Burn An Ubuntu .ISO File

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Unless you've purchased an Ubuntu disk or had a friend prepare it, you'll need to burn Ubuntu to a CD so that you can install it. Linux distributions come in .ISO format which can be easily burned to a CD or a DVD depending on the size.

Things You'll Need

• Ubuntu .ISO file
• ISO Burning Software
• Blank CD or DVD

The first and most time consuming step to this process is downloading the Ubuntu .ISO file. This file is 697 MB, just small enough to fit on a CD. You can download the .ISO here. Another option is to purchase the CD, usually installation discs cost under $2. The down side to this is th delay it takes to recieve the disc.

Once the .ISO file has been downloaded, check to make sure you burning application is capable or burning an .ISO file. If it can't, I recommend @Active ISO Burner, a free, lightweight, application for Windows. Install it like any other windows application. Once installed select the .ISO image file and press the Burn button.

Once the CD is finished burning, restart your computer and boot to your CD-ROM drive. You may need to press a shortcut key to choose what your computer boots to first. Most computers allow you to change this by pressing one of the F keys on startup. After booting to the CD-ROM we just created you'll see the Ubuntu logo and the following menu.

If you see this menu you've successfully created an Ubuntu installation disc and booted to the Ubuntu CD. This disc can also be ran as a Live CD. This means you can use it without changing any of your computers existing files. Just select the top menu option to use this disk as a Live CD.