How to Install Ubuntu Desktop on Apple Silicon Mac Using UTM

There are various ways to install Ubuntu Desktop on Apple Silicon Mac. In this article, we will guide you through the installation for Ubuntu Desktop on Apple Silicon Mac using UTM. We can also use VirtualBox, as well as Parallels but in this article, we will specifically use the UTM. So what is UTM? UTM is a free virtualization tool for macOS. With this virtualization software, we can install various operating systems on Mac.

What You’ll Need

Before we start, make sure you have the following:

1. An Apple Silicon Mac (M1, M2, or later).
2. UTM: A free virtualization tool for macOS. You can download it from UTM’s official website.
3. Ubuntu Desktop ISO: Head over to the Ubuntu website and download the ARM64 version of Ubuntu Desktop (22.04 LTS is a great choice).
4. Patience and Coffee: This process is straightforward, but it might take a little time.

Steps to Install Ubuntu Desktop on Apple Silicon Mac using UTM

Step 1. Install UTM

First things first, let’s get UTM installed on your Mac.

1. Download UTM from mac.getutm.app.
2. Open the downloaded .dmg file and drag the UTM app into your Applications folder.
3. Launch UTM. You might get a warning about it being from an unidentified developer—just go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and allow it to run.

Step 2. Download Ubuntu Desktop ISO

We need to have an ISO file for Ubuntu Desktop. You can download the ISO file from the Ubuntu official website. We need to download the ARM version of Ubuntu. In this example we will try to install Ubuntu 25.04. Visit the link below to download

https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current

Step 3. Create a New Virtual Machine

Open UTM and then click Create Virtual Machine. You can also use the premade virtual machine by UTM. But, it is limited to several operating systems only.

1. Click Create a New Virtual Machine button
2. Select Virtualize
3. Choose Linux from the Operating System list
4. Browse the ISO file
5. Specify the VM hardware (CPU, RAM and OpenGL acceleration option)
6. Specify the disk size
7. Share directory option
8. Click Save to save the settings

Conclusion

UTM is a handy virtualization software. It allows us to install Linux, Windows, and Mac on Apple Silicon Mac. It’s a free software that we can try. See and compare it with Parallels Desktop or Virtualbox.