VirtualBox

VirtualBox is virtualization software with not-so-much glidges.

use it

To use it, find out your distribution and proceed accordingly:

SUSE Linux 12.2 to 13.1

• install it

yast -i virtualbox-qt

• start it

/etc/init.d/vboxdrv start
VirtualBox

SUSE Linux 12.1

• install it

yast -i virtualbox-qt

• start it

VirtualBox

SUSE Linux 11.4

• install it

yast -i virtualbox

• start it

VirtualBox

SUSE Linux 11.3

• install it

yast -i virtualbox-ose

• load its kernel module

modprobe vboxdrv

• start it

VirtualBox

Virtualize your computer

Let's imagine you want to run an exact copy of your notebook inside VirtualbOx. We call this to virtualize your computer. First, you will need a disk dump from your notebook's harddisk. You can dump the disk over the network onto your desktop using the command

dd if=/dev/sda | ssh root@desktop "cat > hdimage.img"

In this case you would get a file hdimage.img on the computer named desktop. Your only harddisk must be /dev/sda.

Now convert this image:

tweedleburg:~ # VBoxManage convertdd hdimage.img test.vdi
Converting from raw image file="hdimage.img" to file="test.vdi"...
Creating dynamic image with size 7682605056 bytes (7327MB)...

Next, fire up VirtualbOx and Choose New Virtual machine -> Use existing harddisk. Point the wizard to test.vdi and see if it works.

Hints

• increase screen size with Ubuntu

TroubleShooting

Error message:

Failed to open a session for the virtual machine

Solution:

/etc/init.d/vboxdrv start