How to virtualize Ubuntu on Vista

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James Bannan16 December 2008, 10:00 PM

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Want to virtualize Ubuntu on top of Windows Vista for free? Check out our step-by-step tutorial!

Page 5 - Install Guest Additions

Step 5 - Install Guest Additions

Most virtualization solutions offer a software package which can be installed on guest machines which provides better access to the host hardware and other resources like shared folders, clipboard, file copying and so on.

Once the Ubuntu VM has been installed and has rebooted, log in to GNOME. Then, press the host key to release the cursor, then select the Devices menu and then "Install Guest Additions". This mounts the additions image into the VM.

Click back into Ubuntu and open a terminal - Applications, Accessories, Terminal. Type in the following command:

"sudo /media/cdrom/VBoxLinuxAdditions-x86.run" and press Enter (assuming you've installed a 32-bit Ubuntu system). This will start the Guest Additions installation script.

Once complete, reboot the system for the additions to take effect. The shortcut to reboot from the terminal is:

"sudo shutdown -r 0"

Once the system restarts there will be some obvious improvements - the keyboard and mouse cursor input are automatically captured and released without having to use the host key, and there's an overall improvement in performance.

Continue to page 6: More Virtualbox Options: Page 1 Intro; Page 2 Install VirtualBox; Page 3 Create New Ubuntu VM; Page 4 Install Ubuntu; Page 5 Install Guest Additions; Page 6 More Virtualbox Options

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Schermy (New user):

I found that you needed to run the command sudo bash VBoxLinuxAdditions.run after navigating to the correct folder cd /media/cdrom

27 December 2008, 4:57 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

JBannan (New user):

interesting - when you used the command mentioned in the tutorial, was there an error?

27 December 2008, 6:28 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

António Canha (New user):

I have a Turion 64 x2 and my machine get's slower and gives a bluescreen about usb device. After deinstalation of Sun xVM VirtualBox 2.0.2 all run's well.

07 January 2009, 7:38 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

JBannan (New user):

There is an updated version of VirtualBox available now - have you tried that?

08 January 2009, 2:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Mitchell (New user):

HHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPP !!!!!!!!!!!!! After you continue from pages 4 to 5, my sun xvm thing only showed black. So I closed it and repopened it. It asked for the user name- I entered my info. When it asked me for the pass- every time I typed, it didn't show any letters!!!!! Is that supposed to happen???????????????? Please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It won't let me in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

09 March 2009, 2:24 AM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend

TJGeezer (New user):

The article's impossible to read in Firefox 3.6 or MS Internet Explorer - none of the long lines wrap to the margins. Maybe there's something haywire with my Windows 7 browsers, but I don't see this problem elsewhere.

28 June 2010, 10:39 AM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend