Running Oracle Solaris 11 Express in VirtualBox

The following information pertains to running the live CD ISO image inside the VirtualBox software. You also have the option of running a text installer image inside VirtualBox.

VirtualBox is an application that runs on your operating system to provide a virtual environment, also called a virtual machine, that enables you to install other operating systems as “guests” inside the virtual machine.

Oracle Solaris provides improved host operating system support for VirtualBox. Depending on the configuration, the operating system can proxy USB devices that are plugged into the host operating system to the guest operating system.

The following table describes the host operating systems that VirtualBox supports.

Table 3-2 VirtualBox Hosts

How to Download and Install VirtualBox for Use With Oracle Solaris

If you want to run Oracle Solaris inside VirtualBox, you must first install the VirtualBox software on your system. After VirtualBox is successfully installed, you can run the live CD ISO image as a virtual guest. Or, you can install Oracle Solaris inside VirtualBox, and then run the installed system as a virtual guest.

1. Download the VirtualBox software that is appropriate for your operating system.

   Save the application to your desktop or to a local disk.

2. Download the live CD ISO image.

   To download the image, go to http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/server-storage/solaris11/downloads/index.html. Note that the download can take several minutes to complete.

   For convenience, save the file to the same location that you stored your VirtualBox files.

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   Note - The live CD ISO image requires approximately 685 MB of disk space on your hard drive.

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3. Following the instructions that are specific to your “host” operating system, install the appropriate version of VirtualBox.

   • For instructions on installing VirtualBox on a Windows or Mac OS X (Intel) system, see How to Install VirtualBox on Windows or a Mac OS X (Intel) System.

   • For instructions on installing VirtualBox on a Linux system, see How to Install VirtualBox on a Linux System.

4. Configure VirtualBox, per the instructions in How to Configure VirtualBox For Use With the Oracle Solaris Software.
5. Start Oracle Solaris, per the instructions in How to Start Oracle Solaris 11 Express by Using VirtualBox.

How to Install VirtualBox on Windows or a Mac OS X (Intel) System

1. Navigate to the downloaded VirtualBox installation files or folder.

   For Mac OS X, this is a .dmg image file.

2. To start the installation, double-click the VirtualBox installation file, then lick Next or Continue.
3. Accept the license agreement, then click Next or Continue.
4. Choose a location to install the VirtualBox software.

   The available choices are Accept the Default Location and Modify the Location.

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   Note - To install both VirtualBox and the Oracle Solaris live CD ISO image, a minimum of 10 GB of disk space is required.

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5. Click Install.

   If prompted, type your user password.

6. When the installation completes, click Close or Finish.

How to Install VirtualBox on a Linux System

Before You Begin

Even if your Linux distribution comes with a version of VirtualBox pre-installed, download the latest version of VirtualBox. The pre-installed VirtualBox software is usually the Open Source Edition (OSE), which might not be suitable for running with Oracle Solaris 11 Express. For instructions, see How to Download and Install VirtualBox for Use With Oracle Solaris.

1. Open a terminal window and assume the root role or become the root user.

   $ su root
   Password:

2. Navigate to the downloaded VirtualBox installation file.
3. Depending on your Linux distribution, start the installation process by typing one of the following commands:
   • On rpm-based systems, such as Fedora, SuSE, or Red Hat, type the following command:

     # rpm -ihv filename

   • On deb-based systems, like Debian, or Ubuntu, type the following command:

     # dpkg -i filename

     In the previous commands, filename is the name of the downloaded installation file.

   Note that you might need to install additional packages to fulfill certain dependencies.

   The installer searches for a precompiled kernel module. If no precompiled kernel module is available for your system, the installer attempts to compile and install a kernel module.

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   Note - For the installer to build the kernel module, you need to have basic build utilities, such as gcc, make, binutils, and kernel header, installed. Typically, these utilities are part of the standard installation of your Linux system. If the utilities are not readily available, the installer is not able to build the kernel module. In this case, you will need to install the build utilities and then manually start the kernel module compilation by running the /etc/init.d vboxdrv setup command as the root user.

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4. Add the current user to the vboxusers group.
   1. In a terminal window, type:

      # usermod -G vboxusers -a username

      where username is the name of the current user.

   2. To apply the changes, log out and then log back in to the system.
5. To start VirtualBox, open a terminal window and type VirtualBox, then press Enter.
6. Accept the license agreement to continue.

How to Configure VirtualBox For Use With the Oracle Solaris Software

Before You Begin

If you have an Oracle Solaris Live CD ISO image, boot your host operating system, then insert the live CD. To download the live CD ISO image, go to http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/server-storage/solaris11/downloads/index.html.

1. Start VirtualBox by using one of the following methods:
   • On Windows, click the Start button, then select VirtualBox from the list of programs.
   • On Linux, open a terminal window, type VirtualBox, then press Enter.
   • On Mac OS X, open Applications in the Finder, then double-click VirtualBox.
2. On the first start of VirtualBox, type your registration information, then click Confirm.

   The main VirtualBox window is displayed.

3. Click the New icon on the left side of the VirtualBox window.
4. In the popup menu, click Next.
5. Type a name for your virtual machine.
6. From the drop-down list, select Oracle Solaris as the operating system, then click Next.
7. Select the amount of Random Access Memory (RAM) to allocate to the Oracle Solaris installation inside VirtualBox, then click Next.

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   Note - If you have 2 GB or more of memory on your system, select 1 GB for optimal performance. The recommended minimum size is 512 MB.

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8. Add a Virtual Disk Image (vdi) by selecting a name or by adding a new name to the list.

   For the initial installation:

   1. Select New, then click Next.
   2. Accept the default Dynamically Expanding Image, then click Next.
   3. Accept the default name or type a path and name, then allocate space for the image.
   4. When you have completed the settings, click Next.
   5. Click Finish to create the disk image.
9. When the initial Virtual Disk Manager GUI is displayed, with your new vdi file selected, click Next.
10. In the Summary screen, click Finish.

    The main VirtualBox window opens. Your virtual Oracle Solaris machine is displayed in the left panel and is ready to use as a virtual machine.

11. In the Details tab, click the CD/DVD-ROM link.
12. Check Mount CD/DVD Drive, then do one of the following:
    • If you are using the live CD ISO image, select Host CD/DVD Drive, then close the Settings screen.

      You are done.

    • If you are using a downloaded Oracle Solaris Live CD ISO image, select the ISO Image File, then proceed to the next step.
13. From the drop-down list, select the downloaded Oracle Solaris ISO image.
    • If the live CD ISO image is not displayed in the list, add the image, as follows:
      1. Click the Select icon from the drop-down list.
      2. Click the CD/DVD Images tab.
      3. Click the Add icon.
      4. Navigate to the downloaded Oracle Solaris ISO image file, then click Open.
      5. Click Select, then close the Settings screen.

How to Start Oracle Solaris 11 Express by Using VirtualBox

1. Start VirtualBox by using one of the following methods:
   • If you are running Windows, click the Start button. Then, from the list of programs, select VirtualBox.
   • If you are running Linux, select VirtualBox from the System Tools menu on the GNOME desktop or the System menu on the KDE desktop.
   • If you are running Mac OS X, open Applications in the Finder and double-click VirtualBox.
2. Double-click your virtual machine icon, or click the icon once, then click Start.
3. If you do not have the ISO image on a CD, click the CD/DVD-ROM link, then verify that the Oracle Solaris Live CD ISO image file is selected.
4. When the list of keyboard layouts is displayed, press Enter to accept the English default.
   • Alternatively, you can type the number for your particular keyboard layout, then press Enter.

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   Note - If your cursor becomes entrapped within the virtual desktop, you can release it by using the host key. This key is located in the lower right corner of the VirtualBox window. On a Windows or Linux system, the host key is the right Ctrl key. On a Mac OS X system, the host key is the left Cmd key.

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5. When the list of desktop languages is displayed, press Enter to accept the English default.
   • Alternatively, you can type the number of another language, then press Enter.

   The application takes approximately one to two minutes to load.

   When the desktop screen is displayed, you are “in the box”, running Oracle Solaris.

6. To install Oracle Solaris on your virtual hard disk, click the Install Oracle Solaris icon that is located on the desktop.

   Installing Oracle Solaris saves the configuration and enables you to install other programs in VirtualBox.

   For installation instructions, see Installing Oracle Solaris 11 Express by Using an Interactive Installer.