Need help installing Ubuntu

[Tigercat212]

Hey guys!

I installed Virtualbox for Mac OSX Hosts. Now, I have a Macbook. This is the right version to download right?

I am having a little bit of trouble installing Ubuntu in a VM though. I want to download Ubuntu 8.04 Desktop edition. But, I am confused as to which version to get. Is the Black Macbook a Standard Personal Computer (x86 architecture, PentiumTM, CeleronTM, AthlonTM, SempronTM) or is it a 64 bit AMD or Intel Computer. I first downloaded the Standard Personal Computer version but when I go to boot it up, it says "Press F12 to select boot device." But, if you press F12 on a Macbook, that is the volume up button. So, I ignored that and let it run, only to have it stop at this window:



Then, it just freezes at this screen and never moves at all.

Did I download the right version of Virtualbox?

Then, I was wondering if I downloaded the right .ISO file?. Here is a screenshot of the file on my desktop:




I downloaded it from the Ubuntu website. Is that the correct ISO needed to run Ubuntu inside of Virtualbox?

As you know, when you first boot up a VM on Virtualbox, you go through a first run wizard for the OS. Now, when it said to select the media in which the install for your OS is on, I went and selected Floppy Device and image file. I then selected the .iso on my desktop. Here is a picture of what I did:




Is that what I'm supposed to do?

One last question. When setting up a new OS Virtual Machine, it asks you for the name of the OS and the OS type. When installing Ubuntu, do I choose Linux 2.6 or Ubuntu for the OS type?

Thanks in advance to all of you who can help me. Also, thanks for reading my long post. I really appreciate your help!

Thanks guys (and gals),

Tigercat212

[amagine]

Yes you have the right version of UBUNTU.

i386 is considered the cpu in your MacBook

You will be Emulating a CD/DVD drive to Install from your "Ubuntu.ISO" image.

A floppy disk is restricted to 1.44 - 2.8MB ( I think...) so you will be hard pressed to install anything with a floppy besides DOS apps.

On your MacBook you should have a Function Key --> FN <-- that you can press to utilize the F1 to F12 Keys.

Good Luck!

[Tigercat212]

OK, so I got Ubuntu working in the VM in Virtualbox, booting from the CD/DVD ISO. Now though, when I go into Ubuntu, I get this message:




It seems as if I can't boot into the .ISO twice. What am I doing wrong? That seems a bit ridiculous to me. Also, how do you expand the VM to full screen?

[TerryE]

Just out of interest, how did you download the ISO, bitTorrent or http? I have been burnt a few times by partial downloads, so I use bitTorrent now even though my ISP uses shaping to throttle torrent download. It's just a guaranteed delivery. Go to the ubuntu site and get the MD5 then check your ISO to make sure that its all there.

The ISOs are read-only so you can use them as many times as you like

[Tigercat212]

I downloaded it from the Ubuntu website. What does the MD5 do and can you give me a link?

[TerryE]

google wiki md5. Then search http://releases.ubuntu.com/hardy/ for MD5.

Also have a look the Forum Posting Guide for help in framing Qs. We sort of expect you to try to search for answers just a little before asking trivial Qs.

[Tigercat212]

I found out what I was doing wrong before. Every time I entered the VM, I needed to mount the disk image. But, I have a question. Is there any setting that I can adjust so it automatically mounts the .ISO when I boot to Ubuntu.

A few more questions:

1. How can I install Ubuntu permanently so it is on my virtual hard drive but not on my OSX file? Also, after I install it on the VM, can I delete the .iso file on my OSX hard drive?

2. Can I put xVM Virtualbox into Seamless mode like in Parallels so that I can copy files and text from OSX to Ubuntu and vice versa?

3. Here is a picture of the options of where to install Ubuntu:

http://img221.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... re1as1.png

Is the part that says free space my virtual hard drive?:

http://img54.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picture2ec2.png

4. After installing Ubuntu on my virtual hard drive, it will run quicker and smoother right? Also, when Shut Down, the Ubuntu VM will have no effect on my OSX file, right?

5. Lastly, I can delete the Ubuntu VM whenever I want to, right?

[Tigercat212]

I actually now am 90% sure that the free space is my virtual hard drive because I just exited Ubuntu and checked my settings and my Hard Disk for the VM which is fairly close to the free space section in that wizard.

Can anyone confirm this though? I'm so cautious because I don't want to overwrite my OSX disk. So, if it is my virtual hard drive, I install Ubuntu on that "virtual" drive?

Thanks in advance guys,

Tigercat212

[aquarius]

Tigercat, so you got ubuntu up and running one time at least? Fine.

Did you attach some Virtual Hard Disk Space to the machine?
And did you tell ubuntu to install permanently?
(It will not touch your Mac, it will install into the virtual disk .vdi instead.)

You could as well use the ubuntu iso like a live cd inside VirtualBox.
Then you would not install, would not need a .vdi file for the virtual machine but would of cause not get a permanent install.

There is a certain step in the install, when ubuntu wants to reboot.
Then your virtual machine's boot sequence must be configured right:
like so: 1 - CD/DVD 2 - hard disk

Perhaps delete the machine and try again from scratch using the VM first run wizard again.

Good Luck

aquarius

[TerryE]

1. How can I install Ubuntu permanently so it is on my virtual hard drive but not on my OSX file? You VDI is a file within the OSX file-system. It looks like a HDD to the guest VM.

1b. After I install it on the VM, can I delete the .iso file on my OSX hard drive? Yes. However, it is also a useful LiveCD so if you have the disk space it is work keeping around.

2. Can I put xVM Virtualbox into Seamless mode like in Parallels. Search the manual for "Seamless"

2b. so that I can copy files and text from OSX to Ubuntu and vice versa? Search the manual for "Shared Folders"

3. Here is a picture ... Is the part that says free space my virtual hard drive? If you define your VDI size as 8Gb, for example, it will appear to the Ubuntu Installer as a blank 8Gb disk.

4. After installing Ubuntu on my virtual hard drive, it will run quicker and smoother right?Quicker to boot. With Guest Additions installed you will have excellent mouse / window interaction.

4b When Shut Down, the Ubuntu VM will have no effect on my OSX file, right? Yes.

5. Lastly, I can delete the Ubuntu VM whenever I want to, right? Yes.

[aquarius]

3. Here is a picture of the options of where to install Ubuntu:

http://img221.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... re1as1.png

Is the part that says free space my virtual hard drive?:

yes. It's name reads VBOX HARD DISK and it's about 8 Gig.
seems the size you gave it some steps before. all o.k.

This "VBOX hard disk" is in fact a file in some folder on your MAC hard disk.
If you want to delete the VM this .vdi file will not be deleted. you will have to find and delete it manually.

[amagine]

The User Manual truly is your best friend when using VirtualBox.

notes:

The VirtualMachine is really an XML (text) file that you create when first setting up your GUEST OS.

The XML simply holds configuration settings that communicates between the VirtualBox Application and your GUEST OS to make your GUEST OS feel like it is running on a Seperate Computer the configuration specifications you set/create when using the virtualbox manager Graphical User Interface (GUI).

The "Virtual Hard drive" is similar to your ubuntu.ISO file in that it can be contained on a Hard Drive and then MOUNT like a seperate, and for all purposes for your GUEST OS, Hard drive that can Read and Write.

The file ending for the "Virtual Hard drive" is VDI.

Read the User Manual, it will help you heaps.

[Tigercat212]

So, I got Ubuntu on my VM. But, when I try to install it on my virtual hard drive, it installs but then there's an error at the end and it doesn't install. It happens when I click Restart Now at the end of the install process. So, now I'm using Ubuntu off my .ISO. Now, I am trying to using Compiz Fusion to get desktop effects. I followed instructions that said to go to Appearance Preferences and Desktop Effects and enable Normal or Extra mode. But, it won't let me activate Normal mode let alone Extra mode. Why not? I saw a guy on Youtube running Compiz Fusion on his white Macbook. I have a Black Macbook. Shouldn't I be able to activate desktop effects and install Compiz Fusion. What am I doing wrong?

Also, in full screen mode, it is not full screen but rather the normal sized window surrounded by black. How can I adjust it so only the window is showing and not any black?

Thanks in advance guys,

Tigercat212

[Tigercat212]

One more thing that I need an answer to. I'm not getting any sound in Ubuntu. It says I don't have a sound card configured. Do I need some driver to do this because obviously the Macbook has sound.

Last thing (I hope). Now that I installed Ubuntu, can I delete the .ISO file from my Mac OSX hard drive? By installed, I mean that I have registered so it goes to a login screen and I sign in. Am I at the point where I can delete the .ISO. Because I don't want to delete the ISO prematurely and corrupt my VM.

Any help guys?

Thanks a lot,

Tigercat212