nanobot Posted January 30, 2009 CID Share Posted January 30, 2009 A Guide to What I Know About: ----------------------------- Running an Operating System inside an Operating System ------------------------------------------------------ Contents: 1....Recommended Specs 2....Finding the Software 3....Setting up the software 4....Installing the Guest OS 5....Enjoying your new toy! --1-- Recommended Specs ----------------- I recommend you have at least a 2.0Ghz Processor and 1GB+ RAM. This is for your safety. If you don't have this, back out now. --2-- Finding the Software -------------------- What do we want? First off there are two programs that I would recommend for doing this: 1: VM Ware (Pricey) 2: Virtual Box (Free) I am going to explain Virtual Box here because it is free. First you must download Virtual Box from http://www.virtualbox.org/ and get the latest version. Second you must install the Virtual Box program. This will set it up with the most useful configuration. Not that you can't change it. Once it's installed you are going to have to run it. Oh my god? Why can't we just let it sit there? Because I said so. Now, if you don't already have your Guest OS on a CD/DVD or on your computer as an .iso then go get one. Some are free (Ubuntu...etc.) --3-- Setting up the Software ----------------------- You think I put the other stuff in the wrong place don't you? No. I planned this out. We must now set up our software to be able to run. First: You obviously have Virtual Box running, if not read the steps above. Second: We must set up "Virtual Hard Drives" for our Guest OS's so without further ado, click file at the top, click Virtual Media Manager. Select the Hard Disks tab (if it is not already) and click New. Click next, then if you want to create the hard disk as a fixed disk (normal disk) select the second radio button, I don't recommend this as it wastes time but use your own descretion. Click Next. Now, you can move your disk, rename it, and select the size. First, if you do not want the disk in "C:/Documents and Setting/Your name here/.VirtualBox" then select the stupid little Icon next to "NewHardDisk1.vdi" or whatever it says, and select the new destination and name. I am going to use "Disk.vdi" as an example. Change the size to however big you want it. From 4MB to 2TB. You can type it into the little box there. For example I will use 5.00 GB. If you selected Fixed-Size Disk in the last step, once you click next it will create a new file as big as you specified. If you selected Dynamically Expanding Image, and you click next, it will make a small (20K or so) file that will expand as big as it needs to get. I recommend this as it is faster and easier. If you selected Fixed-Size Disk then you may as well go get lunch. Click Next. Now we have "Disk.vdi". Next we need to add the Guest OS. Close the Media Manager. Click New under File | Machine | Help Click Next. Type a name. Then for Operating System, select the OS you wish to add. For example, if you have Ubuntu (This will be my example for further on) then for Operating System select Linux. Then for Version select Ubuntu. Do not touch Base Memory Size unless you want to add more to the Guest OS. This software has many of them preconfigured by default so DO NOT make then smaller. Click Next. Now for Boot Hard Disk (Primary Master) select the hard disk we made before. (Disk.vdi) Click Next. Click Finish. Now notice that it says Powered Off under you Virtual Machines name, that is good. Next select your Virtual Machine, and Click settings. Click CD/DVD-ROM Check the "Mount CD/DVD Drive" button. NOW FOR THE INTERESTING PART If you have a burnt CD, don't touch a thing from here except "OK". If you have an .iso then select the Radio button, and choose your .iso. Click OK. --4-- Installing the Guest OS ----------------------- Select your Guest OS in the program. Click Start. YOur good to go, just install your guest OS like you would on your own PC. --5-- Enjoying your new toy! ---------------------- Title says it all. --Credits-- Credit to the Sun xVM VirtualBox program for making this happen. Nanobot for the Guide. If one of the mods would kindly move this to the guides section that would be appreciated. You can also delete this quote if you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostmaster Posted January 30, 2009 CID Share Posted January 30, 2009 http://www.vmware.com/products/server/ VMWare server is free. They just don't plaster it all over their website. They'd rather you download the trial versions of their enterprise solutions in the hopes that you'll buy it. It's actually pretty robust for something free. They'll both get the job done though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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