VirtualBox for Ubuntu on Vista 64 (The VMWare Killer for Developer VMs?)

Ok, that's an overstatement. I used VMWare Workstation successfully for a year to develop for Win2k web servers on my XP desktop. However, when I needed an Ubuntu guest on Windows Vista host (for Python/TurboGears dev), VMWare got ugly with various host apps. I searched...and I found...VirtualBox.

This doc is a loose how-to, because some steps were poorly documented.

Go to the VirtualBox download site and get the appropriate Windows host installer (x86 or AMD64). Install VirtualBox.

Go get the install iso for your guest OS.

Start VirtualBox, and click the "New" tool. The wizard is straightforward. Before starting the VM, be sure to mount your installer .iso as the CD.

Powerup and install. The VM will capture the mouse when you click in it, and you'll need the "uncapture" key to get it back, right ctrl by default, I recall. I remap to the "Left Windows" key (personal preference.) However, once you install the guest and install the VBoxGuestAdditions on top, your VM can "play nice" with the host for mouse capture, copy/paste, etc.

Therein lies the rub: the VBoxGuestAdditions install was _not_ that clearly documented. Even finding it was a bit tricky. By following the url of an older version from an ubuntu forums thread I backed out that I should look under http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/ , or specifically the 2.1.2 VBoxGuestAdditions download from this webdir.

To install the guest additions, I actually had to RTFM, particularly section "4.3.1 Installing the Linux Guest Additions"

Add, then mount the VBoxGuestAdditions.iso (from the Devices menu of the VM).

If/when a popup in the guest OS asks to automatically run software, say "Cancel"

Open a shell on the guest (Applications->Accessories->Terminal, for Ubuntu Desktop). You'll need to install DKMS, then run the guest additions script, and reboot.

$ sudo apt-get install dkms
$ sudo sh /cdrom/VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run #look for the amd64 if that's your linux guest install
$ sudo reboot

...And presto, your Ubuntu (or other linux) should come up, nicely sharing the mouse point with Vista, auto-resizing the guest desktop when the host window changes, and so on.

Proceed to bring your guest OS up to date, and do watchya do.

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	Download Ubuntu \| Ubuntu - (30 clicks) Posted by Rod, on Feb. 13 2009
	Downloads - VirtualBox - (61 clicks) Posted by Rod, on Feb. 13 2009

VirtualBox for Ubuntu on Vista 64 (The VMWare Killer for Developer VMs?)

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