Ubuntu 23.04 was released to the public in April 2023 with support until April 2024. Although an interim release, major updates such as a better GUI with GNOME 44, GPU support with Mesa 23 drivers, and overall faster performance through the Linux 6.2 kernel had many people trying it out as a virtual machine.
However, if you try installing Ubuntu 23.04 on VMware, you’ll likely face a login problem even if you’ve configured your machine correctly.
If you’re having trouble with the login screen when trying to install “Lunar Lobster” on VMware, below is a step-by-step on how to fix the problem.
Why Does the Login Problem Appear?
When trying to run Ubuntu 23.04 on VMware, it automatically uses Easy Install. The Easy Install feature is VMware’s way of making OS installs easy without manual setup.
The problem with Easy Install is that as long as the OS supports the feature, VMware automatically uses it without providing any other option. This causes Ubuntu 23.04 to boot directly to the login screen, which won’t accept any credentials despite you inputting a username and password prior.
You might be able to solve the problem byquickly resetting your Ubuntu password, but since you haven’t saved any data on the VM, doing the fresh install solutions in this guide would be an easier and likely better solution.
To solve this login problem, we’ll need to manually select theTry or Install Ubuntuon theGRUB multi-boot bootloader. And the only way we do that is by bypassing the Easy Install feature of VMware.
How to Bypass Easy Install on VMware Workstation
Although not very straightforward, there are two easy ways to bypass the Easy Install feature in VMware Workstation. Here is the first one:
Go through the regular VM creation process by selectingCreate a New Virtual Machine>Typical (recommended).
During theGuest Operating System Installation, once you select your Ubuntu 23.04 image, you’ll be notified that Ubuntu 64-bit 23.04 has been detected and that it will use Easy Install for the installation. This will create anautoinst.isofile which we will delete later to bypass the feature. For now, click onNext.
After selecting your image and customizing the hardware, make sure to untick thePower on this virtual machine after creationoption. This will allow you to delete the autoinst.iso before it even boots.
Now click onFinish, then select your VM and click onEdit virtual machine settings > CD/DVD (SATA)and delete theautoinst.isoby selectingRemovethenOK.
Fire up your VM and selectTry or Install Ubuntuusing the GRUB bootloader.
And voilà! You should now be greeted with the new Flutter-based installer.
How to Bypass Easy Install on VMware Player and Workstation
Here is another method you can use on both VMware Player and VMware Workstation:
To bypass Easy Install on VMware Player, open the software, selectCreate a New Virtual Machine, tick theWill install the operating system lateroption, and then hitNext. Now, selectLinuxandUbuntu 64-bit.
After selecting the type of operating system you plan to install, selectCustomize Hardware>New CD/DVD(SATA). Select theUse ISO imagefile option and select your Ubuntu 23.04 image, then hitAdd.
Now, run your VM and selectTry or Install Ubuntuon the bootloader. After which, you should be booted to the Flutter-based installer instead of the login screen.
Alternatives Ways to Test Ubuntu 23.04 on Virtual Machines
Although the methods discussed in this guide will solve the login problem when installing Ubuntu 23.04 using VMware, there might be other problems besides the login error.
In this case, you could try using VirtualBox instead. It is free and as easy to use as VMware, plus it comes with premium features such as Snapshots.
Alternatively, you can test Ubuntu 23.04 using a bootable USB. This not only saves you some memory space but also makes it ultraportable.
