The Ubuntu Virtual Machine: For An Internet Safety Layer (Part I)
Joe M posted in Home Support, free stuff on May 25th, 2009
A few days back, I talked about setting up a virtual machine on top of Windows XP.
I talked about the advantages and the ‘why’s’.
After encountering a couple of questions, I have decided to revisit the project.
For a brief description:
I want to install Ubuntu Linux inside of a virtual machine (VM), using VirtualBox from Sun. To do that, I have to download VirtualBox software and an Ubuntu ISO image. Once I install both of those items, I create my virtual machine and associate it with my Ubuntu ISO image. I install Ubuntu on the VM. Last, I tweak the settings for my VM.
Windows is my base operating system (called the host) and Ubuntu Linux is my guest operating system.
I chose Ubuntu because of the interface and the ease of use for first time Linux users.
This is the first in a series of posts covering the steps involved. I will segregrate the project into tasks.
What you’ll need is a good basic understanding of downloading files from the internet, and finding those files afterward.
Hopefully, I will provide you with enough information to install what we need.
First, we want to start the download of the ISO image for Ubuntu, because it will likely take the longest.
I pull up Firefox… go to ubuntu.com and choose my download site from the pulldown. (Ideally, the closer the download site, the faster and easier the download.)
I click the Begin Download button.
While that’s downloading, we can go ahead and install Virtualbox.
(Ubuntu is free software. The version of VirtualBox we will use is free for personal use.)
I click on the link for VirtualBox for Windows Hosts. (This is the Personal End User License edition (PUEL). There is also an open source edition, but for our purposes, we will use the PUEL.)
I click Save File.
After the download finishes, I run the program. I get two of the standard warnings for running downloaded programs, and I click Run.
I click Next.
I click to accept the agreement, and choose Next.
Using both of the pulldowns for USB Support and Networking, I choose Entire feature will run from the hard drive.
I click Next.
I click Next.
I click Yes.
I click Install.
I wait, while the installation finishes.
Once the install finishes, I click Finish.
Hopefully, not too long after the install is finished, the download for the Ubuntu ISO will also be finished.
The next tasks involve creating a virtual machine inside of VirtualBox, then associating the Ubuntu ISO image with the virtual machine.
I’ll cover that portion, in the next post.
May 28th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
[...] it with my Ubuntu ISO image. I install Ubuntu on the VM. Last, I tweak the settings for my VM. Here is part 1 Here is part 2 Here is part 3 Here is part [...]