(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

See also:
HOWTO: Clone a VirtualBox 1.5.0 Virtual Disk
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=21796

HOWTO: Shrink a VirtualBox 1.5.0 Windows Guest Virtual Disk
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=21797


How To...
Install VirtualBox under Puppy Linux 2.17
and Run Windows Applications in Seamless Mode

VirtualBox allows you to run a virtual copy of Windows XP inside a window, or full screen, or now -- seamlessly. That means you can have Puppy apps running in windows alongside Windows windows. When running in seamless mode, you'll see two taskbars -- a Puppy taskbar (IceWM in my case) and then a Windows taskbar right on top of that.

I'm running a frugal install, so if you're not, you may have to adapt
parts of this.

Here's how to make it happen:

1. Install dev_217.sfs -- this is the development environment
2. Install Puppy-kernel-source_217.sfs -- this is the kernel source

These two steps must be completed first. Basically, you download the
sfs files, drop them wherever your pup_217.sfs is located, then reboot.

3. Install VirtualBox_1.5.0_Linux_x86.run

Here's a link:
http://www.virtualbox.org/download/1.5. ... ux_x86.run

When you install it, you can specify an installation directory. I downloaded it to /mnt/home. Then I opened a terminal window and ran:
cd /mnt/home
chmod +x VirtualBox_1.5.0_Linux_x86.run
./VirtualBox_1.5.0_Linux_x86.run install /mnt/home/VBox
(That would install it to /mnt/home/VBox)

4. Install libsdl-1.2.9.pet
5. Install qt-3.3.6.pet

I think these two pets can be found in the normal package manager.

6. Edit /etc/rc.d/rc.vboxdrv

Delete lines 165 to 168:

chown :$groupname $dev || {
rmmod $modname
fail "Cannot change owner $groupname for device $dev"
}

7. Edit /etc/rc.d/rc.local

Add the following lines:

/etc/rc.d/rc.vboxdrv setup
# Start vboxnet
if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.vboxnet ]; then
/etc/rc.d/rc.vboxnet start
fi
# Start vboxdrv
if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.vboxdrv ]; then
/etc/rc.d/rc.vboxdrv start
fi

7. Reboot
8. run VirtualBox

9. Install a windows guest OS.

Next, install an XP guest operating system. See VirtualBox.org or read
the docs if you need help there.

10. Install the Guest Additions

Boot your guest OS, then click Device, Install Guest Additions from the
VirtualBox menu. Reboot the guest OS.

11. Switch to seamless mode by typing HOST+L (The host key is the right control key by default, so it would be RIGHT_CONTROL+L.)

You are now in seamless mode and can launch windows apps right from your Puppy desktop. Enjoy.

A picture is worth a 1000 words, so if you're having trouble visualizing the benefits of VirtualBox seamless mode, here you go:

this is really cool in a twisted mad scientist sort of way before you know it we will be able to get 3d acceleration in virtual box i mean what else is there to add?

Very cool indeed.

Just wondered if it is possible and easy to hide the windows taskbar when required, in order to save screen realestate?

Right-click on the Windows taskbar, select Properties, and check Auto-Hide the Taskbar

Frugal Puppy 2.17 with dev_217.sfs copied to /mnt/home.

When installing VirtualBox in rxvt, an error ocurred:

# ./VirtualBox_1.5.0_Linux_x86.run install /mnt/home/VBox
Verifying archive integrity... All good.
Uncompressing VirtualBox for Linux installation........
VirtualBox Version 1.5.0 (Fri Aug 31 14:57:25 CEST 2007) installation
Please install the build and header files for your current Linux kernel.
The current kernel version is 2.6.21.5
Problems were found which would prevent VirtualBox from installing.
Please correct these problems and try again.

How to solve this?

Thanks,

Problems were found which would prevent VirtualBox from installing.
Please correct these problems and try again.

How to solve this?

I would suspect that your dev and kernel source sfs files are not getting loaded when you boot Puppy.

Try clicking Start, System, BootManager Configure Bootup

Click Load SFS files (the top icon)
Make sure that, on the right side you have:

devx_217.sfs
kernel-source_217.sfs

Save and reboot.

Thank you,
I confounded kernel-source_217.sfs with pup_217.sfs.
So I have to download this 52mB file. It runs well.
This is what I was seeking for to run Windows OS under Linux.

How much ram would you need for this to run effectively?
(ie not like a cat in mud)

How much ram would you need for this to run effectively?
(ie not like a cat in mud)

It's pretty much the same as running Windows natively on the machine. In other words, if you installed Windows on the machine and it ran slow, it'll run slow under VirtualBox.

Typically, I create Virtual Machines with about 1/2 the ram of the host machine, up to 512MB. Most of my windows VM's are 256MB on machines with 512MB or more installed, and they seem to run great.

I have a hard disk install of Puppy 2.17.1 and get the same message as phi_t_thuy :

# ./VirtualBox_1.5.0_Linux_x86.run install /mnt/home/VBox
Verifying archive integrity... All good.
Uncompressing VirtualBox for Linux installation........
VirtualBox Version 1.5.0 (Fri Aug 31 14:57:25 CEST 2007) installation
Please install the build and header files for your current Linux kernel.
The current kernel version is 2.6.21.5
Problems were found which would prevent VirtualBox from installing.
Please correct these problems and try again.

I have the .sfs file in / which is where the zdrv_217.sfs file is located also I have downloaded the VirtualBox file to here.

The bootloader has been reconfigured to load the two .sfs files, am I missing something or is it because this is a HD install.

I have a hard disk install of Puppy 2.17.1 and get the same message as phi_t_thuy :

As I said earlier, I use a frugal install. The problem is that you need the development system working before you can run VirtualBox, and getting the dev system up on a hard disk install is slightly more complicated than with a frugal install.

Luckily, Barry himself has documented it -- although I have not tested it with VirtualBox there's no reason why it wouldn't work.

http://www.puppylinux.com/hard-puppy.htm (Scroll to the bottom of the page.)

Good luck, and please report back here whether this works for you.

Thanks for the prompt reply.

The compiler works on the HD install as I have been using it for about 2 weeks.

I created a pup_217.sfs file on another partition, loaded all the required files on the same partition and got VBox working with XP, the only problem I encountered was getting the CDROM working but I soon sorted that out.

XP ran alright so now I am back to the hard drive install to see if I can work out how to get VBox working on it.

I decided to try VBox in a frugal install and had success but discovered a problem after installing XP, this is with a 1.2G save_pup.2fs file.

When you create a virtual machine it is in /root/.VirtualBox/VDI. Before you install an OS in the machine move it to /mnt/home then make a symbolic link to it in /root/.VirtualBox/VDI otherwise it will fill your save_pup.2fs file and make it unusable.
This applies to a frugal install as well as a live disk with a save file on a hard drive.

When you create a virtual machine it is in /root/.VirtualBox/VDI

Yeah, I guess it goes without saying you have to change the default paths in VirtualBox. I simply create a directory called /mnt/home/vdi and put my virtual machine (rather, my virtual disk) files there. The virtual machine files (just tiny xml files) can stay in the default place if you like.

I guess I left that out of the instructions, but for me it's standard practice to install anything that might get "big" into /mnt/home.

This is very cool. I'm running XP under Puppy 3.0 on an old laptop HD booted off a USB port.

Thanks!

Running like a dream... and a dream come true. This new feature of VBox is beautiful for those of us that live in a house that can't give up on Windows. To be honest I use some flash programs myself... Anyhoo this is a great thing and I thank you for it.

FYI.. When running Puppy 3+ in a virtual machine it was necessary to use retro puppy to make it work. This required downloading the kernel source AND devx sfs's of puppy 216 and replacing the 216 with 300 or 301.

Gonna dredge this up from the past, and ask those who know, how these notes and hints will work with Puppy 3.01?

What, if any, has to change regarding the sfs files?

I have 3.01 on a full install, but will be happy to use the frugal on another partition, if it will get me windows as a guest.

Does USB work with Virtual Box, for USB devices besides flash drives?

I don't speak linux very well, so I hope any hints or explanations come with their own rossetta stone?

Thank you,

John

I use 3.01 with a frugal install and the corresponding sfs files (noted in the original post). I also use it within a virtual machine (virtual box inside vmware just for the fun of it!) and since retro puppy only works there I use the 2.16 SFS kernel AND devx renamed to 301 and that worked for me. Worked beautifully, I might add, cause now I can have puppy running all the time and my wife, who insists on using only Office 2007, is placated.

Also, I don't know if anyone has tried them yet, but I noticed that vbox 1.5 is available through gslapt as well.

mechvent wrote:I use 3.01 with a frugal install and the corresponding sfs files (noted in the original post). l.

Thanks. I guess I will give it a try. Sounds like fun, and it would be great to have it working.

John