VirtualBox Under Windows
This is page 2 of this article. Please see page 1 first. This section assumes you have followed that info!
Step 1 - Install VirtualBox.

Step 2 - Install VirtualBox Extension Pack.

Step 3 - Open VirtualBox. We are going to create our first Virtual Machine.

Click on New


Click the Next button


Pick a name, The OS, and the version. Then click the Next button.


Decide on how much memory you want to give the host OS. The more memory you give the better your Guest OS will run.
Click the Next button.


For a new install you will Create new hard disk.
VirtualBox seems to choose 8GB as default for most Linux distros. I recommend at least 10GB.
Click the Next button.


The Create New Virtual Disk Wizard comes up. Click the Next button.


I recommend using Dynamically expanding storage if space is at all a consideration.
Fixed-size is OK if not. Click the Next button.


Here is where many folks get in to trouble, having to resize a disk when space becomes an issue for the Guest OS.
For testing this usually isn't an issue.
If you are going to keep this OS around, make this as big as you can afford to without going overboard.
Linux distros are pretty compact compared to Windows Vista & 7.
In this section you can choose an alternate location to store your VM.
Click the Next button when you're finished.


Everything look as you had intended? Click on the Finish button.


Everything look as you had intended? Click on the Finish button


Don't click Start yet! We've got some more work to do. Click the Settings button.


We started out in the General section. Click on System.


Configure your Boot Order. For install CD/DVD-Rom should be first. Unless you need F6 drivers you don't need a floppy.
Select your Chipset next. As of this writing ICH9 is new.
If you intend on letting the Guest OS access multiple more than one CPU/Core then you need to Enable I/O APIC.
UTC Time. I don't understand the obsession of trying to screw with my clock. I don't care what time it is somewhere else.
Uncheck this and it'll stick with the time on your computer.
Click on the Processor tab when you are done with this section.


Adjust the number of processors/cores you want available to the Guest OS.
PAE/NX - Here is what the VB manual says:
"In addition, the "Enable PAE/NX" setting determines whether the PAE and NX capabilities of the host CPU will be exposed to the virtual machine.
PAE stands for "Physical Address Extension".
Normally, if enabled and supported by the operating system, then even a 32-bit x86 CPU can access more than 4 GB of RAM."
Well, this setting is actually more than that (Google / Wiki it). My preference is to enable this on newer hardware.
When you're through with this section, click on Display.


Adjust your Video Memory. If you have a video card with 256MB or more memory then crank it up!
Extended features - For Linux Guest OS I leave these unchecked.
Click on Storage when you are through here.


Add the ISO you downloaded to the IDE controller.
If you are going to install from CD/DVD then leave an empty CD drive.
You can configure the controller type on the right side of the screen.

*note for screen below. If the OS you are going to install installs Guest Additions automatically you don't need
mount the VBoxGuestEditions iso. openSUSE installs it by default (virtualbox-guest-tools).


The SATA Controller:
-You need to have Use host I/O cache enabled.
-To use XP as a Guest OS you may need F6 drivers. These are Intel RST drivers (text mode).
-If your .vdi file is on the IDE Controller and you want it on the SATA controller.
1 - Create an SATA Controller if one isn't there (below the Storage Tree box).
2 - Delete the .vdi drive under the IDE Controller.
3 - Add the .vdi drive under the SATA Controller.

When you are through with this section click the OK button.


Click the Start button to get rolling!

If your guest OS doesn't install Guest Editions by default then install it after you update that OS.
Google search it if you don't know how. For example:
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=ubuntu+10.10+virtualbox+guest+additions&aq=1&aqi=g5&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&fp=d9008d84f286047
From the command line, open or cd to the location where the iso is (sudo or su): su ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

An example of 6 different VM's running under Windows 7. Click the picture for a larger image.


NEXT ->

Article Index
Page 1 - Introduction
Page 2 - VirtualBox Under Windows
Page 3 - Using VirtualBox 4 in openSUSE (openSUSE Host, Windows XP and Windows 7 Guests)