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Before starting the installation, ensure that the Ubuntu Server 24.04.2 LTS ISO file is available. If it is not already uploaded, you can download it from the official Ubuntu website.To upload the ISO file, navigate to Homelab Server → Local (homelab) → ISO Images → Upload.images/iso_upload.pngimages/iso_dialog.png

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Setting up the VM

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Creating the VM

To create a new virtual machine, navigate to the top right corner and click on Create VM.
In the General Tab, the only required fields are the VM ID and the Name. The Name field can be set to anything you like, while the VM ID should be unique and between 100 and 999.999.999.
In the OS Tab, make sure to select the ISO image that was uploaded earlier in the Prerequisites Step. The Type of the Guest OS should be set to Linux and the Version to 6.x - 2.6 Kernel.
In the System Tab, the Graphic Card should stay on default since we’re dealing with integrated graphics.
Since we’re using a moden BIOS, the Machine should be set to q35 and the BIOS to OVMF (UEFI). Then, you will have to select the Homelabs local storage as the EFI Storage.
In the Disks Tab, you can leave everything as it is unless you want to allocate more storage to the VM. If so, you can increase the Disk Size (GiB) to your liking.
In the CPU Tab, set the Cores to the desired amount that is necessary for your use case.
Since we’re dealing with an AM5 (Zen 4) CPU, the Type should be set to x86-64-v4. This will enable the CPU to use the latest features.
In the Memory Tab, set the Memory (MiB) to the desired amount that is necessary for your use case. Note, a minimum of 2048 MiB is recommended.
Additionally, you will want to tick the Ballooning Device checkbox to allow the VM to dynamically adjust its memory usage. Make sure to set the Minimum memory (MiB) to a lower amount than the Memory (MiB).
In the Memory Tab, the default settings should be sufficient for most use cases. The Bridge should be set to vmbr0 and the Model to VirtIO (paravirtualized).
That concludes the setup of the VM! Validate your selected options and click on Finish to create the VM.

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Setting up Ubuntu

After you created the VM, it will appear in the navigation on the left hand side with the name and ID you gave it earlier.
Click on the VM, then Console → Start Now.
In your console you should now see Try to install Ubuntu Server. Hit Enter to start the installation.
If you don’t do anything, the installation will start automatically.
For most purposes in the homelab, Ubuntu Server is recommended. It contains a curated set of packages that save you time and effort.You can select Ubuntu Server (minimized) but you might have to install additional packages for your use case, later on.
For the network configuration, you can leave everything as it is since the Sever will only run via an Ethernet connection.

Proxy configuration is not necessary for the homelab.
The Ubuntu Installation will automatically run a mirror location test. After it is completed, you can select Done and hit Enter.
Since we’re using a virtual machine, that already has a virtual disk attached to it, you can leave the default settings on Use an entire disk.
Make sure to tick the Install OpenSSH server checkbox. This will allow you to connect to the server via SSH later on.
After the installation is completed, you will be prompted to remove the installation media. Make sure to remove the ISO image from the VM.
You can do so by selecting the VM in the navigation, then Hardware → CD/DVD Drive → Remove.After you removed the ISO image, go back to the console and hit Enter to complete the installation.
Now that the installation is completed, you can log in to the server with the credentials you set up during the installation.

The last step is to allow SSH connections to the server. You can do so by executing the command:
sudo ufw allow ssh

That’s it! You’ve successfully set up a Linux Virtual Machine within the homelab.