Ubuntu Server 24.04 Installation: Comprehensive Step-by-Step LTS Guide

Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS brings five years of support, performance boosts in Linux 6.8, and built-in container tools. This guide walks you through every command and menu click—from preparing your USB stick to locking down SSH—so you can deploy a production-ready server with confidence.

1. System Requirements & Preparations

• CPU: 2 cores @ 2 GHz minimum
• RAM: 4 GB (8 GB+ recommended)
• Disk: ≥ 25 GB (SSD preferred)
• Network: Wired Ethernet adapter
• Boot Media: USB stick (8 GB+)
• Secondary Machine: To download ISO and write USB

Tip: Enable virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V) in BIOS if you plan VMs.

2. Download & Validate the ISO

1. Download

   wget https://releases.ubuntu.com/24.04/ubuntu-24.04-live-server-amd64.iso

2. Verify Checksum

   sha256sum ubuntu-24.04-live-server-amd64.iso

   Compare against the checksum on releases.ubuntu.com/24.04.

3. Create a Bootable USB

On Linux/macOS

sudo dd if=ubuntu-24.04-live-server-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress && sync

> Replace /dev/sdX with your USB device (check with lsblk).

On Windows

1. Download Rufus.
2. Select your USB drive & ISO.
3. Click Start.

4. Boot & Begin Installer

1. Insert USB into target machine.
2. Reboot and press F2/F12 (or your vendor key) to select USB boot.
3. Choose Install Ubuntu Server at the initial menu.

5. Language, Keyboard & Network

1. Language: English (US)
2. Keyboard: US (or your locale)
3. Network:
   • DHCP: Automatic IP assignment.
   • Static: Skip for now; configure later via Netplan.

6. Disk Partitioning

You have two main options:

Automatic (Recommended)

• Use entire disk – installer creates GPT, root, swap automatically.

Manual (Advanced)

1. Create GPT partition table.
2. EFI System Partition (512 MB, FAT32, mount at /boot/efi).
3. Root (/) (20 GB+, ext4).
4. Home (/home) (optional, ext4).
5. Swap File (recommended over partition; we’ll add a 4 GB swap file post-install).

7. User Account & SSH

1. Your name: Admin (for prompt)
2. Server name: ubuntu24-server
3. Username: ubuntuuser
4. Password: strong, unique
5. Install OpenSSH server: ✔️

> SSH Key Setup (on client machine):

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "ubuntuuser@$(hostname)"
ssh-copy-id [email protected]

8. Finalize Installation

1. Review changes and Confirm to write to disk.
2. Wait for packages to finish.
3. When prompted, remove the USB stick and reboot.

9. First-Boot & System Update

ssh [email protected]
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y
sudo reboot

10. Configure Swap File

sudo fallocate -l 4G /swapfile
sudo chmod 600 /swapfile
sudo mkswap /swapfile
sudo swapon /swapfile
echo '/swapfile none swap sw 0 0' | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab

11. Static IP via Netplan

1. Identify interface: ip link
2. Edit /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml:

   network:
     version: 2
     ethernets:
       ens3:
         dhcp4: no
         addresses: [192.168.1.100/24]
         gateway4: 192.168.1.1
         nameservers:
           addresses: [8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1]

3. Apply:

   sudo netplan apply
   ip addr show ens3

12. Basic Security Hardening

1. Change SSH Port:Edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config, set Port 2222, then sudo systemctl restart sshd.
2. Disable Root Login:In sshd_config, set PermitRootLogin no.
3. Enable UFW Firewall:

   sudo ufw allow 2222/tcp
   sudo ufw allow http
   sudo ufw allow https
   sudo ufw enable
   sudo ufw status

4. Install Fail2Ban:

   sudo apt install fail2ban -y
   sudo systemctl enable fail2ban

13. Time Synchronization

sudo timedatectl set-timezone America/Los_Angeles
sudo apt install chrony -y
sudo systemctl enable chrony

14. Verify & Enjoy

• Reboot one more time: sudo reboot.
• Check services:

  systemctl status ssh chrony fail2ban
  ufw status verbose

Your Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS is now fully installed, updated, and secured—ready for web services, databases, containers, or any production workload.