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How to Install Ubuntu in a Hyper-V Generation 2 Virtual Machine

Thomas Maurer
Updated
1–2 minutes
39 comments on How to Install Ubuntu in a Hyper-V Generation 2 Virtual Machine
Create Ubuntu Hyper-V Generation 2 Virtual Machine

If you want to install Ubuntu or any other Linux inside a Hyper-V Generation 2 Virtual Machine you need to do a simple change to the VM so you can install it from ISO.  If you create a Hyper-V Generation 2 Virtual Machine and try to start the Virtual Machine, the Virtual Machine will not boot from ISO. This is because of the Secure Boot feature, which is included in Hyper-V Generation 2 Virtual Machines and applies to all Linux operating systems running on Hyper-V.

If you don’t want to install the Ubuntu manually, you can simply use the Ubuntu images from the Hyper-V Quick Create gallery. This has all the necessary tools already installed.

Ubuntu Hyper-V VM Images
Ubuntu Hyper-V VM Images

How to Install Linux in a Hyper-V Generation 2 VM

Create a new Virtual Machine in the Hyper-V Manager

Create Ubuntu Hyper-V Generation 2 Virtual Machine

On the Hyper-V Virtual Machine Generation selection screen, choose Generation 2

Create Ubuntu Hyper-V Generation 2 VM

Attach the Ubuntu ISO Image to the virtual machine

Attach Ubuntu ISO to Hyper-V VM

After you have created the Virtual Machine using the wizard, go into the settings of the virtual machine. Switch to the Security section and choose the Microsoft UEFI Certificate Authority Secure Boot Template.

Now the Virtual Machine will boot from the Ubuntu ISO, and you can install Ubuntu.

On long-term support (LTS) releases use the latest virtual Hardware Enablement (HWE) kernel for up-to-date Linux Integration Services. To install the Azure-tuned kernel on 16.04, 18.04, and 20.04, run the following commands as root (or sudo):

apt-get update
apt-get install linux-azure

I hope this helps, if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below.

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Thomas Maurer
Thomas is the EMEA Global Black Belt (GBB) for Sovereign Cloud at Microsoft, helping organizations across the region harness Microsoft’s sovereign, hybrid, multicloud, and edge solutions. He works directly with C-level leaders and technical teams to remove roadblocks, accelerate digital transformation, and shape long-term cloud strategies that meet business and regulatory needs. With over 15 years of experience in cloud and datacenter, including his previous role as Principal Program Manager and Chief Evangelist for Azure Hybrid, he combines deep technical expertise with a passion for customer success. He specializes in creating scalable architectures, solution accelerators, and thought leadership that drive adoption and innovation on Azure. Thomas is a passionate community advocate and frequently speaks at industry events such as Microsoft Ignite and Microsoft TechDays. He shares his expertise through his Cloud and Datacenter Blog at www.thomasmaurer.ch and on LinkedIn and X.com www.twitter.com/thomasmaurer.

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39 responses

  1. Luxian Avatar
    Luxian

    Thanks for sharing this. I was finally able to install Ubuntu using Hyper-V Gen2.

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      Happy that my post helped you!

      Reply
  2. Yannik Avatar
    Yannik

    Thank you for sharing the last step: switching to the MS UEFI Certificate Secure Boot Template. Now my Fedora Workstation Image will just start as it should. This specific page should have a higher rank in Google ;)

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      Thanks a lot! 😊

      Reply
  3. Stephen Avatar
    Stephen

    Using Server 2012, when going into settings this appears to be broke as you can not set the Microsoft UEFI Certificate Authority Secure Boot Template. Is there a way around this?

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      Hi

      You cannot run Generation 2 VMs on Windows Server 2012, You will need to have Windows Server 2012 R2.

      Reply
  4. Marcin Avatar
    Marcin

    Thanks, for those managing Hyper-V with SCVMM the option is in VM properties -> Hardware Configuration -> Firmware

    Cheers, Marcin

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      thanks for adding :)

      Reply
  5. Luciano Evaristo Guerche Avatar
    Luciano Evaristo Guerche

    Is it possible to boot from Linux VM on hyper-v on Windows 10?

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      Yes, absolutely can you install Linux VMs on Hyper-V running on Windows 10

      Reply
  6. Sivapalan Avatar
    Sivapalan

    Thank your for sharing.

    Reply
  7. TonyR Avatar
    TonyR

    Thanks Tom! I had this very issue and your post solved the problem.

    Reply
  8. Alvin Avatar
    Alvin

    Hello Sir,

    I have been following the e-mail thread but did not find an answer to my question.
    I am trying to install Ubuntu on a nested virtual envoronment. I have VMware running Windows Server 2016 but after adding the Ubuntu vm,( in the nested environment) it keeps telling me that there is not enough memory. I increased the memory, reinstalled Ubuntu, but no luck. If I install Ubuntu on VMware itself, it works fine but not on a nested platform. Could you please help ?

    Reply
  9. Andy Avatar
    Andy

    Thanks for this, I never figured out that last bit about the Certificate Authority until reading this. Just for anyone reading this, as of now this works fine for Ubuntu 18.014 but 19.04 fails on the install. i think they still have some problems with the UEFI boot. It tries and flashes a bunch of stuff on the screen but the install ends up failing. I can’t read any of the errors on the console they disappear so fast.

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      Glad it worked!
      Btw also check out this post if you are running Hyper-V on Windows 10: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2019/06/how-to-create-an-ubuntu-vm-on-windows-10/

      Reply
  10. Dingane Avatar
    Dingane

    Thanks for sharing, saved me hours of work trying to figure out why it was failing.

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      Happy it helped :)

      Reply
  11. qqryq Avatar
    qqryq

    Thank you. Have been using VirtualBox for ages. Built a new PC and wanted to use the built-in Hyper-V and was frustrated that Linux ISOs don’t boot. Setting Microsoft UEFI Certificate Authority helped.

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      Great that this helped you. Let me know if you have more questions :)

      Reply
  12. TallCircuit Avatar
    TallCircuit

    I see no Security section in the properties for a G2 VM on 2012 R2…

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      Hmm, can you upload a screenshot? Which version of Windows or Windows Server are you running?

      Reply
  13. Thomasso Avatar
    Thomasso

    Do you know whether it’s possible to change this setting for a migrated Ubuntu VM?
    I have moved an Ubuntu VM from VMware and set it up on our Hyper-V, and the machine won’t boot.
    I tried to change the settings described in this post, but get an error “Cannot modify the secure boot template ID property after the virtual TPM is installed”.

    Reply
  14. Dinesh Kumar Avatar
    Dinesh Kumar

    Thanks a bunch!

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      you’re welcome :)

      Reply
  15. Matthew Avatar
    Matthew

    Thomas Maurer! Thank you for sharing. I’ve been using ESXi since 2010 without any issue with any type of ISO. I’ve just started using Hyper-V and struggled with Linux VM. I’ve to take few moments to “Thank you” because I’ve read Microsoft articles and watched youtube about Linux on Hyper-V but the information was too much and I was unable to find the solution to the problem. I’m very glad to find your post.
    ————-
    After the Virtual Machine is created using the wizard, go into the settings of the virtual machine. Switch to the Security section and choose the Microsoft UEFI Certificate Authority Secure Boot Template. Now, the VM will boot from Linux ISO.
    ———–
    That’s all I need to solve the problem.

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      Hi Matthew, happy that my blog post helped you :)

      Reply
  16. Bert Avatar
    Bert

    Still helpfull in 2021 ;)!!!
    Thank you for the advice.

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      Great to hear! :) Thanks Bert

      Reply
  17. Jeff Avatar
    Jeff

    Since there still seems to be some activity here, I thought I’d ask a question too. :) Thank you also for the tip about using the proper Microsoft UEFI secure boot option. I’m all set up and connected via the console…but performance mousing and navigation performance isn’t great. Years ago I used the RemoteFX 3D video adapter but it looks like that is no longer supported? Anyone else have tips for improving the desktop performance on these Hyper-V Ubuntu VMs?

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      You can check out the Linux VM Tools https://github.com/microsoft/linux-vm-tools for Enhanced Session mode.

      On long-term support (LTS) releases use the latest virtual Hardware Enablement (HWE) kernel for up-to-date Linux Integration Services.

      To install the Azure-tuned kernel on 16.04, 18.04, and 20.04, run the following commands as root (or sudo):

      apt-get update
      apt-get install linux-azure

      btw to make it easier, there is also an Ubuntu VM image in the Image gallery: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2019/06/how-to-create-an-ubuntu-vm-on-windows-10/

      Reply
  18. Chris F Avatar
    Chris F

    Four years later and your article is still helping folks!

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      thank you!

      Reply
  19. Todd Avatar
    Todd

    I am late to the party, but very grateful for your help, Thomas!

    Thank you for this great post. I hope your day will be wonderful :)

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      Thanks :)

      Reply
  20. jeremy Avatar
    jeremy

    It’s truly remarkable how your post continues to make a positive impact even in the year 2023. Your dedication to helping the community is commendable, and it’s heartwarming to see that your post is still bringing value and support to others. Keep up the excellent work!

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      Thank you!

      Reply
  21. Mohtisham Avatar
    Mohtisham

    Still helpful.

    Reply
    1. Thomas Maurer Avatar
      Thomas Maurer

      thanks!

      Reply
  22. Stefano Fereri Avatar
    Stefano Fereri

    There is no Security section in the properties for a Generation-2-VM on Server 2012 R2.

    Reply

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