===== VBoxHeadless - Running Virtual Machines With VirtualBox 4.1 On A Headless Ubuntu 12.04 Server =====
\\ This guide explains how you can run virtual machines with [[http://www.virtualbox.org/|VirtualBox 4.1]] on a headless Ubuntu 12.04 server. Normally you use the VirtualBox GUI to manage your virtual machines, but a server does not have a desktop environment. Fortunately, VirtualBox comes with a tool called VBoxHeadless that allows you to connect to the virtual machines over a remote desktop connection, so there's no need for the VirtualBox GUI. \\
I do not issue any guarantee that this will work for you!\\
=== 1 Preliminary Note ===
I have tested this on an Ubuntu 12.04 server (host system) with the IP address //''192.168.0.100''// where I'm logged in as a normal user (user name //''administrator''// in this example) instead of as //''root''//. \\
=== 2 Installing VirtualBox ===
To install VirtualBox 4.1 on our Ubuntu 12.04 server, we open //''/etc/apt/sources.list''//...\\
sudo vi /etc/apt/sources.list
... and add the following line to it:
[...]
deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian precise contrib
Then we download the VirtualBox public key...
wget -q http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/oracle_vbox.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -
... and update our package database:
sudo apt-get update
Afterwards, we install VirtualBox 4.1 as follows:
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r) build-essential virtualbox-4.1 dkms
(The //''dkms''// package ensures that the VirtualBox host kernel modules are properly updated if the Linux kernel version changes.)
\\ Starting with version 4.0, VirtualBox has introduced so called "extension packs" and has outsourced some functionality like remote desktop connection support (VRDP) that was part of VirtualBox packages before version 4.0 into these extension packs. Because we need remote desktop connections to control our virtual machines, we need to install the appropriate extension pack now. Go to [[http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads|http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads]] , and you will find a link to the following extension pack:
\\ //VirtualBox 4.1.18 Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack\\
Support for USB 2.0 devices, VirtualBox RDP and PXE boot for Intel cards.//\\
Download and install the extension pack as follows:
cd /tmp
wget http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/4.1.18/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.1.18-78361.vbox-extpack
sudo VBoxManage extpack install Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.1.18-78361.vbox-extpack
(Make sure you grab the latest version from the VirtualBox web site.)
\\ (Make sure you run the last command with sudo - //''sudo VBoxManage extpack install ...''// - because otherwise you will get an error like this:\\
\\ //administrator@server1:/tmp$ VBoxManage extpack install Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.1.18-78361.vbox-extpack\\
0%...\\
Progress state: NS_ERROR_FAILURE\\
VBoxManage: error: Failed to install "/tmp/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.1.18-78361.vbox-extpack": The installer failed with exit code 127: Error creating textual authentication agent: Error opening current controlling terminal for the process (`/dev/tty'): No such device or address\\
administrator@server1:/tmp$//\\
)
Now we must add the user that will run VirtualBox (//''administrator''// in this example) to the //''vboxusers''// group:
sudo adduser administrator vboxusers
VirtualBox is now installed and ready to be used.
=== 3 Using VirtualBox On The Command Line ===
== 3.1 Creating A VM ==
To create a VM on the command line, we can use the //''VBoxManage''// command. See
VBoxManage --help
for a list of available switches and (highly recommended!) take a look at [[http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch08.html|http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch08.html]].
I will now create an Ubuntu 12.04 Server VM with 512MB memory and a 10GB hard drive from the Ubuntu 12.04 Server iso image (which I have stored in //''/home/ubuntu-12.04-server-amd64.iso''//):
VBoxManage createvm --name "Ubuntu 12.04 Server" --register
VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu 12.04 Server" --memory 512 --acpi on --boot1 dvd --nic1 bridged --bridgeadapter1 eth0
VBoxManage createhd --filename Ubuntu_12_04_Server.vdi --size 10000
VBoxManage storagectl "Ubuntu 12.04 Server" --name "IDE Controller" --add ide
VBoxManage storageattach "Ubuntu 12.04 Server" --storagectl "IDE Controller" --port 0 --device 0 --type hdd --medium Ubuntu_12_04_Server.vdi
VBoxManage storageattach "Ubuntu 12.04 Server" --storagectl "IDE Controller" --port 1 --device 0 --type dvddrive --medium /home/ubuntu-12.04-server-amd64.iso
== 3.2 Importing An Existing VM ==
Let's assume you have a VM called //''examplevm''// that you want to reuse on this host. On the old host, you should have a directory //''Machines/examplevm''// in the VirtualBox directory; //''Machines/examplevm''// should contain the //''examplevm.xml''// file. Copy the //''examplevm''// directory (including the //''examplevm.xml''// file) to your new //''Machines''// directory (if your user name is administrator, this is //''/home/administrator/.VirtualBox/Machines''// - the result should be //''/home/administrator/.VirtualBox/Machines/examplevm/examplevm.xml''//).
In addition to that copy the //''examplevm.vdi''// file from the old //''VDI''// directory to the new one (e.g. //''/home/administrator/.VirtualBox/VDI/examplevm.vdi''//).
Afterwards, you must register the imported VM:
VBoxManage registervm Machines/examplevm/examplevm.xml
== 3.3 Starting A VM With VBoxHeadless ==
Regardless of if you create a new VM or import an old one, you can start it with the command:
VBoxHeadless --startvm "Ubuntu 12.04 Server"
(Replace //''Ubuntu 12.04 Server''// with the name of your VM.)
//''VBoxHeadless''// will start the VM and a VRDP (//''VirtualBox Remote Desktop Protocol''//) server which allows you to see the VM's output remotely on another machine.
To stop a VM, run
VBoxManage controlvm "Ubuntu 12.04 Server" poweroff
To pause a VM, run
VBoxManage controlvm "Ubuntu 12.04 Server" pause
To reset a VM, run
VBoxManage controlvm "Ubuntu 12.04 Server" reset
To learn more about //''VBoxHeadless''//, take a look at
VBoxHeadless --help
and at [[http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch07.html#vboxheadless|http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch07.html#vboxheadless]].
=== 4 Connecting To A VM From A Remote Desktop ===
== 4.1 Windows XP ==
\\ You can use the built-in //''Remote Desktop Connection''// utility to connect to the VM:\\
\\
{{:virtualbox:vboxheadless:headless:1.jpg|}}
\\
\\ Type in the hostname or IP address of the host (not the guest!): \\
\\
{{:virtualbox:vboxheadless:headless:2.jpg|}}
\\
\\ And voilà, you should be connected to the VM: \\
\\
{{:virtualbox:vboxheadless:headless:3.png|}}
\\
== 4.2 Ubuntu 12.04 ==
\\ On Ubuntu 12.04 desktops, you can use the //''Remmina Remote Desktop Client ''// to connect to the VM. Just search for //''remote desktop''// and then double-click the //''Remmina Remote Desktop Client''// icon: \\
\\
{{:virtualbox:vboxheadless:headless:4.jpg|}}
\\
\\ In the //''Remmina Remote Desktop Client''//, click on the plus icon to add a new remote desktop connection: \\
\\
{{:virtualbox:vboxheadless:headless:5.jpg|}}
\\
\\ In the //''Remote Desktop Preference''// window, fill in a name for the profile (like //''Ubuntu 12.04 Server''//), make sure that //''RDP''// is selected as the protocol (it should be selected by default), then fill in the host IP address - not the IP of the VirtualBox guest! - in the //''Server''// field, and select a higher //''Color depth''// than the default of 8bpp - 16bpp is ok. Then click on //''Connect''//: \\
\\
{{:virtualbox:vboxheadless:headless:6.jpg|}}
\\
\\ And voilà, you should be connected to the VM: \\
\\
{{:virtualbox:vboxheadless:headless:7.jpg|}}
\\
== 4.3 If The Remote Desktop Connection Doesn't Work... ==
\\ If the remote desktop connection doesn't work, you've probably missed the step where I install the VirtualBox extension pack in chapter 2. Please install the extension pack now, stop your virtual machine (see chapter 3.3), and modify your virtual machine to accept remote desktop connections:\\
VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu 12.04 Server" --vrde on
\\ (If the extension pack is already installed when you create your virtual machine, remote desktop connections are automatically enabled.)\\
\\ Then start your virtual machine again. \\
=== 5 Links ===
* VirtualBox: [[http://www.virtualbox.org/|http://www.virtualbox.org/]]
* Ubuntu: [[http://www.ubuntu.com/|http://www.ubuntu.com/]]
==== Revisioni ====
^ Revisioni ^^
^ Autore | [[http://www.howtoforge.com/forums/member.php?u=2|falko]] |
^ Ultima Modifica | Thu 2012-06-28 |
^ Pagine ^^
| [[http://www.howtoforge.com/vboxheadless-running-virtual-machines-with-virtualbox-4.1-on-a-headless-ubuntu-12.04-server]] ||
| [[http://www.howtoforge.com/vboxheadless-running-virtual-machines-with-virtualbox-4.1-on-a-headless-ubuntu-12.04-server-p2]] ||