Linux virtual machine image. Installing Windows in VirtualBox Linux
If you need to have multiple operating systems on your computer but don't want to dual boot, then the only option left is virtualization and virtual machines for Linux. When using dual boot on slow systems, rebooting from one system to another can take up to several minutes, which is very inconvenient.
Therefore, virtualization is an excellent solution, because with enough RAM and processor power, you can run several systems at the same time and even fully work with them. But what software is better to use? What to choose and how it all works is the topic of our article today.
Virtual machines are programs that create a software environment that simulates the desired hardware. An operating system can be installed into this environment and can then be fully used. We call such systems guest systems, while the main system installed on the computer is called the host.
Previously, virtual machines did all the work themselves, at the software level, and it is clear that all this worked very slowly. But then processors began to support hardware virtualization, which significantly speeds up the operation of the guest operating system. These are technologies such as AMD-V from AMD or Intel VT-x from Intel. However, these technologies may be disabled by default in the BIOS.
In addition to virtual machines that completely emulate the operation of a computer, virtualization for Linux includes containers, for example, LXC or OpenVZ. Next we will look at virtual machines for Linux that you can use to install your systems.
1. VirtualBox
VirtualBox is a universal Linux virtualization software that supports other operating systems, including Windows and MacOS. You can install almost any system here, except, of course, systems designed for devices on an ARM chip. All installed virtual machines are stored in files that contain disk images. This makes it very easy to back them up or transfer them to another computer by simply copying the machine file.
VirtualBox supports both 32 and 64 bit systems and you can install not only a Linux distribution, but also Windows or even MacOS. All systems will work perfectly. When creating a virtual machine, you can select a guest OS profile, which will automatically set the correct memory, processor and video card parameters.
In addition to virtualization itself, VirtualBox also supports additional functions, such as recording video from the virtual machine screen, creating system snapshots for quick recovery, and creating a virtual network between multiple machines. In addition, if you install guest OS add-ons, you can set up a shared clipboard between the host and guest systems, transfer files between them, or even integrate guest system program windows into the main one.
We can say that this is the best virtual machine for Linux, it offers all the necessary features, and at the same time is quite easy to use.
2.VMWare
Unlike VirtualBox, which is open source, it is a commercial product, the full version of which costs money. But for home use there is a simplified version that is completely free to use.
VMWare has almost all the same features as VirtualBox, in some tests it performs better than the first option, but overall their performance is the same. It is also possible to organize a network between virtual machines, combine the clipboard and transfer files, but there is no video recording.
A notable feature of VMWare is that for some systems, automatic installation scripts have been developed and are already ready, which allow you to install the system automatically and without specifying too many parameters. This can be very convenient in some situations.
3. Qemu
If you want to run not the usual x86 operating system, but a system for ARM devices, for example, Android, Raspbian or RISC OS, then the two previous Linux virtual machines will not help you. Only Qemu can handle this task.
Qemu is short for Quick Emulator. This is a very easy to configure console utility, but it allows you to do many interesting things at the VirtualBox level, you can run any operating systems, including ARM, you can install the OS on a real hard drive or to a file, use hardware acceleration and even automatically download some distributions via the Internet.
Despite its name, it is a very powerful tool for working with virtualization on Linux; to install Qemu on Ubuntu, run:
sudo apt install qemu qemu-kvm libvirt-bin
4. KVM
KVM or fully Kernel-based Virtual Machine (kernel-based virtual machine) is a kernel-level implementation of a virtualization platform that provides additional capabilities to Qemu and very high speed by running directly in the kernel.
All this means that KVM is faster and more stable than VirtualBox, but KVM is much more difficult to configure and maintain. KVM technology is a very popular solution for hosting virtual machines, including on many servers on the Internet.
To start using KVM, you first need to check whether your hardware supports hardware acceleration; to do this, use the cpu-checker utility. If everything is supported then you can proceed to install KVM:
sudo apt-get install qemu-kvm libvirt-bin virtinst bridge-utils virt-manager
Once installed, you will be able to access kvm virtual machines using the virtual machine manager that will appear in the menu. Other Linux virtualization systems, such as XEN, are also managed using this manager.
5. XEN
This is another virtualization platform for Linux that is very similar to KVM. But there are some differences. Like KVM, it supports hardware acceleration, many architectures, including ARM, as well as running various guest systems, including Windows. But the main difference is that KVM is built into the Linux kernel by default, and for Xen to work you need a specially built kernel that supports it.
Among other features of Xen, it can be noted that the system will work quite quickly even without hardware acceleration if you run Linux. Otherwise, these Linux virtualization systems,
conclusions
In this article, we looked at the best virtual machines for Linux. As you can see, virtualization on Linux is developing very quickly and there are quite a lot of solutions that you could use on your system. What virtual machine or virtualization system are you using? Write in the comments!
Let's install the Unity Tweak Tool program. It makes it possible to change different settings for the appearance of the system. The easiest way to do this is using the command line. Call the terminal to enter commands by pressing the key combination: Ctrl+Alt+T, enter the command:
sudo apt-get install unity-tweak-tool
and press the Enter key (Fig. 30). The sudo command runs programs as the superuser with unlimited rights, so the system will ask you to enter a password before executing it. Enter the password for user user1 and press the Enter key again.
Rice. 30. Installing Unity Tweak Tool in the terminal command line
In order not to type the command text manually, you can copy it from here by dragging the mouse (use the context menu called by right-clicking on the selected area, or the key combination Ctrl + C), and then right-clicking in the terminal window and selecting Paste.
If the installation was successful (the computer must be connected to the Internet to download the installed packages), open the Unity Tweak Tool utility by clicking on the top button on the left on the desktop ( Search on your computer and the Internet), enter the beginning of its name Unity (Fig. 31) and click on the icon that appears.
Rice. 31. Call Unity Tweak Tool
To call up a list of programs, you can also use the Super key (this is the name in Ubuntu for the key on the keyboard that opens the Start button menu in Windows).
To fine-tune system parameters, install dconf-tools; to do this, run the command in the terminal:
sudo apt-get install dconf-tools
If necessary, enter your password again. If a line appears in the terminal asking you to continue the installation, press the key y and then Enter.
If necessary, you can install the classic Gnome desktop by running the command in the terminal:
sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback
You will be required to enter a password. If a line appears in the terminal asking you to continue the installation, press the key y and then Enter.
After installation, we will end the session. When logging in again, before entering the password, click on the round icon to the right of the user name and select the Gnome Flashback (Compiz) environment (Fig. 32).
Rice. 32. Selecting an environment before logging in
It is possible that every time the virtual machine boots, a pop-up message appears in the upper right corner of the desktop:
Network service discovery disabled Your current network has a .local domain, which is not recommended and incompatable with Avahi network service discovery. The service has been disabled.
In Russian version:
The network resource search service is disabled. The current network has a local domain (.local), which is not recommended and is not compatible with the Avahi network discovery service. The service has been disabled.
We probably don't need an Avahi daemon that scans the network for various services. To disable this message, run the command in the terminal:
sudo gedit /etc/default/avahi-daemon
The gedit text editor window will open. Let's correct the AVAHI_DAEMON_DETECT_LOCAL parameter, set the value to 0 instead of 1 (Fig. 33).
Rice. 33. Disabling the Avahi service
Now when the system boots, the notification will not be displayed.
If you want to use KDE instead of the Gnome desktop, then you need to run the command in the terminal (installing KDE will significantly increase the size of the virtual disk file, so you should not do this unless absolutely necessary):
sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop
Just in case, let's install a file manager for the terminal:
sudo apt-get install mc
If you wish, you can install some kind of two-panel file manager for the graphical desktop, for example, Krusader:
sudo apt-get install krusader
or Gnome Commander:
sudo apt-get install gnome-commander
Let's install the archivers:
sudo apt-get install rar unrar zip unzip p7zip-full p7zip-rar cabextract
Let's install additional fonts:
sudo apt-get install msttcorefonts mplayer-fonts xfonts-terminus-dos xfonts-terminus xfonts-terminus-oblique xfonts-mona tv-fonts ttf-tuffy ttf-sjfonts ttf-georgewilliams ttf-fifthhorseman-dkg-handwriting ttf-essays1743 ttf-opensymbol ttf-freefont ttf-devanagari-fonts ttf-dejavu-extra ttf-dejavu-core ttf-dejavu ttf-bitstream-vera ttf-alee
If you receive a message about the absence of any of the fonts listed here, then remove it from the list (use the up arrow on your keyboard to recall the previous command, the left arrow to move the cursor, the Backspace key to delete characters) and run the command again. During the installation process, as usual, you will need to answer affirmatively to all questions (be careful, sometimes the key with a negative answer is highlighted by default, for example, in the dialog with the license agreement). To switch active buttons in the terminal, it is convenient to use the Tab key. The buttons are pressed with the Enter key or the space bar.
After installing the fonts, you can select the Terminus font in the terminal window (menu command Edit ‣ Profile Options; uncheck Use system font and select Terminus in the Font field).
You can install packages to display desktop effects:
sudo apt-get install compiz compizconfig-settings-manager librsvg2-common
Let's install wine to run Windows applications.
Sometimes there is a need to simultaneously or alternately use several operating systems on one personal computer. If you don’t want to use dual boot, then you can use the only remaining option - install a virtual machine for the Linux operating system.
With a sufficient amount of RAM and virtual memory and the required processor power, it is possible to simultaneously launch several systems at once and work with them in full mode. However, you need to choose the right software to do this.
If you decide to use a virtual machine in an operating system, you first need to find out which one is right for you. Now we will consider the five most popular representatives of this type of software.
VirtualBox
This application is a universal product that can be used for the virtualization process in Linux. Thanks to it, it can support a number of other operating systems, which include Windows or even MacOS.
This software is practically no different from VirtualBox, but in some ways it is superior to the last mentioned program. Experts emphasize that their performance is approximately the same, but VMWare allows:
- create virtual or local networks between machines installed on a computer;
- organize a common clipboard;
- transfer files.
However, it was not without its drawbacks. The problem is that it does not support recording video files.
If desired, this program can be installed in fully automatic mode, selecting the required parameters, which is often very convenient.
Qemu
This program is designed for ARM-based devices such as Android, Raspbian, RISC OS. It is very difficult to set up, especially for an inexperienced user. The fact is that work with a virtual machine is performed exclusively in "Terminal" by entering special commands. However, with its help you can run absolutely any operating systems, installing them on your hard drive or writing them to a special file.
The great thing about Qemu is that it allows you to use hardware acceleration and install programs online. To install such software on an OS based on the Linux kernel, "Terminal" you should run the following command:
sudo apt install qemu qemu-kvm libvirt-bin
Note: after pressing Enter, the system will ask you for the password that you specified when installing the distribution. Please note that no characters will be displayed when you enter it.
KVM
The name of the program stands for Kernel-based Virtual Machine (a virtual machine developed based on the kernel). Thanks to it, you can ensure fairly high speed, largely due to the Linux kernel.
It works much faster and more reliably compared to VirtualBox, but it is much more difficult to configure, and it is not so easy to maintain. But today this program is the most popular for installing virtual machines. This demand is largely due to the fact that with its help you can host your own server on the Internet.
Before installing the program, you should determine whether your computer's hardware can support hardware acceleration. To do this you need to use the utility cpu-checker. If everything in this regard is in order, then you can start installing KVM on your computer. To do this in "Terminal" enter the following command:
sudo apt-get install emu-kvn libvirt-bin virtinst bridge-utils virt-manager
Once the program is installed, the user will have absolute access to creating virtual machines. If desired, you can place other emulators that will be controlled by this application.
XEN
This program is almost completely identical to KVM, but it has some differences. The main thing is that the XEN virtual machine needs to rebuild the kernel, otherwise it will not function properly.
Another distinctive quality of the program is the ability to work even without using hardware acceleration when running the Linux/Ubuntu operating system.
To install XEN on your computer, you need to run a series of commands one by one "Terminal":
apt-get install\
xen-hypervisor-4.1-amd64\
xen-hypervisor-4.1-i386\
xen-utils-4.1\
xenwatch\
xen-tools\
xen-utils-common\
xenstore-utils
It is worth noting that after installation it is necessary to carry out configuration, which for the average user will seem overly complicated.
Conclusion
Virtualization in the Linux operating system has been developing very rapidly recently. New programs aimed at this appear regularly. We regularly monitor them and recommend them to users to solve their problems.
Many users want to try using Linux. However, the need to abandon the usual operating system leads to the fact that most quickly abandon this idea. But in order to try Linux, you don’t have to uninstall Windows; you can install Linux on a virtual machine and test your new system in a safe environment.
In this article we will talk about how to install Linux on a virtual machine. For example, we will use the Virtual Box virtual machine and Ubuntu, a popular Linux distribution.
To get started, you need an ISO file with a Linux distribution. To do this, go to the website and download the latest version of Ubuntu, at the time of writing this is Ubuntu 12.10.
We also need the Oracle Virtual Box program. It can also be downloaded absolutely free from the official website.
Launch the Virtual Box program and click on the “Create” button.
After this, a window will open with which we will create a new virtual machine. We indicate the name of the machine, the type of operating system and click “Next” to go to the next window.
In the next window, indicate the amount of RAM that will be available for your virtual machine. The selected amount should not exceed the amount of actual RAM in your computer. As a rule, 1024 megabytes is enough.
The next window prompts you to create a new hard drive for the virtual machine. Leave everything as default and move on.
In the next window you need to select Dynamic or Fixed disk. Here we also leave the standard value and click “Next”.
That's it, the process of creating a virtual machine is complete, you can start installing Linux.
In the Virtual Box window, select the created virtual machine and click on the “Start” button. After this, the “First Launch Wizard” will open, here you need to indicate where the ISO file with the Linux distribution is located. To do this, click on the button with the image of the folder and select the ISO file.
When the distribution is selected, the virtual machine will reboot and the Linux installation will begin. Wait a few seconds until the screen prompts you to install Ubuntu.
In the window that appears, select the Russian language and click on the “Install Ubuntu” button.
Since our task is simply to install Linux, we will take the path of least resistance and will not complicate our lives with fine tuning during installation. In the window that appears, click on the “Continue” button.
That's it, the installation has begun. While the installer copies the files, we can configure the time zone, keyboard layout and other settings.
In the account creation window, enter your name and password. You can also select “Log in automatically” here, in which case you will not have to enter a password when loading the operating system.
After this, you need to wait a little longer until the installation is completed.
After installation is complete, the virtual machine will reboot and the operating system will be ready to use.
A virtual machine is a real salvation when time and resources are precious. Its installation allows you to use a third-party OS more conveniently and simply than with a full installation of a new system on your hard drive. A virtual machine will protect you from unnecessary compatibility problems, and will also allow you to quickly “collapse” all unnecessary data if it is no longer needed. In addition, the “virtual” allows you to quickly rollback. Since installing Ubuntu on VirtualBox is a very effective option, we will look at it. As well as tools that you may need in your new environment.
Installing Ubuntu on VirtualBox is one of the options for installing Windous and Linux on one PC.
VirtualBox is virtualization software created by Oracle. It is distributed under a free license. The program is cross-platform (can be used with different operating systems), modular, and supports the entire package of modern technologies for its area. This is one of the most popular similar programs for the Windows OS family. But you shouldn’t use it with earlier versions of Windows - it will result in poor support. When they say that they want to install something on a virtual machine, they often mean VirtualBox.
Let's start installation
For simplicity, we will refer to the native system of your computer as the host system, and the virtual system as the guest system. To install Ubuntu on a VirtualBox virtual machine, you need a basic software package. In our case, this is the VirtualBox program itself. It’s easy to find the official website of the program - virtualbox.org. From the “Downloads” section you need to download two files:
- VirtualBox for Windows hosts (x86/amd64);
- VirtualBox Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack (All supported platforms).
On the official website of the program you will always find the most current version. You just need to download it.
Start installing the first file. Keep all settings as default. During installation, the network may be unavailable for some time. Therefore, do not download other files and programs in parallel. When the first file is unpacked onto your computer, begin installing the next one. Answer affirmatively to all of the installer's questions. After starting the program, the setup of VirtualBox will begin, we will install Ubuntu a little over time.
Creating a virtual environment
- Name - Ubuntu-1.
- Type -
- Version - depending on your distribution (pay attention to the bit depth!).
In the same window, you need to go to the “Shared Folders” tab and add a new folder. Find the “+” sign in the section and use it to do this. 
This operation will allow you to conveniently copy files from the main system to the virtual one. Also check the box next to “Auto connect”.
How to download the image?
This should be done if you don't already have an Ubuntu system image and don't know where to get it. In the list of necessary operations on how to install Ubuntu on a virtual machine, this is one of the most important items.
Open ubuntu.com in your browser. On it you can easily find a link to download the distribution. Save the current version of the system (for today it is 16.10). It is advisable to install a distribution that matches the amount of RAM on your PC:
- If you have less than 4GB of RAM, download the x system image
- If you have 4GB RAM or more, download the x image
Installing a virtual OS
After logging back into the VirtualBox virtual machine, open the start window (Manager). Select the created "machine". Launch it through the main program menu.
VirtualBox will prompt you to select the image with which it will work. Find and select the "iso" file you downloaded and go to the next window. Here we come to how to quickly install Ubuntu on VirtualBox. Now the matter remains with setting up the virtual OS itself.
Useful additions
We have not yet implemented all the functions that will simplify your work with the additional OS. How to install Ubuntu on VirtualBox with add-ons?
