Installing Ubuntu on an Apple Silicon Mac: A Step-by-Step Guide

Finally, I am able to install Ubuntu on my Apple Silicon Mac Pro M3 - thanks to the video tutorial from KSKRoyal. Link here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjL_N0OZxvY.

This guide will walk you through the process step by step. If you are looking for video tutorial, I recommend you to watch the video using the link above.

Prerequisites

1. Free Space: Ensure you have at least 40GB of free space on your Mac.
2. Download Necessary Files:
   • VirtualBox: Download the arm64 version of VirtualBox for Apple Silicon Macs from the VirtualBox website.
   • Ubuntu Server Edition: Download Ubuntu 24.10 Server Edition for ARM from the Ubuntu website, or use Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

Installation Steps

1. Install VirtualBox

• Mount the DMG: Double-click the VirtualBox DMG file.
• Run the Installer: Start the installation by double-clicking the PKG file.
• Follow Prompts: Select "Install for all users on this computer," and provide your admin password.
• Clean Up: Optionally, delete the DMG file after installation.

2. Create a Virtual Machine

1. Open VirtualBox and click New.
2. Set the name to "Ubuntu" and configure:
   • Type: Linux
   • Version: Ubuntu (arm64 bit)
3. Allocate resources:
   • RAM: Minimum 4GB
   • CPU: 4 cores
   • Storage: 30GB
4. Import the downloaded Ubuntu ISO file.
5. Optimize settings:
   • Increase Video Memory to maximum under "Display."
   • Set Graphics Controller to "VMSVGA" (leave 3D acceleration disabled).
6. Save and finish creating the VM.

3. Install Ubuntu

1. Start the VM and select Try or install Ubuntu.
2. Follow these installation prompts:
   • Language and Keyboard Layout: Select your preferences.
   • Installation Type: Choose "Ubuntu base server."
   • Network and Proxy: Leave default configurations.
   • Disk Setup: Select "Entire disk" and confirm formatting.
   • User Profile: Create a user and password.
   • (Optional) Install SSH for remote access.
3. Wait for the installation to complete and reboot the VM.

Configuring Ubuntu

Install the Gnome Desktop Environment

Update the system:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

2. Reboot the VM after installation.

Install Gnome:

sudo tasksel install ubuntu-desktop

Install Tasksel:

sudo apt install tasksel

Install VirtualBox Guest Additions

1. Insert the Guest Additions CD image from the VirtualBox menu.
2. Restart the VM to apply changes.

Copy and execute the Guest Additions installation script:

cd Documents/
sudo chmod 777 VBoxLinuxAdditions.run
sudo ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

Install required packages:

sudo apt install build-essential dkms linux-headers-$(uname -r)

Performance Notes

• 3D Acceleration: Not supported on Apple Silicon Macs, resulting in less fluid animations.
• General Performance: Reliable with minimal issues.

Removing Ubuntu (Optional)

1. Power off the VM.
2. In VirtualBox, right-click the VM and select Delete.