VirtualBox questions..

Hi;

Just trying VirtualBox 3.2.8...well curiosity hit me. I really do not know how it works other than what I read. So I used an old pc (P4/ 2.5gb ram / 160gb hdd) and have installed XP SP3 in it.

I plan to use/learn VirtualBox for programs trial.

VirtualBox set-up:

512mb memory
16mb video memory
3D acceleration enabled
2D acceleration disabled
Remote display disabled
Storage: 30gb
Audio: Windows DirectSound
Controller: ICHAC97
Network: Adapter1 - PCnet-FASTIII(NAT)
SerialPort: disabled
USB: Device Fileters 0(0active)
Shared Folders: 1

Can you help me with inquirie here, thanks:

a) I have installed software by or through Network Folders (Map Network Drive) of the host(my main system), shared it with the vbox I created. Preliminary installed PDFXchangeViewer free portable, CCleaner, Auslogics Defrag. Is the procedure correct or is there a more good/better approach to what I did?

b) Do you have by your experience "good/tested approaches and it's corresponding settings" for trying out programs in a vbox that maybe very helpful for me...really appreciate this one. s

c) Security is a major concern for me. How can I carry on my existing security set-upto function inside the vbox(AV/firewall/on-demand security apps')...?

d) Is there any tips that you can give me to make my host system secure even when my vbox get's accidentally infected? How may I do that?

e) Can I install a different OS in a virtualbox? Can a 'main system' with XP SP3 have a virtualbox with Vista or better yet Linux or Windows7? If for Vista/Windows7 which I tried in a seperate hdd(on same test system) I did compatibility mode for certain drivers. How will this be in virtualbox?

f) Can I clone the vbox I created? On my host ystem I use Paragon Backup and Restore 10.2, if I clone the full system, will the vbox+settings be inside it?

g) I use only an 16inch LCD monitor with virtualbox display at 920x606...How can I make the display smaller..fonts/icons all-in-all..so if I lsee full view in a small unmaximized window.

h) Can SuRun to run LUA be used inside virtualbox...(might be a stupid idea..you can laugh here..lol..just asking? Or better yet, if you are running LUA via SuRun in the host ae there any issues that I need to know so my usage of VirtualBox will not be hindered?

h) In my other pc I have Returnil System Safe 2011. Is it redundant to have RSS 2011 with VirtualBox? Have you experiences with this?

i) Finally, (to get ideas as to how to use it more effectively...) How do you use VirtualBox? For what purpose and approaches/tips?

I hope I did not bore you with my questions...might sound elementary to VirtualBox users but asking "is" learning

Regards

 

I've always been a bit curious with virtual systems too, but never seem to have the time to devote to it. One plus is that you can run a virtual operating system within (but yet separate from) your current OS. So- let's say you have some valuable software that was discontinued years ago but it runs with Win98- you could install Win98 in a 'virtual box' within your current WinXP (or Vista, or 7) installation, then run your valued software in the virtualized Win98. So to answer some of your questions: a virtual OS is more-or-less identical to a 'regular' OS, but if you get a virus in the virtual OS, it won't spread to the 'regular' OS (or so I've read - no first hand experience). You can run any OS in a VB that you can install: Linux, Win7, Vista, even MacOSX (or so I've been told; I friend said he had Win95, Win98, WinME, Win2000, Linux, MacOS9, MaxOSX, all installed via VB at one time or another). Returnil is a type of virtual environment, I believe it is very similar to a "sandbox" (more info here and here). I have never used Virtual Box or anything like it (or a sandbox), but some quick Googling found these links that should help:
http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Documentation
http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Community
The 2nd link has links to their forums, and they also have an IRC chat where you can discuss VB in real-time with other VB users.....


(just a note - your system specs seem a bit light for an ideal VB experience - a friend has used a different virtualization program and said it worked great, but was slow, and that was with 1gb RAM on a 3ghz Pentium 4 system)

 

First thing to recognise is that as far as the host system is concerned a virtual machine is an external separate machine to which it only has a network connection. Software installed in the 'host' is not seen by nor is it accessible by the 'guest' system, and vice versa. This means that if the guest system becomes infected it cannot infect the host and for this reason VMs are widely used as antivirus testbeds by deliberately exposing them to attack.

Next thing, and probably their most useful feature, is the ability to take snapshots, and to be able quickly to roll the VM system back to any earlier saved snapshot state. This makes them very useful for trying out new software.

You can install as many different operating systems as you like and have disk space for, but only one guest OS can be active at anyone time. So for Windows users who want to try out Linux this is the perfect answer. This is where VMs have a major advantage over dual booting because you have simultaneous access to both your underlying base or host system and to the virtual machine. No tiresome rebooting involved to switch from the one OS to the other.

Also worth installing VMware's Tools. These greatly improve the interface between host and guest, and the way the screen handles the guest system.

Those are the most important things to grasp so just get what iffing and enjoy it

 

to Earthling
Both the main OS and the one running as a virtual can be running at the same time?
Does that mean that you can be folding on both and increase your WU output?

 

Sorry hrlow2, I just don't know what you mean by 'folding on both' and 'WU output'. Anyway, the host system treats the VM as just another open app that it can access, along with any other open apps. The fact that this particular open app can then act as an OS in its own right is not visible to the host system, and this enables you to have simultaneous access to both. I use Win 7 as a base system, but if I need something from XP, or Ubuntu, I open my VM and launch whichever OS I want, all the time still having full access to Win 7.

These VMs do require some of your precious RAM to be dedicated to them, so performance on the host may be affected if too much is taken. Most Linux systems are delighted to be given 512MB, and XP will cope with that too. However Vista or Win7 VMs need a lot more than that so aren't really a practical proposition with less than 3GB RAM. Disk requirements are less of a problem as the space used by the VM is dynamically allocated up to the max you specify.

Personally I use VMWare rather than VirtualBox but both work just fine.

 

My mistake.
I thought you were a folder on the MG team.

 

I'm not sure if this is true of Virtual Box, but it is definitely possible for a host OS to run multiple guest OS's in virtual machines.
At work i sometimes run two virtual machines at once. This is using VMWare though, maybe it's different for Virtual Box.

Yes, that's the point. The main (host) OS runs and the virtual (guest) OS runs on the host, by way of the virtual machine software.

If you are talking about Folding@home then it is certainly possible to run the program on both the host and guest OS. Although since the VM runs on the host, it shares it's CPU usage, so it may not be worth running two separate instances of F@H since they would be running at (roughly) 1/2 the speed as one would.

EDIT: damn, ninja'd by Earthling

 

You have me intrigued. What the heck is a folder?

 

Folding@home
(i assume that is what hrlow2 is talking about)

 

My mistake there. Of course you can run multiple VMs simultaneously as long as your hardware is up to it.

 

to XTAL256
That is what I meant.

 

Hi guys;

Thanks/sorry for the reply.

Am currently reading the replies and please do let me get back at you on these.

Have also added a "Vista-guest" and "Windows7-guest" in my virtualbox. But still under current setup.

I am also trying to connect to the internet to no avail. Any of you guys have any idea how will I do that? Am confused as to use NAT or Bridge or Internal network...

Thanks!

 

When I was using VirtualBox I had to bridge the connections in the host system to get internet in the VM. Believe I used NAT in the VMs. That ought not to be necessary though, maybe a VB user can tell you how it's done.