VirtualBox: Installation and configuration (for beginners). Creating a virtual machine

This video is a guide for beginners on using the VirtualBox program to run another operating system within your current one, whether it's Windows, Linux, or macOS. VirtualBox allows you to test different operating systems without affecting your main system. It is especially beneficial for those unfamiliar with Linux as it provides a safe environment to explore its functions.

VirtualBox is a free cross-platform program developed by Oracle that allows you to run multiple operating systems within your main system. You can use VirtualBox on Linux, Windows, and Mac OS. It works by creating virtual machines inside your host system, which act as virtual computers where you can install guest operating systems.

To install VirtualBox on Linux to run Windows or another Linux, start by downloading and installing the VirtualBox program from the official website. If you are using Windows like I am now, download the VirtualBox package for Windows host from the downloads page. Once downloaded, click twice on the installation file and follow the prompts to install.

Downloading Ubuntu ISO Image Downloading Linux and Ubuntu ISO image. Keeping all settings default, clicking next and agreeing to proceed with the download. Selecting the disk image source for installation on a virtual machine.

Selecting Ubuntu LTS Version Choosing to install the popular distribution of Ubuntu Linux from their website. Navigating to ubuntu.com, selecting 'Ubuntu Desktop' under downloads, opting for the latest LTS version.

Creating a Virtual Machine in VirtualBox To create a virtual machine, click on 'New' and enter the name for the machine. Choose the operating system type (e.g., Ubuntu) and version (64-bit). Allocate memory based on your needs but consider host system usage. Create a new virtual hard disk with recommended size of at least 10GB.

Setting Up Guest System in Virtual Machine Select dynamic allocation for the hard disk type. Specify location and size for the virtual hard disk file. For Linux guest systems like Ubuntu, allocate around 2-4GB of memory to ensure smooth operation while balancing with host system requirements.

Optimizing Virtual Machine Settings Setting up a virtual machine involves configuring network settings and making preliminary adjustments. By selecting the machine from the list, we can access all settings through the 'Configure' button. Focusing on system options, adjusting processor categories is crucial for allocating cores effectively to avoid overutilization.

Enhancing Video Configuration In the 'Display' section, parameters for video card configuration are adjusted to enhance virtual machine performance. Increasing video memory allocation up to 128 megabytes is recommended while choosing a suitable graphics controller type and enabling 3D acceleration can improve visual rendering capabilities.

Configuring Storage Devices Exploring storage options reveals available drives in our virtual environment: a virtual hard disk representing Ubuntu data and an optical drive acting as a disc reader emulator. Connecting an Ubuntu image file requires selecting it within the optical drive menu after accessing its properties.

Setting Up Ubuntu Linux on VirtualBox Installing Ubuntu Linux on VirtualBox involves basic settings like starting the virtual machine by clicking 'OK' and then 'Start'. The virtual machine window opens, resembling a separate computer inside your actual one. We connect an Ubuntu image to the virtual disk drive for automatic booting.

Ubuntu Installation Process The installation process may vary slightly depending on the system version, but generally follows similar steps. Choose language (e.g., Russian), try or install Ubuntu options are available; selecting 'Install' initiates setup. Configure keyboard layout, user name, password, and installation type ('Erase disk and install'). Pay attention to disk wiping warning as it refers to your virtual machine's disk.

Enhancing Guest System Performance with Guest Additions Installation Guest Additions installation enhances the performance and integration of the guest system with your host system. It includes drivers that significantly improve functions like shared clipboard, directory, and virtual graphics controller support. To install Guest Additions, additional packages need to be installed in the system through a terminal command.

Finalizing Setup with Useful Features After installing Ubuntu on a virtual machine, initiating Guest Additions improves functionality by enabling features such as auto-launch from disk and kernel module updates upon reboot. The completion message indicates successful installation requiring a system restart for changes to take effect.

Virtual machine settings include enabling the shared clipboard and Drag'n'Drop function. Access these settings in the main 'General' category under 'Advanced'. Enabling the shared clipboard allows easy text copying between guest and host systems. Additionally, enabling Drag'n'Drop support enables seamless file transfer.

Creating shared folders in VirtualBox allows access to guest folders, directories, and other elements between the host and guest systems. Shared folders section enables specifying OS system folders accessible in the guest system for automatic mounting. Choosing a folder path sets up its usage name within the guest system; further specify the mount point. Mounting defines a path for a folder in your guest OS so that it becomes available there.

Enhancing Graphics Support in Virtual Environments Support for video cards, graphic controllers in VirtualBox, 3D acceleration. Session on X11 and Wayland. After rebooting your Ubuntu guest machine, access to the folder will now be open.

Optimizing Graphic Controller Settings Discussing graphics controller support and transitioning to the display section where a list of different VM graphical controllers is available. Defaulted to VBoxVGA for Linux guest systems; VBoxSVGA used for Windows guests from Windows 7 onwards but can also work with Linux guests.

Seamless Mode allows testing screen integration for specific system configurations. In Ubuntu, opening a regular session in X11 on the host did not work; however, switching to guest mode and pressing 'Host key + A' displayed a message prompting integration of the display. By toggling this option, windows become floating in the main system environment.

Conclusion: The artifacts around the window in Ubuntu are due to the presence of a shadow effect, which may not exist in other graphical environments. To revert back, press Ctrl and Alt keys together. In VirtualBox, there are various useful features like creating snapshots and cloning virtual machines.