How to Install Ubuntu Desktop on Raspberry Pi 4

The revolutionary Raspberry Pi is the most popular single-board computer. It has a Debian-based operating system called Raspberry Pi OS (formerly Raspbian).

There are several other operating systems available for Raspberry Pi, but almost all of them are lightweight, suitable for the small size and low-end hardware of the Raspberry Pi devices.

With the launch of the Raspberry Pi 4B, boasting 8GB of memory and support for 4K displays, the situation has changed. Its goal is to use the Raspberry Pi as a regular desktop, and it has succeeded to a greater extent.

Before the 4B model, you could install Ubuntu Server on Raspberry Pi, but the desktop version was not available. However, Ubuntu now provides an official desktop image for Raspberry Pi 4.

In this tutorial, I will demonstrate the steps to install Ubuntu desktop on Raspberry Pi 4.

First, let’s quickly review the running requirements.

Requirements to run Ubuntu on Raspberry Pi 4

Here’s what you need:

It’s best to read the requirements for Raspberry Pi in detail beforehand.

Now, let’s quickly guide you through preparing the SD card image.

Preparing the Ubuntu desktop image for Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi provides a GUI application to write ISO images to the SD card. This tool can also automatically download compatible operating systems like Ubuntu, Raspberry Pi OS, etc.

Download and place the operating system onto the SD card using the official tool

You can download this tool for Ubuntu, Windows, and macOS from the official website:

On Ubuntu and other Linux distributions, you can also use Snap to install it:

sudo snap install rpi-imager

Once installed, run the tool. When you see the interface below, select “Choose OS”:

Imager: Choose your preferred operating system

Under “Operating System”, select “Other general purpose OS”:

Imager: Other general purpose OS

Now, select “Ubuntu”:

Imager: Distribution – Ubuntu

Next, select “Ubuntu Desktop 21.04 (RPI 4/400)” as shown below.

Imager: Distribution – Ubuntu 21.04

Note:

If you do not have a stable internet connection, you can download the Raspberry Pi image of Ubuntu separately from the Ubuntu website. In the Imager, when choosing the operating system, select the “Use custom” option from the bottom. You can also use Etcher to write the image to the SD card.

Insert the Micro SD card into the reader and wait for it to mount. Select “Choose Storage” under “Storage”:

Imager: Choose storage device (SD card)

You should be able to identify your Micro SD card based on the storage capacity. Here, I am using a 32GB card:

Imager: Select SD card

Now click “Write”:

Imager: Writing image

If you have backed up the contents on the SD card or it is a new card, you can proceed directly:

Imager: Confirm writing image

Since this requires sudo permissions, you must enter the password. If you run sudo rpi-imager from the terminal, this will not occur:

Imager: Writing image requires password authorization

If your SD card is a bit old, this will take some time. If it is a new high-speed SD card, it won’t take long:

Imager: Writing image

To ensure the image is written successfully, I do not recommend skipping the verification:

Imager: Verify writing

After writing is complete, you will see the following confirmation prompt:

Imager: Write successful

Now, safely remove the SD card from your system.

Using the MicroSD card with Ubuntu on Raspberry Pi

You have already succeeded halfway. Unlike a regular Ubuntu installation, there is no need to create an impromptu installation environment. Ubuntu is already installed on the SD card and can almost be used directly. Let’s see what else remains.

Step 1: Insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi

For first-time users, it can sometimes be a bit confusing not knowing where the card slot is? Don’t worry. It is located on the left side of the circuit board’s back. Here’s an inverted view after inserting the card.

Raspberry Pi 4B board inverted, inserting Micro SD card

Insert the card slowly into the slot at the bottom of the board in this direction, gently pushing until it no longer moves forward. You may also hear a slight click to confirm. This means it is perfectly inserted.

Raspberry Pi SD slot on the left side of the board

When you insert it, you may notice that two small pins in the slot adjust their position (as shown above), but that’s okay. Once inserted, the card will look a bit protruding. That’s how it should look.

Small portion visible when inserting Raspberry Pi SD card

Step 2: Set up the Raspberry Pi

I don’t need to elaborate on this.

Ensure that the power cable, micro HDMI cable, keyboard, and mouse (wired/wireless) are securely connected to the relevant ports on the Raspberry Pi board.

Make sure the monitor and power plug are also correctly connected before turning on the power outlet. I do not recommend plugging the adapter into a live socket. Refer to Electric Arc.

Once you have confirmed the above two steps, you can turn on the power to the Raspberry Pi device.

Step 3: First run of Ubuntu desktop on Raspberry Pi

When you turn on the power to the Raspberry Pi, you will need to perform some basic configuration during the first run. Just follow the on-screen instructions.

Select your language, keyboard layout, connect to WiFi, etc.:

Select Language

Select Keyboard Layout

Select WiFi

You can select the time zone as needed:

Select Time Zone

Then create a user and password:

Enter desired username and password

The subsequent steps will configure some things, this process takes some time:

Complete Ubuntu Setup

Complete Ubuntu Setup

The system will take some time before restarting, and eventually, you will arrive at the Ubuntu login screen:

Ubuntu Login Screen

Now, you can start enjoying the Ubuntu desktop on Raspberry Pi:

Ubuntu Desktop on Raspberry Pi

Conclusion

I noticed a temporary anomaly. During the installation, there was a red flickering border on the left side of my monitor. This flickering (which can also be of different colors) could also be noticed in random parts of the screen. But it disappeared after rebooting and the first startup.

It’s great to see it running on Raspberry Pi, and I really need Ubuntu to start supporting popular ARM devices like Raspberry Pi.

I hope this tutorial helps you. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know in the comments.