Which version to download for mac use?

[mikehende]

Hello guys, I would like to create a linux cd to use on mac, someone of the mac forum advised me to first download VB then I can install Ubuntu linux into it. I read the manual but can't understand what I should do. From reading the manual, I am thinking that VB is a software which can host other softwares inside of it, if this is accurate then I am not understanding how I could create a cd for VB with Ubuntu inside of it , help please?

[mpack]

I am thinking that VB is a software which can host other softwares inside of it

No, that is not accurate enough.

VirtualBox is software which can emulate the hardware of a DOS/Windows PC (either x86 or AMD64). It's exactly like building your own custom PC. You pick this motherboard, that size of hard disk, that network card, that style of keyboard, etc. I call this the recipe for your custom PC.

Just like with a custom PC you then need to install an Operating System. We call this operating system "the guest OS".

Actually if we back up a step: if you know what the guest OS is going to be then VirtualBox has built into it a bunch of template recipes which are suitable for a variety of guest OS's.

So. You create the VM, you tell VirtualBox what the guest OS is going to be, and you point it at your guest OS installer ISO, wait a while, answer a few customisation questions and it's done.

Guest OS installer ISOs can be downloaded from the relevant website. E.g. an Ubuntu installer can be found on the Ubuntu website.

You should at least read chapter one of the user manual. It will say what I just said above, but in more detail.

[mikehende]

Thanks, I had read chapter one as mentioned but I seem to be missing a most basic concept or maybe I am wrong in comparing how a linux disc works to this system? Ok so please bear with me as I take baby steps to try and figure this out. When i wish to read a HDD's content on a windows machine which won;t boot from a damaged HDD, I use linux software like Parted Magic or Puppy linux on a disk. I am thinking ok I need the same deal for Mac machines so I am thinking create a bootable linux disk for mac using Ubuntu, that was my intention before being told about Virtual Box.

Where Virtual Box [VB I call it] is concerned I am thinking I would need to create a bootable disk with the VB software, is this not how it works please?

[mpack]

No, VBox (VB to me means Visual Basic) is nothing like a rescue CD. VirtualBox can't run from a CD or USB stick, it has to be installed on the host because it comes with a bunch of device drivers which allow it to e.g. redirect network and USB traffic to a VM.

What exactly is your goal? If you want to be able to run Windows or Linux apps on your Mac host (without rebooting) then you need a VM. If you want to repair a disk then you need a disk repair tool.

Note that the VM is not (conceptually) running Windows software on a Mac host. What a VM does is let you have a second PC without buying extra hardware. On the second PC you can install Windows (or Linux), and it's the Windows PC which runs Windows apps. The virtual Windows PC has very little access to your Mac (pretty much nothing that a physical second PC wouldn't have), so a VM would not be a good choice if you wanted to manipulate Mac hardware in some way.

[mikehende]

That's what I figured. My goal is to pop in a cd with a linux app in it to try read a mac's damaged internal HDD which is why I was seeking to create a bootable cd with Ubuntu

[mpack]

Then I would agree that your first instincts were correct. You need a recovery CD that can boot on a Mac. A VM is almost useless for you, for the stated task.

[mikehende]

Yes, will do. Appreciate the help though, thank you. If I should ever have need for VM software I will come back here, take it easy.