virtualbox.org

I have modified my "/etc/environment" file with a new key/value pair.

However, when I reboot the VM, the file changes are gone.

When I restore from a snapshot, the file changes remain, but the new environment variable is not picked up.

Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong?

Thank you.

The usual mistake is failing to install the guest OS to the virtual hard drive. Many Linux installers offer a "live CD" test mode in which you are running from a RAM disk. Obviously the contents of this disk are lost if the VM is shut down.

Check the size of your system drive. If it is suspiciously small (only a few GB) then you are probably running in live CD mode.

Next time you boot up the VM, check the menus more closely. Choose the "install to local hard disk" option, and remember to eject the install CD if you don't want to continue booting from it forever after.