Run Linux inside Vista with VirtualBox - An Illustrated Tutorial - Part III - Configuring The Virtual Machine
by admin | July 31, 2009 | In Computer, Linux, VirtualBox, Windows Vista | No Comments
Adjusting the Virtual Machine
Now that the virtual machine is done, we need to make a few adjustments to the “hardware” of this “new computer”.
On the main window of VirtualBox we have two panels. The left panel contains all the virtual machines the you have created. The right panel shows the “hardware” characteristics of the virtual machine selected on the left panel. These characteristics are the ones that we are going to change and adjust to “build” our virtual computer.
To start the “hardware” adjustments of the virtual machine just select it on the left panel and click on the Settings button above. |
A new window will show up. On the left panel are the devices to be configured and the configurations are made on the right panel. The very first adjustments to be done are the General configurations where you can adjust the Base Memory Size (RAM assigned to the VM) and the Video Memory Size (memory assigned to the virtual graphics card of the VM). On my VM I have assigned 519 Mb of RAM to the VM and 128Mb to the virtual graphics card. |
Still inside the General configurations select Advanced. Here the Boot Order of the VM can be changed the same way it would be done on a real computer changing the Boot Order on the BIOS. Normally it’s not necessary to change anything here. |
Next there is the Hard Disks configuration. There isn’t any need to change anything here because it was done during the initial wizard to create the VM. |
To mount the CD/DVD Drive there are two options. Mount the real CD/DVD Drive or mount an ISO image file. The former mounts and assigns the computer’s CD/DVD Drive on the VM. The latter allows to mount any ISO image file as a CD/DVD Drive. |
We are going to chose the option Mount ISO Image File. We have already downloaded an ISO image file of the Sabayon Linux distribution on the part one of this tutorial.
After choosing the ISO Image File option, click on the folder icon similar to this one: This will evokes the Virtual Media Manager to select the ISOs to be mounted. |
The Virtual Media Manager will open. I have already here to ISO image files but none of them is the one the I need to install the Sabayon Linux. |
Click the button Add to select and add an ISO image file to the Virtual Media Manager. |
Got to the location on your hard drive where you have downloaded the Sabayon Linux image file. Select it and click Open. |
 The ISO image file of Sabayon Linux will be listed now on the Virtual Media Manager. Select it with the mouse and click on the button Select on the lower right corner. |
You’ll be automatically transported to the settings window of the Sabayon Virtual Machine. Click OK. We’re again on the main window of VirtualBox. With Sabayon selected on the left panel we can see on the right panel all the configurations of our new Sabayon Virtual Machine |
The image above shows the configurations of mine Sabayon VM done until now. Click again on the Settings button. |
Click the Audio device button. |
Activate the Enable Audio check box. This will allow the VM to have a virtual sound card. The configurations shown above have worked just perfect for me. If after running your VM you don’t have sound, just come here again and try other options. |
Click the USB button and activate the Enable USB Controller. Any USB device being used by the guest OS running on the Virtual Machine will not be accessible by the host OS. |
Click OK and we’ll be back to the main window of VirtualBox |
On part 4 of this tutorial we will finally install the new operative system Sabayon Linux.
