Installing VirtualBox under Ubuntu

Linux in general and Ubuntu particularly, is a great operating system. It is designed to run for long periods of time, unlike some other systems. It is pretty much stable, taken you know what you are doing. But even choosing Ubuntu as your native OS, you might want to use other operating systems. There are lots of reasons to do it: you’re webmaster and willing to test your new site under various systems; you’re programmer, developing multiplatform application; or you just need to use some tool available only in Windows (such as some commercial accounting software).

In this guide, we’ll try to cover up installation and basic use of VirtualBox – virtual machine application, that allows you to install “OS-inside-OS”. Kind of government-inside-government, only with very strict laws (eg: 2 sides do not mess up each other in any way).

Let’s go:
1. Open Firefox (either clicking Firefox icon, normally found after Applications – Places – System; or by going to Applications > Internet > Firefox Web Browser

2. Let’s navigate to site: http://www.virtualbox.org – home of VirtualBox.

3. Click Downloads on left sidebar, and in opened page, select “VirtualBox 4.0.4 for Linux hosts” (NOTE: Version might varies, since it is constantly updated).

4. Find release for your Ubuntu version and processor mode and click on it.

5. Firefox will propose you to open it with “Ubuntu Software Center”. Press OK.

6. You’ll see VirtualBox description in Ubuntu Software Center. Press “Install”. NOTE: Process might take several minutes, and requires active Internet connection.

7. You’ll be asked for your (administrative) password. Type it in, and press OK.

8. After installation is finished, you can access VirtualBox by going to Applications > System tools > Oracle VM VirtualBox.

9. VirtualBox will now open. Press “New” to create new virtual machine.

10. Click “Next”.

11. Enter name for new virtual machine. In our example, we use “Windows Machine”. Set Operating System type, and version, and press “Next”.

12. Choose how much RAM will be available for your virtual machine, and press “Next”.

13. In Virtual Hard Disk window, press “Next”. This will open short “Create New Virtual Disk Wizard”. Press “Next”.

14. Choose storage type. Normally, you’d want “Dynamic expanding storage”, so it would grow. Press “Next”.

15. Now choose folder, where your new “virtual hard disk” will be stored. Set its size. Press “Next”.

16. Finally, press “Finish”. Your virtual hard disk is now created.

17. Press “Finish” again. Your virtual machine is now created successfully.

18. Now it will appear on left side of VirtualBox window. Please, right click on it, and select “Settings…”.

19. In new window, select storage from left menu. Click on CD icon with caption “Empty”.

20. Now click “Choose a virtual CD/DVD disk file” if you plan to use ISO image as source for new OS installation, or, alternatively, choose “Host Drive CD-ROM”, if you plan to use real disk. If you do the latter, please, check “Passthrough” box, in order not to face any problems installing. This will insure VirtualBox has direct access to your CD. Press “OK”.

21. Now, when everything is configured, just select your Virtual Machine from VirtualBox main window and press “Start”.

22. You’ll see information message about “Auto capture keyboard”. Read it or close it.

23. You should now see that your new OS is installing.

24. Follow installation until it tells you to “eject CD and reboot”. Then, click Devices > CD/DVD Devices > “Your OS image.ISO” or “Host Drive VBOX CD-ROM”, in order to dismount installation CD.

25. Your OS might now require some basic tweaks, and then, it is ready to use.
Now whenever you need to launch your “virtual OS”, simply go to Applications > System Tools > Oracle VM VirtualBox, select it from the list and press “Start”.
NOTE: Under some circumstances, when you try to launch your virtual OS, you might face a message such as this:

In such case, please open Applications > Accessories > Terminal.

And type in:
sudo /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

Input your (administrative) password, and it will install drivers required by VirtualBox.
Now you should be able to run your virtual OS.