Unlock the Secret to Creating the Ultimate Linux Powerhouse: A Step-by-Step Tutorial for Setting Up a Virtual Machine with Virtualbox!
Are you a Linux enthusiast who wants to take your skills to the next level? Do you want to create a powerful Linux machine that can handle your workloads seamlessly? If your answer is yes, then you have come to the right place.
In this article, we will show you how to create the ultimate Linux powerhouse by setting up a virtual machine with Virtualbox. A virtual machine is a software program that creates a virtualized environment inside your computer, allowing you to install an operating system, applications, and tools that you need to run your workloads efficiently. Virtualbox is a free and open-source virtualization platform that you can use to create your virtual machine easily.
Let’s get started.
Step 1: Download and Install Virtualbox
The first thing you need to do is download and install Virtualbox. You can download it from the official website. Once you have downloaded it, run the installer, and follow the on-screen instructions to install it on your computer.
Step 2: Create a New Virtual Machine
After installing Virtualbox, open it, and click on the “New” button on the top-left side of the window. This will open the “New Virtual Machine Wizard.”
In the wizard, you need to enter the following information:
- Name: The name of your virtual machine.
- Machine Folder: The location where your virtual machine files will be stored.
- Type: The type of operating system you want to install.
- Version: The version of the operating system you want to install.
Once you have entered the required information, click on the “Next” button.
Step 3: Allocate Memory
In this step, you need to allocate memory to your virtual machine. Virtualbox will suggest a default memory size based on the operating system you have chosen. You can adjust the size according to your needs. It is recommended that you allocate at least 2 GB of memory to your virtual machine.
Step 4: Create a Virtual Hard Disk
In this step, you need to create a virtual hard disk for your virtual machine. This is where your operating system and files will be stored. You can choose between creating a new virtual hard disk or using an existing one.
If you choose to create a new virtual hard disk, you need to enter the following information:
- Hard disk file type: The type of virtual hard disk you want to create.
- Storage on physical hard disk: The location where your virtual hard disk will be stored.
- File size: The size of your virtual hard disk.
Once you have entered the required information, click on the “Create” button.
Step 5: Install the Operating System
In this step, you need to install the operating system on your virtual machine. To do this, click on your virtual machine name on the left side of the Virtualbox window and then click on the “Start” button.
This will open a new window where you need to select the ISO file of your operating system. Once you have selected the ISO file, follow the on-screen instructions to install the operating system on your virtual machine.
Step 6: Install Guest Additions
After you have installed the operating system, you need to install Guest Additions. Guest Additions is a software package that enhances the performance and usability of your virtual machine.
To install Guest Additions, go to the “Devices” menu on the top of the Virtualbox window and click on the “Insert Guest Additions CD image” option. This will mount the CD image on your virtual machine. Follow the on-screen instructions to install Guest Additions.
Step 7: Configure Virtual Machine Settings
In this step, you need to configure the settings of your virtual machine. You can change the display resolution, enable or disable USB devices, configure network settings, and much more.
To configure the settings of your virtual machine, go to the “Settings” option on the top of the Virtualbox window. From here, you can select the settings you want to change and modify them according to your needs.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully set up a virtual machine with Virtualbox. You can now install your favorite Linux operating system, applications, and tools and create the ultimate Linux powerhouse that can handle your workloads efficiently.
Remember, the key to creating a powerful virtual machine is allocating enough resources, such as memory and storage, and configuring the settings of your virtual machine to meet your needs. With Virtualbox, you can create multiple virtual machines and switch between them easily, making it a perfect tool for developers, testers, and power users alike.
Keep learning and exploring the world of Linux, and stay ahead of the curve!
It can also be on your desktop. Linux is a fantastic choice as a desktop operating system because it’s incredibly reliable, secure, and more flexible than any other OS on the market. But for those who might be hesitant to install Linux over macOS or Windows, what can you do? One route that makes it very easy to test and use Linux, without doing anything to your primary operating system, is the virtual machine route. With that said, let’s get our virtual machine up and running. I’m going to walk you through the process of creating a Linux virtual machine with VirtualBox, so you can give the open-source operating system a try. I won’t walk you through the process of installing VirtualBox, as that’s as simple as installing any application on your computer. Creating the virtual machine
1. Open VirtualBox
The first thing you’ll do is open VirtualBox from your computer’s desktop menu. Once the application is open, click Tools and then click New (Figure 1).
2. Name your new guest operating system
I’m going to spin up a virtual machine for FerenOS, which is a Linux distribution. In the first window of the wizard (Figure 2), give the virtual machine a name, select the folder to house the files, select the type of operating system for the new virtual machine and the version, and then click Next.
3. Configure RAM
In the next window, slide the Memory size slider to the right to increase the amount of RAM you want to allot to the machine (Figure 3).
4. Create a virtual hard disk
Click Next and, in the resulting window (Figure 4), click Create to create a new virtual hard disk. In the next two windows, select VDI and then Dynamically allocated. In the final window, slide the slider to the right to increase the size of the virtual hard disk to however large you need, and make sure to select the folder to house the drive (Figure 5). Click Create and you’ll be returned to the VirtualBox main window.
Configure your guest operating system
We can now configure our guest operating system. One thing you’ll want to make sure to do (before you take this step) is to download the ISO file for the version of Linux you want to install.
1. Add the ISO image for installation
Select the virtual machine you just created from the left pane and then click Settings. In the resulting window, click Storage and then click the left + associated with Controller: IDE (Figure 6). In the resulting window (Figure 7), click Add, and when your file manager opens, navigate to wherever it is you saved the ISO image for the Linux distribution you downloaded. Once you’ve selected your ISO image, click Choose and then OK. You should now find yourself back at the VirtualBox main window, where you’re ready to run the virtual machine.
Start the installation
Select the virtual machine you just created in the left navigation and click the Start button, which will launch the bootable image and – depending on the Linux distribution you’ve chosen – should land you at either the live image (where you can either test or install the guest operating system) or immediately install the guest (Figure 8). Make sure to go through the full installation process for the guest operating system you’ve chosen. In most cases, that will require clicking the Install icon on the desktop. Congratulations, you just created your first virtual machine with Linux as a guest operating system. Enjoy kicking the tires of your new open-source platform.
