Full Disk Linux Installation: A Step-by-Step Guide

Full Disk Linux Installation: A Step-by-Step Guide

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A full disk installation is the cleanest way to set up Linux: one drive, one OS, no complexity. The installer handles partitioning, the bootloader, and system configuration. This guide walks through the complete process using Ubuntu as the example, with notes for Fedora and other distributions where the steps differ.

Prerequisites

  • A USB drive with the Linux installer written to it (see Creating a Bootable USB)
  • The target machine or drive — all data on it will be erased
  • 30 minutes to an hour of time
  • An internet connection (optional during install, needed for updates after)

Step 1: Boot the installer

Insert the bootable USB and power on the computer. If the computer does not boot from USB automatically, press the one-time boot menu key at startup (F11, F12, or Esc on most machines) and select the USB drive.

You will arrive at the Linux live environment or an installer menu.

Step 2: Try before installing

Most distributions let you boot into a live desktop before installing. Use this to verify:

# Verify hardware is detected correctly
lspci | grep -i network       # network card detected?
ip link                        # network interfaces visible?
lspci | grep -i vga           # GPU detected?
free -h                        # RAM amount correct?
lsblk                          # target drive visible?

# Connect to Wi-Fi via the network applet in the system tray
# Test that a browser loads pages
# Test that audio works

If the live environment works correctly, the installation will too.

Step 3: Launch the installer

In Ubuntu: click “Install Ubuntu” on the desktop. In Fedora: click “Install to Hard Drive” from the Welcome screen.

Language and keyboard

Select your language and keyboard layout. For keyboard layout, use the “Detect keyboard layout” option if you are unsure.

Updates and other software (Ubuntu)

Ubuntu offers to download updates and install third-party software (media codecs, restricted drivers) during installation. If you have a fast internet connection, check both boxes — it saves time after installation. If your internet is slow, skip this and update after installation.

Disk setup

This is the critical screen.

For a simple full disk installation: select “Erase disk and install Ubuntu” (Ubuntu) or “Automatic” (Fedora). The installer will create an appropriate partition layout using the entire disk.

Automatic partition layout result (UEFI, 500GB drive):

/dev/sda1    512MB    FAT32     /boot/efi    EFI System Partition
/dev/sda2    2GB      swap      [SWAP]       (or a swap file in /)
/dev/sda3    ~497GB   ext4      /            Linux root partition

Encryption: if you want full disk encryption, check the “Encrypt the new Ubuntu installation for security” box at this stage. You will be prompted to set a passphrase. See the Encrypting Your Linux Installation article for details.

LVM: the “Use LVM” option adds a logical volume layer between the filesystem and the physical disk, enabling easier resizing later. It adds some complexity but is a reasonable choice for experienced users.

For the vast majority of users, the automatic layout without LVM and without encryption is the right starting point.

Step 4: User account and hostname

Set:

  • Your name (displayed in the login screen)
  • Computer name (hostname, used for network identification — choose something lowercase with no spaces)
  • Username (your login name — lowercase, no spaces)
  • Password
# The hostname you choose here will be:
hostname
# mylinuxbox

# It appears in the terminal prompt:
# colton@mylinuxbox:~$

# You can change it later:
sudo hostnamectl set-hostname new-hostname

Choose “Require password to log in” unless this is a single-user personal machine where convenience matters more than security.

Step 5: Installation

Click “Install Now” (Ubuntu) or “Begin Installation” (Fedora). A confirmation dialog warns that the disk will be erased. Confirm.

The installer copies files, installs packages, configures the bootloader, and sets up initial system files. On an SSD, this takes 10-20 minutes.

Installation progress:
[=========>          ] Copying files...
[=================>  ] Installing software...
[===================>] Configuring system...
[====================] Installing bootloader...
Done!

When complete, you are prompted to restart. Remove the USB drive when the installer says to, then press Enter to reboot.

Step 6: First boot

The system boots from the internal drive directly into GRUB (if you have a single OS, GRUB may skip the menu and boot directly). The login screen appears.

Log in with the credentials you set during installation.

Step 7: Post-installation setup

Update the system

# Ubuntu / Debian / Mint
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Fedora
sudo dnf update -y

# Arch
sudo pacman -Syu

Install the Nvidia driver (if applicable)

# Ubuntu: open Software & Updates -> Additional Drivers
# Or from command line:
ubuntu-drivers list
sudo ubuntu-drivers install

# Fedora (with RPM Fusion enabled):
sudo dnf install akmod-nvidia

# After installation, reboot before using the Nvidia GPU
sudo reboot

Install additional software

# Ubuntu: common additional packages
sudo apt install curl wget git vim htop neofetch \
                 build-essential python3-pip \
                 vlc gimp libreoffice

# Install Flatpak applications (available on all distributions)
flatpak install flathub org.signal.Signal
flatpak install flathub com.spotify.Client
flatpak install flathub com.discordapp.Discord

# Fedora: enable RPM Fusion for broader software access
sudo dnf install \
  https://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm \
  https://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install vlc ffmpeg

Enable the firewall

# Ubuntu (ufw)
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status

# Fedora (firewalld -- active by default)
sudo firewall-cmd --state

Set up automatic snapshots

Timeshift creates filesystem snapshots that let you roll back the system if an update breaks something.

# Install Timeshift
sudo apt install timeshift         # Ubuntu/Mint
sudo dnf install timeshift         # Fedora

# Open Timeshift from the applications menu
# Configure: RSYNC type, keep 3-5 daily snapshots
# Enable automatic snapshots

Manual partitioning for experienced users

If you want a custom layout (separate /home, specific filesystem, different sizes):

# In the Ubuntu installer: choose "Something else" at the disk screen
# In Fedora/Anaconda: choose "Custom" storage

# Recommended layout for a 500GB drive, UEFI:
# /dev/sda1   512MB    FAT32    /boot/efi       EFI partition
# /dev/sda2   100GB    ext4     /               root partition
# /dev/sda3   ~400GB   ext4     /home           home partition
# (swap file in / rather than a dedicated swap partition)

# Format options:
# ext4: most compatible, well-tested, good default
# btrfs: supports snapshots, compression, self-healing -- good for desktops
# xfs: excellent for large files and high-throughput workloads

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a full disk installation?

A full disk installation erases the entire target drive and installs Linux as the only operating system. The installer handles partitioning automatically, creating the EFI system partition, a root partition, and optionally a swap partition or swap file. This is the simplest and most reliable way to install Linux: no dual-boot complexity, no partition resizing, no bootloader conflicts. It is the right choice when you have a dedicated machine for Linux, a spare drive, or when you are replacing Windows or another OS entirely.

What partition layout does a full disk Linux installation create?

A typical automatic full disk installation on a UEFI system creates three partitions: an EFI System Partition (ESP) formatted as FAT32, usually 512MB to 1GB, mounted at /boot/efi; a swap partition or swap file (Ubuntu and some distributions now use a swap file inside the root filesystem instead of a dedicated partition); and a root partition formatted as ext4, btrfs, or xfs that takes up the rest of the disk, mounted at /. Some distributions also create a separate /home partition. On BIOS systems, the layout is similar but uses MBR partitioning and a small BIOS boot partition instead of an EFI partition.

Will a full disk installation erase all my data?

Yes. A full disk installation formats the target drive and removes all existing data including other operating systems, partitions, and files. This cannot be undone. Before proceeding, back up anything you need from the drive to an external drive or cloud storage. If you are installing on a machine that had Windows, your Windows license is tied to the hardware (on modern machines) and not to the disk, so reinstalling Windows later is possible — but your Windows applications, settings, and user files will be gone unless backed up. Verify you are installing to the correct drive by checking device names with lsblk before the installer runs.

Should I create a separate /home partition?

A separate /home partition stores your personal files and settings independently from the system. If you reinstall Linux later, you can reuse the /home partition without losing your files. The trade-off is that you must decide upfront how much space to allocate to each partition, and you cannot easily change this later without repartitioning. With a single root partition, all disk space is available to whatever needs it. Most beginner guides now recommend a single root partition: it is simpler, avoids running out of space in one partition while the other is empty, and modern backup tools make it easy to preserve /home without a separate partition.

How long does a full disk installation take?

On modern hardware with an SSD, a typical Ubuntu or Fedora full disk installation takes 10-20 minutes from the point where you confirm the installation to the first boot. On an HDD, the same installation takes 30-60 minutes due to slower write speeds. The time varies by: drive speed (NVMe SSD is fastest, SATA SSD is second, HDD is slowest), the size of the installation (more packages take longer), and internet speed if you choose to download updates during installation. Fedora downloads packages during installation and is more dependent on internet speed; Ubuntu installs from the ISO and downloads updates afterward.

What should I do immediately after installing Linux?

After the first boot into your newly installed Linux system: first, update all packages to get the latest security patches (sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade on Ubuntu/Debian, sudo dnf update on Fedora, sudo pacman -Syu on Arch). Second, if you have an Nvidia GPU, install the proprietary Nvidia driver using your distribution’s driver manager or the command line. Third, install any additional software you need (browser, office suite, development tools). Fourth, configure automatic backups using Timeshift (for system snapshots) or Deja Dup (for home directory backups). Finally, enable the firewall if it is not already active (sudo ufw enable on Ubuntu, firewalld is active by default on Fedora).

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