In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly what an ISO is, where to download the right one, and how to turn that file into a bootable USB drive. An ISO file (or ISO image) is a complete, sector-by-sector copy of an optical disc (like a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray). In the context of operating systems, an ISO contains all the files needed to install or run Ubuntu.

Instead of burning it to a physical DVD, most modern users write the ISO to a USB flash drive to boot from it. Ubuntu releases a new version every six months (April and October). There are two main types:

| Version Type | Example | Support Period | Best For | |--------------|---------|----------------|-----------| | | 22.04, 24.04 | 5 years | Stability, servers, beginners | | Interim Release | 23.10, 24.10 | 9 months | Latest features, enthusiasts |

But before you can install or try Ubuntu, you need one file: the .

How to Download the Ubuntu Linux ISO: Your Complete Beginner’s Guide

sha256sum ubuntu-24.04-desktop-amd64.iso