Setting up VirtualBox - a guide

With Oracle's VirtualBox you virtualize operating systems. In this guide, we show you how to set up the VirtualBox to simulate a virtual operating system.

Install VirtualBox

First you need to download and install VirtualBox:

1. Download the VirtualBox program.
2. Install VirtualBox by following the instructions of the installer.

Set up VirtualBox

The setup of a guest operating system is carried out using Damn Small Linux as an example. Illustrated instructions can be found in the picture gallery at the end of the article.

1. Open VirtualBox and click "New" to create a new virtual machine.
2. Specify the type of operating system your machine will have after installation. If you name the machine accordingly, the type is preset.
3. Choose how much memory the system should have. Since the Linux used here is very small, 256 megabytes are sufficient. However, if you want to virtualize a Windows, you should provide more RAM.
4. In most cases you have to create a hard drive yourself. Therefore leave "Create hard disk" selected.
5. If you will only be using the hard drive with VirtualBox, which is usually the case, leave the default type selected.
6. Fixed size hard drives are slightly faster. However, the entire memory is reserved in advance on your hard drive, regardless of whether it is really needed or not. Dynamic disks are initially very small and are automatically expanded if more memory is required.
7. Specify the size of the hard drive. If you have selected "fixed size", a file, the virtual hard disk, is immediately created with the selected size. For a dynamic disk, this is the maximum size that the hard disk can have. Eight gigabytes are more than enough for Damn Small Linux, you need more with Windows or other large systems.
8. Now you can start the machine. When you start the system for the first time, you will be asked to insert a disk with the operating system in your CD drive. Alternatively, you can select an ISO file with the operating system by clicking on the yellow icon.

Read this practical tip on how to use USB devices in your VirtualBox.

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Step 1: the empty VirtualBox window. Click on "New".

Step 2: Name the machine and indicate your type.

Step 3: Choose the amount of RAM.

Step 4: Create a new hard drive or use an existing one.

Step 5: determine the type of hard drive.

Step 6: Decide whether the hard drive is dynamic or a fixed size.

Step 7: Specify the size of the hard drive.

Step 8: Select the configured machine and click on "Start".