RSSSun takes command of VirtualBox, adds 64-bit, VHD support
by Scott M. Fulton, III
It should be the easiest, most readily available software anywhere for setting up a Linux environment on a Windows host. And maybe it will be, but in the meantime, BetaNews tests seem to indicate VirtualBox 2.0.0 has a few hurdles to overcome.
It's that latter addition that, if it all works, could be the big one: Up to now, VirtualBox has been using its own Virtual Disk Image (VDI) format for the creation of files whose contents behave like the images of hard disks, for the sake of virtual machines. VMware, by comparison, uses .VMDK files and Microsoft's Virtual PC uses VHD files. Though VMware's basic virtualization client is also free, it's principal use is for running virtual servers; while VirtualBox had been, up to now, one of the most readily accessible and deployable means for running a Linux guest environment on a Windows-based host.
So naturally, we gave it a shot. The results, I'm afraid, were less than stellar.
First, we uninstalled the final Innotek VirtualBox from our Windows XP Professional-based, 32-bit host system. That removed the executable files, but left the XML-based settings files intact. Still, the new version 2 has adopted a new XML scheme for those files, and the conversion process is proving to be a pickle.
The new Sun VirtualBox insists on keeping its own settings files behind the \Documents and Settings folder in Windows XP. But because there's special permissions applied to that folder -- at least, since a handful of security updates -- the 2.0.0 build, for some reason, is not identifying itself to Windows as a properly authenticated process. So it cannot back up the previous settings files to the same folder where the Innotek version had no trouble with them before, nor can it create new settings files in that folder.
Once we wrestled with the default locations for settings and virtual machine snapshots, we were at last able to boot our Mandriva Linux VM...after eleven tries. But we have been unable to create VM envelopes, if you will, for any of the .VHD disk image files created in either Virtual PC 2007 or Virtual Server 2005 R2. "FATAL: No bootable medium found! System halted," reads the error message sent back by Sun's virtual BIOS.
There are two possibilities. One is that version 2 is still looking behind a barrier of directories whose security settings are set for exclusive users -- in other words, not for "Everyone." Another is that there's something about well-used VHD images that Sun's new VirtualBox is missing.
We'll continue our tests and let you know what we find out. If you have your own successes or failures, we invite you to do the same and let us know what you find.
8 Comments
I couldn't get any vhd running, too.
My host is an Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) and the guests are Win XP and 2003 Server.
The images were created under VirtualPC 2005 and 2007.
I also upgrdaed from VirtualBox OSE 1.6 to Sun VirtualBox 2.0 using the Synaptic packet manager.
Could the happy people that are able to boot vhd images please post some more information?
Running VPC images is the major reason why i switched to 2.0.
Score: 0
I was not able to boot a single one of my vhd-files, each giving a new error message. These files work great in Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1.
Running VirtualBox on a Windows 2003 R2 x86 server.
Score: 0
I dumped the VERY buggy VMWare 6 Workstation for this. VMWare has never been the same since version 6. This product made virtualization on my desktop a decent experience again (no key remapping glitches, no network linked keyboard buffer glitches, no arcane Event Log errors about being unable to connect to a VMDK, no... )
As far as I'm concerned, VMWare had better watch their a** on the desktop - this now owns them, especially in light of the price.
Score: 0
This is a decent tool that needs a few tweaks to make it a great tool.
Plusses:
+ It has better video emulation so linux runs without a lot of tweaking (color depth)
+ It has a snapshotting feature
Minuses:
- Native Host network support is missing from the windows install (it exists for linux/sun)
- Won't run if Virtual PC or VMWare is running
If the minuses can be corrected it'll likely replace Virtual PC on my desktop system.
Score: 0
Excellent.
Best stuff since sliced bread. Definitely downloading this.
Score: 0
Unless I'm missing something here VMware's GSX and ESX environment already support Linux os's? This sounds like another way behind the game company making an attempt at a virtual environment added to the list of other late comers.
Score: 0
There is something very very off with your XP installation, I didn't have any of those problems and I was also upgrading from a previous version of VirtualBox. I just ran the installation, let it upgrade and then simply launched the new version, all my virtual machines are running just fine. The same goes for VHD images, no issues there.
Score: 0
The writer tolled that he updated from Innotek's VirtualBox but there has been some time a Sun name VirtualBox so if you khagaroth have upgraded from that then you shouldn't have problems with upgrading like I also didn't.
Haven't yet tested this baby on Vista but not any big problems with XP.
Score: 0