3. Wait for installation to complete 4. Select "Reboot Now" when prompted 5. Remove installation media

**Expected output**: Server reboots into installed Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS.

Configuration Examples

Netplan Network Configuration (`/etc/netplan/00-installer-config.yaml`)

network:
  ethernets:
    eth0:
      dhcp4: true
  version: 2

Static IP Netplan Configuration

network:
  ethernets:
    eth0:
      addresses:
        - 192.168.1.50/24
      routes:
        - to: default
          via: 192.168.1.1
      nameservers:
        addresses:
          - 8.8.8.8
          - 1.1.1.1
  version: 2

Apply Network Changes

sudo netplan apply

/etc/fstab Example

# /etc/fstab: static file system information
UUID=xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx  /              ext4    defaults,noatime  0  1
UUID=yyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyy  /boot          ext4    defaults          0  2
UUID=zzzz-zzzz-zzzz-zzzz  none           swap    sw                0  0

Unattended Upgrades Configuration (`/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades`)

Unattended-Upgrade::Allowed-Origins {
    "${distro_id}:${distro_codename}";
    "${distro_id}:${distro_codename}-security";
    "${distro_id}:${distro_codename}-updates";
};
Unattended-Upgrade::AutoFixInterruptedDpkg "true";
Unattended-Upgrade::MinimalSteps "true";
Unattended-Upgrade::InstallOnShutdown "false";
Unattended-Upgrade::Mail "admin@ityantra.lab";
Unattended-Upgrade::Remove-Unused-Kernel-Packages "true";
Unattended-Upgrade::Remove-New-Unused-Dependencies "true";
Unattended-Upgrade::Remove-Unused-Dependencies "true";
Unattended-Upgrade::Automatic-Reboot "false";

Verification

Post-Installation Checks

# Check Ubuntu version
lsb_release -a
cat /etc/os-release

# Check kernel version
uname -r

# Check disk usage
df -h

# Check memory
free -h

# Check network
ip addr show
ip route show

# Check SSH status
systemctl status ssh

# Check updates
apt list --upgradable

Expected Results

  • `lsb_release -a` shows Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
  • Kernel version 6.8 or later
  • All filesystems mounted with adequate space
  • SSH service active and enabled
  • Network connectivity working

Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Possible Cause | Diagnostic Command | Corrective Action | Verification | |---------|---------------|-------------------|-------------------|--------------| | Cannot boot from USB | Wrong boot order | BIOS boot menu | Set USB as first boot device | Installer starts | | No network during install | Cable unplugged or DHCP fail | `ip addr show` | Connect cable; configure static IP | IP address assigned | | Installation fails | Disk error or insufficient space | Installer logs | Check disk health; free space | Installation completes | | Cannot SSH after install | SSH not installed or firewall | `systemctl status ssh` | Install openssh-server; check ufw | SSH connection succeeds | | Cannot sudo | User not in sudo group | `groups <username>` | Add user to sudo group | sudo works | | Package updates fail | No network or repository issue | `apt update` | Fix network; check /etc/apt/sources.list | Updates available | | Boot fails after install | GRUB not installed correctly | Boot from USB; chroot | Reinstall GRUB | System boots |

Best Practices

1. **Use LTS releases**: Ubuntu Server LTS receives 5 years of security updates. 2. **Verify ISO checksum**: Ensure installation media integrity before installing. 3. **Create separate /boot partition**: Simplifies bootloader recovery and kernel management. 4. **Use LVM**: Provides flexible disk management and snapshots. 5. **Enable automatic security updates**: unattended-upgrades keeps system secure. 6. **Configure SSH keys**: Disable password authentication for SSH. 7. **Set static IP for servers**: Prevents management access issues. 8. **Install only needed packages**: Minimal installation reduces attack surface. 9. **Document installation**: Record hostname, IP, disk layout, and user accounts. 10. **Test backup and recovery**: Verify system can be restored from backup.

Conclusion

Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS provides a stable, secure, and well-supported foundation for server workloads. This guide covered installation from ISO download through post-installation configuration including networking, storage, user accounts, SSH, and automatic updates. With Ubuntu Server installed, the system is ready to host applications, databases, containers, and other server workloads. For production deployments, consider additional hardening, monitoring, and backup configuration.

References

  • Ubuntu Server Documentation (https://ubuntu.com/server/docs)
  • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Release Notes (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/NobleNumbat/ReleaseNotes)
  • Ubuntu Installation Guide (https://ubuntu.com/server/docs/installation)
  • Netplan Documentation (https://netplan.io/)
  • Ubuntu Security Guide (https://ubuntu.com/security)
  • Ubuntu Pro Documentation (https://ubuntu.com/pro)
#ubuntu#ubuntu-server#installation#linux#24.04#lts#server-setup