--- title: Optimised Ubuntu Desktop images available in Microsoft Hyper-V gallery description: Today we’re very pleased to announce that an optimised Ubuntu Desktop image is available from the Hyper-V gallery. url: https://canonical.com/blog/optimised-ubuntu-desktop-images-available-in-microsoft-hyper-v-gallery?format=md --- 1. [Blog](https://canonical.com/blog) 2. Article --- [Will Cooke](https://canonical.com/blog/author/willcooke "More about Will Cooke") 17 September 2018 # Optimised Ubuntu Desktop images available in Microsoft Hyper-V gallery --- Share the article Today we’re very pleased to announce that an optimised Ubuntu Desktop image is available from the Hyper-V gallery.  This will give an optimum experience when running Ubuntu Desktop as a guest on a Windows 10 Pro desktop host. From the [Ubuntu Report data](https://blog.ubuntu.com/2018/06/22/a-first-look-at-desktop-metrics) we know that a lot of people are using Ubuntu as a virtual machine, and so we want to make that experience as seamless as possible. Our friends over at Microsoft have worked with XRDP upstream to add support for their Enhanced Session Mode, which provides tight integration between a Windows host and the Ubuntu virtual machine running in Hyper-V. The next obvious step was to create a bootable Hyper-V image of Ubuntu Desktop 18.04 LTS which includes XRDP pre-configured to take advantage of Enhanced Session Mode. What are the benefits of Enhanced Session Mode? * Improved clipboard integration * Dynamic desktop resizing * Shared folders for easy host/guest file transfer * Improved mouse experience, seamlessly moving between the host and guest desktops Thanks to the work Microsoft contributed to the open source XRDP project (an open source implementation of Microsoft’s own Remote Desktop Protocol) Hyper-V users benefit by using hv\_sock, a byte-stream based communication mechanism between the host and the guest giving a high bandwidth interconnection between them. The Ubuntu Desktop 18.04.1 LTS Hyper-V image is available in the Hyper-V Gallery on Windows 10 Pro.  Open the Hyper-V Gallery and choose Ubuntu from the list of operating systems: Once booted you’ll be guided through setting up Ubuntu, including adding your user account, locale and time zone. When the first setup is complete Enhanced Session Mode will automatically be enabled and prompt you to select your display resolution. Once selected, you get an XRDP prompt to login, make sure that “Xorg” is selected from the drop down, enter the username and password that you created during setup and you’ll be logged into a full Ubuntu Desktop session. For more information on Hyper-V check out the links from this [Microsoft blog post](https://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2018/09/17/run-ubuntu-virtual-machines-made-even-easier-with-hyper-v-quick-create/). [Get in touch Interested in running Ubuntu in your organization?](https://ubuntu.com/about/contact-us/form) ## Sign up for our newsletter Get the latest Canonical news and updates in your inbox. Work email: \*I agree to receive information about Canonical's products and services. By submitting this form, I confirm that I have read and agree to [Canonical's Privacy Policy](https://canonical.com/legal/dataprivacy). Sign up ## Share on --- ## Related posts [### Canonical joins the Open Secure AI Alliance](https://canonical.com/blog/open-secure-ai-alliance) Canonical is now part of the Open Secure AI Alliance, announced by NVIDIA with partners across cloud computing, cybersecurity, enterprise software, open source foundations, and... [Canonical](https://canonical.com/blog/author/canonical) 28 August 2026 [### Arduino® VENTUNO™ Q is available for pre-order with Ubuntu pre-installed](https://canonical.com/blog/arduino-ventuno-q-is-available-for-pre-order-with-ubuntu-pre-installed) London, UK – August 25, 2026 – Following our initial collaboration announcement in March 2026, Canonical and Arduino (a subsidiary of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.) are excited... [Canonical](https://canonical.com/blog/author/canonical) 25 August 2026 [### Advantech AOM-2721 is now Ubuntu Certified](https://canonical.com/blog/advantech-aom-2721-ubuntu-certified) Canonical announces that the Advantech AOM-2721 is officially joining the list of Ubuntu Certified Hardware. [Mikhail Khazov](https://canonical.com/blog/author/khazov-m) 13 August 2026 [### Canonical integrates NVIDIA Nemotron 3.5 Lightning with Ubuntu for always-on AI agents](https://canonical.com/blog/nvidia-nemotron-3-5-lightning) Canonical is pleased to announce that NVIDIA’s newly introduced NVIDIA Nemotron 3.5 Lightning, an open, customizable model built for always-on AI agents, is now available on... [Canonical](https://canonical.com/blog/author/canonical) 11 August 2026