Minimalist OS to run VirtualBox and Launch VM

[BladeRunner]

Hi Folks,
I browsed the forums topics, but can't manage to find a simple answer to this question :

Does anyone know if there's a pre-built package (ISO form), which includes VBox ?
I'd like to have a minimal core (let say a Linux kernel, with all necessary stacks (Network, USB, ...), but without all unnecessary crap like heavy GDM). This minimal(ist) core, should be able to launch a fully functionnal VBox instance and let me choose which Virtual appliance I'd like to run.

I can build one from a basic Linux distro (for example, Dam small, LInux), but I fear to miss some important package to run VBox.

Any ideas someone ?
Thanks in advance,
Jean-Philippe

[stefan.becker]

Yes, use a standard distro with a LXDE-Desktop. Lubuntu or something else. Thats really lightweight.

All other approaches does not give any effort.

[Technologov]

Such mini OS does not exist, but the idea is flying in the air:

Server Mini-linux distro proposal, based on VirtualBox:
http://forum.gns3.net/topic4436.html

Basically it can be achieved by minimizing Debian into a new "Debian Pure Blend". I will support any such effort.

[stefan.becker]

For what?

If you have problems with RAM or disk space, then buy new hardware. Does not cost as much as the time to investigate in such a solution.

[BladeRunner]

Thanks to u all for your answers.

Stefan, my primary idea was to use an LXDE distro, then remove all uneccessary packages such as AbiWord, CD Burners and so on.
This ain't a problem of disk space or ram, but rather an effort to provide a minimal kernel, such as VWMare ESX, then choose at boot time, which appliance I'd like to run.

Technologov: Thanks for the link about the debian mini-distro. It seems you have the same idea and needs as me...
I'm rather effective on RedHat and CentOS, but as said in your post, they're pretty cold about Vbox. As DSL is based on Debian, it may be a good starting point to rebuild the minimalist VBox (ESX like) kernel, then add a lightwheight GDM such as LXDE and eventually a LVM to dynamically host Appliances as long as they 're added.

I'd like to keep this discussion open, I'm pretty sure we're not alone with such a need

[Perryg]

I don't get it. VirtualBox is an application that you install in an operating system. If you want to install it on a minimal Debian distro just install the distro minimal and then install the *.deb file that matches your distro. All dependencies are noted in the VirtualBox build and can be installed easily.

Usually you would do this without a DM so use dpkg -i and then follow with apt-get -f install to install the dependencies, run the installer again and there you have it.

Mine usually run in at <>1GB But I usually install a few other packages. You can get it under 850MB if you work at it.

[BladeRunner]

Hi Perry, thanks for your answer.

My explanations and wills may seem a little bit confusing as I'm a non native english speaker, but here's what I can tell you :

I already know how to install VBox, either upon a Debian, Mint or Mac OS distro...

What I'm looking for, is to reach the minimal footprint, either in RAM or Diskspace before launching VBox.
I have about 300 machines to upgrade, most of them have very low resources (40Gb HD,1024Mb Ram).
That's the reason why, a classical debian install (or whatever flavor you want), may already have consumed most of the ram and a large part of disk space, even if i managed to strip away all unnecessary crap.

I just found some really interesting discussions into TinyCore Forums, where some people are trying to port VBox to it (They already compiled it into .tcz extensions).

I hope these last explanations may help.

[Perryg]

Sure that explains it but no matter what the distro you choose VirtualBox is a type 2 hypervisor.
As for the smallest I would thing tinycore or dsl would do just as well.
But the pre-compiled more than likely will not be happy. You can install the dependencies (ask if you need to know) and then compile VBox yourself and achieve your goal but I gather you are looking for a turnkey approach. If this is the case I have to say be very careful. There will be no way you can tell what has been installed.

[BladeRunner]

Yep !
I do agree with you :
DSL or TinyCore may be at first sight a good idea, but may quite surely induce problems...

I'm still thinking about it, and have to mesure footprints with a stripped debian.
Thanks for your precious advices.

Have a good night if it's time for you to go to bed.
Anyway, it's time for me !!!

[Perryg]

Give it a try. Download the netinstall and select to install as expert. It only installs what you tell it to. Mine was 669MB before I installed the depends and VBox.
That was with USB, and Net. Just cli no DM.

I have about 300 machines to upgrade, most of them have very low resources (40Gb HD,1024Mb Ram)

Additionally you may get this to work but it depends on what you are installing as a guest as well. The debian minimal install & DSL (haven't tried that one yet) will still consume about 17MB of RAM while idle, and the com server will require about another 64MB on the host side. Leaving you with approx, 768 (realistic) for a guest max.

[susu.exp]

A server install of Solaris 11 (430mb download) will give you ZFS, CrossBow (VBoxBow), Dtrace, and Zones, and run many many instances of VBoxHeadless in multiple Zones on a virtualized network stack.

[BladeRunner]

Susu, perry, thanks again for your advices.

Here's what I'm currentty working on:
A Debian Net Install, and VBox headless as proposed by Susu.
I wonder if X would be enough as basic GDM with VboxHeadless, knowing that my appliances will run in fullscreen mode.
By the way, any idea to start a VM in fullscreen, cant' find the approriate parameter while launching VBOxHeadless...

[Perryg]

Susu, perry, thanks again for your advices.

Here's what I'm currentty working on:
A Debian Net Install, and VBox headless as proposed by Susu.
I wonder if X would be enough as basic GDM with VboxHeadless, knowing that my appliances will run in fullscreen mode.
By the way, any idea to start a VM in fullscreen, cant' find the approriate parameter while launching VBOxHeadless...

Well I am not sure what exactly you are trying to achieve but headless indicates that the guest will not be visible on the host system at all. It will be running in the background and accessible via vRdp/RDP. Now if you are intending to run this as a full guest on the host you are going to need the full DM to get it to work.

Now how to start a VM in full screen? You don't using headless since the guest is not running in the foreground. If you start the VM normally as a full guest on the host and you have the guest additions installed (on the guest) it will remember the last state it was running at. Meaning if you close it while in full screen it will open in full screen the next time you start the VM.

[BladeRunner]

Got it !
I first thought VBoxheadless was a kind of command line support, to be able to launch VM, without the GUI.
I'd better go back to my TI 99/4A ...

[susu.exp]

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