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Virtual Machine Management

Last edited by jtkenny

Setting up your virtual machine

We recommend that users install Oracle VM VirtualBox to run our Open Virtual Appliance (OVA or ".ova") files. Information for installation and VM import/export is listed below on this page.

For more in-depth information regarding how to export, import, set immutability, etc., feel free to take a look at the document provided by MicroCART's May 2023 team: Use link here

VM Installations

Download Oracle VM VirtualBox Here The link above brings you to the Oracle VirtualBox website to choose between recent VirtualBox installations.

Download Virtual Machine File (Currently housed on CyBox, eventually needs to change)

Importing a .ova VM File

  • Open Oracle VM VirtualBox
  • Navigate to File->Import Appliance, or click the orange arrow button titled "Import"
  • Browse your file directory by clicking the file button to the right of the path bar or by directly typing in the path of the directory desired for the Virtual Machine (the path must point to a file with a valid .OVA file extension)
  • Click Next
  • Check all of the available appliance settings. Make sure everything looks correct from previous use or description
  • Click Finish
  • Wait for import to finish, might take a couple of minutes to complete.

Exporting a .ova VM File

  • Open Oracle VM VirtualBox
  • Select the VM you want to export as a copy (in our case, it would be 488_MP-4_VM or related)
  • GO through the General and System Settings of the selected VM and make sure they sound correct. In our case, they should look like:
  1. Operating System: Ubuntu Linux (64-bit)
  2. Base Memory: 4096MB - for lab machines, maximum allocated memory is best.
  3. Processors: 2 (Varies per machine, for lab machines, maximum allowed cores would be best. For personal use, check the amount of cores available on personal PCs)

image

  • Open File -> Select "Export Appliance Tab"
  • Click next until you reach the "Format Settings" page
  1. Keep format as "Open Virtualization Format 1.0" unless otherwise specified
  2. Change the file to the desired path and name of the VM file (must end using the .ova extension)
  3. Select MAC Address Policy as "Include all network adapter MAC addresses"
  4. Additionally, include "Write Manifest File" to include export configs of the VM
  • Click next and confirm all parameters for the appliance settings seem correct to your liking. Primarily check to make sure the Guest OS Type, CPU, and RAM are all correct. Include all other parameters to your liking as well. (To change this, you will need to exit out of the export and change the VM parameters by going to the main menu and clicking the "settings" button (should be displayed as a large orange cog icon)

Picture1.png

  • Press Finish
  • VM will begin writing and will take a couple of minutes for the writing to finish.

Reducing Virtual Disk Image (.vdi) size

After editing the contents of a Virtual Disk Image (VDI), you might notice that the file size quickly increases as you change the content within the VM directory. It is recommended to often find ways to reduce the size to ensure that the VDI doesn't take up as much space as possible.

Here are some resources to check out to further learn more about reducing VM size:

  1. How to Shrink a VirtualBox Virtual Machine and Free Up Disk Space
  2. Zerofree on Ubuntu 18.04 (2018)

Upgrade Guest Additions

If you see errors like below or the screen doesn't fill up the screen, you may need to update guest additions for the VM

Screenshot_2024-05-03_174036

In order to do this follow the following steps:

  1. In the top menu go to Devices -> Insert Guest Additions CD
  2. A CD icon should appear on the Desktop. Click on it to open its directory and open a terminal.
  3. Run sudo ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run
  4. This should resize the screen and remove the errors popping up on the screen.

Making a VM immutable

Making a VM immutable

VM Snapshot Operations

Snapshots in reference to Virtual Machines are specifically saved states of the image loaded onto the machine.

Here is a link to Oracle's VirtualBox Snapshot Wiki.

Creating a Snapshot

  1. Open your machine and get it running
  2. Click Machine -> Take Snapshot

(This can also be done while the VM is paused/off)

  1. If VM is off, select in the left pane where you imported
  2. In the upper right corner, select "Current State" -> Snapshots
  3. Create Snapshot from here!

Restoring a Snapshot

  1. Select the VM to work with from the left pane it was imported in
  2. Click snapshots button in upper right corner
  3. Right-click snapshot to restore
  4. Click "restore"
  5. In resulting window, uncheck the box for "Create A Snapshot Of The Current Machine State"
  6. Click Restore

Deleting a Snapshot/Discarding Saved State

  1. Select the VM in the left pane
  2. Click snapshots in the upper right corner
  3. Right click snapshot to delete
  4. Click "Delete Snapshot"
  5. Press delete!

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