Help - 1st time - "Erase Disk and Install Linux Mint" !!??

[jessicai]

PLEASE HELP.
I can NOT get this wrong.
I can NOT have this step erase files etc from this 'host' system.
Will selecting the 1st option have any impact on the host OS and files?
Help! Thanks in advance.

Host System: Linux Mint 18.1 Serena
VirtualBox System: Linux Mint 19.1 Tessa

VirtualBox installation step 'message' as follows:

Installation Type

This computer currently has no detected operating systems. What would you like to do?

{the 1st option is preselected}
(1) Erase Disk and Install Linux Mint
Warning: This will delete all your programs, documents, photos, music, and any other files in all operating systems.

(2) Something else

{PLEASE SEE SCREEN CAPTURE}

Am I supposed to accept the default button approach of "Erase Disk and Install Linux Mint"? Will this have ANY impact on my host (does it just refer to the new virtual area on my computer)? Hoping my question is clear. Thank you.

Mint Tessa WORKS going full screen now15 - yikes the top one ERASE EVERYTHING.png (59.83 KiB) Viewed 4352 times

[socratis]

Your virtual machine can only operate within its own limits and will not "cross" to your real host. So, pick the "Erase disk and install Linux Mint". That will erase the virtual hard drive (the VDI file) that you have attached to your VM, nothing on your actual host.

You sound like a fairly new user to VirtualBox. Since you are expected to know some basic terms before we engage in a meaningful discussion, I would suggest to start by reading three small chapters from the User Manual:

• 1.2. Some terminology,
• 1.8. Creating your first virtual machine and
• 1.9. Running your virtual machine.

Or even better, read the whole chapter 1. First steps.

From ch. 1.8. Creating your first virtual machine for example, you have:

There are many and potentially complicated ways in which Oracle VM VirtualBox can provide hard disk space to a VM, see chapter 5, Virtual Storage, but the most common way is to use a large image file on your “real” hard disk, whose contents Oracle VM VirtualBox presents to your VM as if it were a complete hard disk.

Or in other words, what Linux Mint sees as an entire disk, is actually a single, rather large VDI file on your host.

[jessicai]

socratis, thank you.
I am down in the weeds and over my pay grade here.
I'm just simply attempting to set up a local Wordpress environment to do some development for a little sport related project for kids throughout North America.
PS You are a wonderful writer. So, once again, thank you for your response, patience, and guidance.
Be well.

Here are a couple of links stating that I should be okay selecting the "Erase Disk and Install Linux Mint" option.

viewtopic.php?t=47316
https://askubuntu.com/questions/562329/ ... erase-disk

crossing my fingers ... here we go.