In this article, we will guide you through the process of booting a Virtual Box Virtual Machine (VM) with a Live Image. This can be particularly useful when you need to test a new operating system or application without affecting your host system.
What is a Virtual Box VM?
Virtual Box is a powerful, open-source software for running multiple operating systems as virtual machines on a single computer. A Virtual Box VM is a software emulation of a computer system, running on a host system.
What is a Live Image?
A Live Image, often distributed as an ISO file, is a complete, bootable computer installation including an operating system and a collection of applications. It allows you to test an operating system without installing it on your computer.
Booting a Virtual Box VM with a Live Image
Here are the detailed steps to boot a Virtual Box VM with a Live Image:
Step 1: Select the VM
First, open Virtual Box and select the VM you want to boot with the Live Image.
Step 2: Access VM Settings
Click on the “Settings” option, which is typically located in the toolbar at the top of the Virtual Box window.
Step 3: Navigate to the Storage Section
In the settings window, navigate to the “Storage” section. Here you will see the “Storage Tree” which lists all the storage devices attached to your VM.
Step 4: Add the Live Image
Under the “Storage Tree”, select the “Empty” optical disk. In the “Attributes” section, click the pull-down menu with the image of a disk. Select the “Choose Virtual Optical Disk File…” option. This will open a file explorer window. Locate the ISO Live Image file on your system and select it.
Step 5: Boot the VM
Close the settings window by clicking “OK”. Now, when you run the VM, it should boot into the Live Image.
Removing the Live Image
To remove the Live Image and boot into the VM’s original hard drive, follow these steps:
Step 1: Access VM Settings
Just like before, select your VM and click on “Settings”.
Step 2: Navigate to the Storage Section
Go to the “Storage” section.
Step 3: Remove the Live Image
Select the optical disk that you added. In the “Attributes” section, click the pull-down menu with the image of a disk. Select the “Remove Disk from Virtual Drive” option.
Step 4: Boot the VM
Close the settings window by clicking “OK”. When you next boot into your VM, it should boot using its original hard drive.
Conclusion
Booting a Virtual Box VM with a Live Image is a straightforward process and a powerful tool for testing new systems and applications. Always remember to remove the Live Image once you’re done to avoid booting into it unintentionally.
For more information, you can refer to the Virtual Box manual here.
Yes, Virtual Box allows you to run multiple VMs simultaneously. However, keep in mind that running too many VMs at once may affect the performance of your host system.
Yes, Virtual Box allows you to use Live Images from different operating systems than your host system. This is one of the advantages of virtualization, as you can test and run different operating systems without affecting your host system.
Yes, Virtual Box allows you to set up shared folders between your host system and the VM. This allows you to easily transfer files between the two systems.
Yes, Virtual Box allows you to take snapshots of your VM at any point in time. Snapshots capture the entire state of the VM, including the virtual machine’s memory, settings, and disk images. This feature is useful for creating backup points or experimenting with different configurations.
Yes, Virtual Box provides a feature called "Virtual Media Manager" that allows you to resize the virtual hard drive of your VM. This can be useful if you need more storage space for your VM.
Yes, Virtual Box allows you to connect USB devices to your VM. You can enable USB support in the VM’s settings and then select the specific USB device you want to use.
Yes, Virtual Box provides different network modes, including NAT, Bridged, and Host-Only, which allow your VM to access the internet. The specific network mode can be configured in the VM’s settings.
Yes, Virtual Box supports running 64-bit operating systems. However, there are certain requirements for running 64-bit VMs, such as enabling hardware virtualization in your computer’s BIOS and ensuring that your host system is also a 64-bit operating system.
Yes, Virtual Box allows you to export your VM as an appliance, which is a self-contained package that includes the VM’s configuration, disk images, and virtual hardware settings. This appliance can be imported by others using Virtual Box, allowing them to run your VM on their own systems.
Yes, Virtual Box is compatible with Mac operating systems. You can download and install Virtual Box on your Mac and use it to run various operating systems as VMs.
