virtualbox.org

Hello,

Ive heard about VirtualBox for a while now, and ive finally installed it along with using Ubuntu-9.04 as the guest host, i currently have Windows XP as the host. so i was wondering what i can do with it?....

If i use VirtualBox to use the internet does that mean i can get rid of my virus programs on my host?

i hope someone knows what im talking about...

Cheers all

I am afraid not. You see the host is still able to get a virus or rootkit or some other nasty.
Just remember that the only true safe computer is one that is unplugged and locked in a safe.
You need to protect yourself.

Thanks Perryg.

If i was to keep all my virus software on my host, will it still be safer to use the guest host to use the net on? i guess what im trying to say is, if i was browsing and downloaded a file on my guest host and it has a virus, am i then able to execute the guest host and save my host from the virus?

Cheers its really hard to find this information on the net about VirtualBox

First most of the problems that you would get from the web do not have an effect on a Linux system. Contrary to the belief of many there are some. But you will not be able to execute these on a Linux based machine. Also should your Virtual machine become infected you simply delete it and start over again. Should you choose to save snapshots of the VM you can revert back to the state it was before it became infected and discard the one that was infected.

So i can use my guest host (Ubuntu) to use the net and if it gets infected i can discard it? im just trying to figure out away where my internet browsing is a little safer.

Cheers

Hi swayzee_au,

Just to clarify the terminology. The physical machine is called the host machine of simply "host". The OS that boots on the host is called "host OS". The "fake" machine that you created by VirtualBox is called a "virtual machine" or VM. The OS installed inside the VM is call the guest OS (not "guest host").

As Perryg has already pointed out, you just need to save / backup the VM. Either by creating a snapshot of the VM. Or just the poorman's version which is backing up the *.VDI file (this file represents the VM actually) of your VM when you know it is clean. When something bad happen, then just restore the good VDI file over the bad one. In case of attack, your Windows will be likely got hit first before anything could happen to your Ubuntu VM. The Conflicker worm for example, hit by USB key, network shares, without using the Internet.

If you are so concerned about security, may be you should use Ubuntu as host and run Windows in a VM when you really needs to run some Windows application. Of course, you'll need to learn Ubuntu linux and may be say goodbye to your Windows games.

Excellent that cleared it up, i mostly play games like world of warcraft etc, can you tell me what Linux is like running games? and why doesnt it run games?

Because it's weird.

Poofonch wrote:Because it's weird.

Care to explain this to me?

Linux is weird says games made for an operating system are a commercial supply and demand drive to human endeavor. Linux was not a strict commercial endeavor thus doesn't have the viewpoint or need to develop commercial games as win32 programmers would necessarily do. (wordy) Oh, well. The point is that commercial jocks often accuse geeks of being weird because they've got the material goods (guns drugs chicks mafia connections etc.) and in their sadistic manner ridicule that which doesn't fit in their small little game plan. Dale

@AntiMatter & @swayzee_au,

Snapshots are my daily backup but let's carry this to the next level. I use the export/import feature to create a workable clone of the main (original) working machine and build my daily test, trials, and yes goof-ups on clone 1, 2 and sometimes 3. If I hose one so bad that I need reload. I always have the original file to use and just clone it again. Truly remarkable where we have gotten.

@dewittdale,

I hear where you are coming from I just wanted some input from the OP that made the statement. I guess I just don't get it. I am from both sides of the software world and they both have their place just like MAC and PC. They are nothing more than a tool and developed to capture a certain segment of the populace. Since the Virtual world, it has finally gotten to a place where we can enjoy all of the tools without spending small fortunes to build individual boxes to achieve our goal.

Deep in my heart I knew you wanted to get it from the horses mouth. But alas this is my nature to interject. Sorry if I shorted the process. I figured you already knew my response on a concept level. All elementary.

On your primary response. I had to relinquish use of opensolaris on a virtualbox guest. The ZFS snapshots get all out of kilter when you lean on the virtualbox snapshots. It seemed to me an either or situation. And, virtualbox snapshots are easier to comprehend than the ZFS intricacies. Mind you when my hardware purchases come up in time I'll use an opensolaris host. It is strange sun and sun not matching in this regard. I keep snapshots only as a one step protective barrier. One deep. I've heard you can make live snapshots. But I've yet to prove that too myself. Ain't gonna go to vmware for proprietary is only for desperate situations where one has no time to devote.

I don't use browser protection. All my virtual firefox's take their bookmarks from the win32 firefox which is slightly quicker. I mainly use virtual ubuntu to run plone instances on the raw ip. Judicious use of snapshots and VBoxManage clonehd keeps me happy right now. Just slow development type stuff.

@ dewittdale

FTW..... Imagine if they did make games for Linux, i know i would switch over..... even better why cant we have an OS for a soul purpose of playing games on, that would be cool, but i do get where you are coming from.
You said Linux has a place among other OS like Mac & Microsoft, would Linux be there because its free?

@ Perryg

VirtualBox is great but im not sure if i have any use for it, i mean i mostly play games and browse the net, i could use VirtualBox to browse the net and like you said create snapshots and if anything went wrong ill just load the image and im off again, but if my guest host gets a virus does it then effect my host OS, im pretty sure you mentioned it can in some way. and when i say i use the net its not that often, so i guess im stuck with Microsoft unless you can think of a way where i can play all my games on Linux, and hopefully one day i could play them all on Linux.

That said we should be in space by now, we havent gotten anyware and im pretty sure you where talking about software lol, untill then we continue to dig up our resources, supply and demand, supply and demand, that what will get us and start wars.
Anyway sorry about that
Cheers

Free software is free to work on. Free money isn't money.