Setting up a Linux VM from Windows with VirtualBox.


VirtualBox is a free virtual machine manager from Oracle.
The instructor has prepared a Linux virtual machine (VM) with all the tools required for CSc 301.

First, download the instructor's Linux virtual machine.
The file is 1.5GB in size (yes, Gigabytes).  You may want to download it in the CSL where there is a fast internet connection.

Go to the VirtualBox download page.
Choose VirtualBox 5.0.12 for Windows hosts  x86/amd64

Once the download is finished, double-click on the file to start the installation.
Follow the dialogs, accepting the default settings.

When installation is complete, launch VirtualBox from the Start Menu.

From the File menu, choose "Import Appliance".
Browse to the instructor's .ova file you downloaded in the previous step.
Click Next.
In the "Appliance Setup" dialog, accept the defaults by clicking "Import".
Observe the progress dialog - about 2-3 minutes.

When the import process finishes, "Lubuntu 15.04 64bit" appears in the left panel of the main window.
Click once to select, then click "Start" on the toolbar.
Wait about 2 minutes for the VM to boot.  The console login screen appears, then disappears.

Ultimately, the desktop GUI appears with a blue background and a login dialog showing "osboxes.org".
Enter the password "osboxes.org".
Wait another 30 seconds or so.  The task bar will appear on the bottom of the screen (use vertical scroll bar if necessary).
The task bar contains quick-launch icons for BlueJ, Firefox, and the Terminal.


When you are finished, close the VM by selecting File -> Close, select the radio button for "Save Machine State" and click OK.  It takes a few moments to save the VM state, then you can close VirtualBox.