Ubuntu 20.04 Server Edition provides a common, minimalist base for a variety of server applications, such as file/print services, web hosting, email hosting, etc.

This version supports four 64-bit architectures:

• amd64 (Intel/AMD 64-bit) 
• arm64 (64-bit ARM)
• ppc64el (POWER8 and POWER9)
• s390x (IBM Z and LinuxONE)

The recommended system requirements are:

• 2 GHz dual core processor or better
• RAM: 4 gigabyte or more
• Disk: 25GB with a minimum of 2.5 gigabytes free
• Internet access is helpful
• Either a DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media

Download the installation package

1. Get UBUNTU server 20.04 ISO file from the UBUNTU download page.
2. Burn the ISO file to CD / DVD or create a bootable USB medium.

Boot from install media

To trigger the installation process, perform the following:

1. Put the Ubuntu DVD into your DVD drive (or insert the USB stick or other install media).
2. Make sure your boot-order in BIOS is set to read from the CD or USB device first
3. Restart your computer.

After a few moments, you should see messages like those shown below on the screen…

Choose your language

After the boot messages appear, a ‘Language’ menu will be displayed.

Choose the correct keyboard layout

Before you need to type anything in, the installer will next display a menu asking you to select your keyboard layout and, if applicable, the variant.

If you don’t know which particular variant you want, just go with the default - when Ubuntu Server has been installed you can test and change your preferences more easily if necessary.

Choose your install

Now we are ready to select what you want to install. There are three options in the menu:

The bottom two options are used for installing specific components of a Metal As A Service (MAAS) install.
If you are installing MAAS, you should check out the MAAS documentation for more information on this!

The rest of this tutorial assumes you select the first option, Install Ubuntu.

Networking

The installer will automatically detect and try to configure any network connections via DHCP.
It is recommended to have a fixed IP address so you know how to access the sever from another device(s). Use a reserved IP address on your router DHCP setting or choose an IP outside the routers DHCP range; example: if the router's IP range is from 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.200, set network IP address in the range of 192.168.1.201 to 192.168.1.254.

If no network is found, the installer can continue anyway, it just won’t be able to check for updates. You can always configure networking after installation.

Configure storage

The recommended install is to have an entire disk or partition set aside for running Ubuntu.

If you need to set up a more complicated system, the manual option will allow you to select and reorganize partitions on any connected drives.

Note that Ubuntu no longer requires a separate partition for swap space, nor will the automated install create one.

Select a device

Select a disk from the ones detected on the system. 
To help identification, the drives will be listed using their system ID. Use the arrow keys and enter to select the disk you wish to use.

Confirm partitions

With the target drive selected, the installer will calculate what partitions to create and present this information.

If this isn’t what you expected to see (e.g., you have selected the wrong drive), you should use the arrow keys and enter to select Back from the options at the bottom of the screen. This will take you back to the previous menu where you can select a different drive.

It is also possible to manually change the partitions here, by selecting Edit Partitions. Obviously you should only select this if you are familiar with how partitions work.

When you are happy with the disk layout displayed, select Done to continue.

Confirm changes

Before the installer makes any destructive changes, it will show this final confirmation step. Double check that everything looks good here and you aren’t about to reformat the wrong device!

Set up a user Profile

The software is now being installed on the disk, but there is some more information the installer needs. Ubuntu Server needs to have at least one known user for the system, and a hostname. The user also needs a password.

Install software

 Once you have finished entering the required information, the screen will now show the progress of the installer. Ubuntu Server now installs a concise set of useful software required for servers. This cuts down on the install and setup time dramatically. Of course, after the install is finished, you can install any additional software you may need.

Installation complete

When the install is complete, you will see a message like this on the screen.