RE: VirtualBox & lilybuntu

[James Lowe]

Kieren,


-----Original Message-----
From: Carl Sorensen [mailto:address@hidden
Sent: Sat 05/06/2010 17:23
To: Kieren MacMillan
Cc: James Lowe
Subject: Re: VirtualBox & lilybuntu
 
Hi Kieren,


On 6/5/10 10:12 AM, "Kieren MacMillan" <address@hidden>
wrote:

> Hi Carl,
> 
> I've got VirtualBox running [apparently smoothly] on my MacBook, and I've
> downloaded the lilybuntu.iso disk image.
> What is your recommended configuration (e.g., folder/directory structure), and
> how do I "install lilybuntu" on VirtualBox?

>From the main Virtual Box window click on the 'new' icon, or select 
>Machine/new from the menu.

Walk through the simple wizard. choose Linux and Ubuntu type (give your install 
a 'name' this is the name of the 'virtual machine image' than the hostname of 
Lilybuntu if you see what I mean.

I have allocated 2GB of RAM for my VM, I run 1GB at work on my windows 7 
machine which is ok if a little sluggish, however you can go back to 
reconfigure this after you have installed and if you find it too much/little. 
Remember that Virtual Box itself takes RAM as well as the VM you're running. My 
Mac is 4GB and I have no problems running 3 or 4 apps as well as my VM.

Select create new harddisk - this effectively creates a 'file' (Virtual Hard 
Disk) that will take the amount of space you choose. I use 10GB for mine which 
seems to be ok but I am not sure what else you will need to use more than I (I 
just use text editor and make doc ;) ).

You will be asked to choose the type of disk (Dynamic or Fixed-size) Dynamic 
will 'grow' to the size you choose whereas fixed size will pre-allocate before 
then installing. I couldn't really see the difference other than fixed takes an 
age to 'format' so I choose dynamic (maybe it says something in the help - 
which is pretty good to be honest). Click through choosing the size and then 
you will get some confirmation pops ups. Again click through (all default 
stuff).

Then you will eventually be left with a 'powered off' machine in your main GUI 
with the name you gave it in the steps above.

Select this machine and click 'start'. Then you will get yet another 'first 
time wizard', where the ;media source' is located (it will give you internal 
CD/DVD drive) there is a small 'folder' icon next to it. Click on this and you 
get the 'virtual media manager'.

Click 'add' and browse to your iso image. (note: *.dmg files on mac can also be 
renamed to *.iso and they work as well). Click open.

The iso image should now appear in the list below the VboxGuestAdditions.iso. 
Select your lilybuntu iso image and click next and now your media source will 
show the lilybuntu iso.

Click next and then click finish.

The Virtual Machine will start and will be as if it was booting from the iso.


I hope this helps.

One thing you will need to do once you have installed the Linux Guest, is to 
install the VboxAdditions - this gives you mouse control where you don't have 
to press an 'escape' key to get your mouse back when you click 'inside' the 
Linux VM.

This is all explained pretty well (I hope, I wrote it) in the CG in installing 
a VM.

It should set all your network up automatically and there should be little for 
you to do.

I won't say it is perfect - USB support leaves a little to be desired, and 
mounting your Mac Desktop on your Linux Desktop via 'smb' is painful (or rather 
I found it painful, windows VMs are a breeze), but the help system is good. I 
just don't have the patience to fiddle about with it.

Some settings cannot be changed when yoour machine is 'running', you can power 
off your machine normally or you can close the VM window and you will be 
prompted to 'save state', or shutdown.
'saved state' is not shutdown, so you may have to actually shutdown your VM to 
change things like RAM allocation or possibly if you want to bridge rather than 
NAT your network connections.

Hope this helps.

If you have enough diskspace, the snapshot ability is great and simple, so you 
can roll back very easily.

Oh BTW, if you use Time Machine to back up, you may want to 'exclude' your VM 
location only that even a single change of the VM causes the WHOLE disk to be 
backed up, so if you have a 10GB disk and you reboot, then it would have 
'changed' and Time Machine will just back the whole disk up again.

Hope this helps.

James