Everything you need to know about installing Ubuntu on your Raspberry Pi 4 or 3+ and why it’s worth the switch from Raspbian

This article will guide you through the process of installing Ubuntu on your Raspberry Pi, from downloading the image to setting up your SD card. You’ll also learn about the benefits of switching from …


Updated October 3, 2023

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This article will guide you through the process of installing Ubuntu on your Raspberry Pi, from downloading the image to setting up your SD card. You’ll also learn about the benefits of switching from Raspbian and how to make the most out of your new OS.

Are you tired of using Raspbian on your Raspberry Pi? Do you want more performance, better hardware support, or a modern Linux distribution? Then it’s time to install Ubuntu! Ubuntu is one of the most popular and widely used Linux distributions out there, known for its user-friendly interface, security, and extensive package repositories. In this article, we will guide you through the process of installing Ubuntu on your Raspberry Pi 4 or 3+.

Prerequisites:

Before we get started, make sure you have the following items:

  1. Raspberry Pi 4 or 3+ model B
  2. MicroSD card (at least 8GB)
  3. MicroSD card reader
  4. Power supply for your Raspberry Pi
  5. Ethernet cable or WiFi dongle
  6. Monitor, keyboard, and mouse (optional)
  7. Download Ubuntu Server image (Ubuntu Desktop also works but not recommended for first-time users)

Downloading the Image

First, download the latest version of Ubuntu Server for Raspberry Pi from the official website: https://ubuntu.com/download/raspberry-pi. Choose either 64-bit or 32-bit depending on your device’s architecture (RPi 4 is 64-bit).

Writing the Image to SD Card

Next, you need to write the Ubuntu image to your MicroSD card using a tool like Etcher or Raspberry Pi Imager. Follow these steps:

  1. Download and install Etcher from https://www.balena.io/etcher/.
  2. Insert your MicroSD card into the reader.
  3. Open Etcher and select the downloaded Ubuntu image file.
  4. Choose your SD card as the destination.
  5. Click “Flash” and wait for the process to complete (this may take several minutes).

Alternatively, you can use Raspberry Pi Imager: https://www.raspberrypi.org/software/. This tool is specifically designed for writing images to MicroSD cards and includes additional options for configuring your SD card before installing Ubuntu.

Booting Your Raspberry Pi

Now that the image is written to your SD card, insert it into your Raspberry Pi, connect an Ethernet cable or WiFi dongle (if using wireless), and power on your device.

Your Raspberry Pi should boot up automatically and start installing Ubuntu. This process may take a few minutes, so be patient. Once the installation is complete, you’ll see a login prompt. The default username is “ubuntu” and the password is “ubuntu”.

First Boot and Configuration

After logging in, update your system by running:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

You might need to configure your network settings if you’re using a wired connection. Edit /etc/netplan/50-cloud-init.yaml and replace the existing contents with:

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

Then, apply the changes by running:

sudo netplan apply

You can also set up WiFi by following this guide: https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/connect-to-wifi#1-overview.

Finally, change your password with:

passwd ubuntu

Why Switch from Raspbian?

The main reason to switch from Raspbian to Ubuntu is performance and support for modern hardware features like Bluetooth 5.0 and USB 3.0. Additionally, Ubuntu has a much larger package repository and easier installation of various software packages compared to Raspbian. Some popular packages you can install on Ubuntu include LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack, Docker, and Node.js.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Ubuntu on your Raspberry Pi. From here, you can customize your device to fit your needs, whether that’s running a web server, a home automation hub, or something else entirely. With Ubuntu, you get access to a vast range of software and tools that will help you take your Raspberry Pi experience to the next level.