VM advice wanted

[ranking1960]

Hello, I installed VirtualBox because I thought that maybe it's a better way to distro hop.

Instead of me continuing to wipe my SSD or spare HDD's and install a new distros maybe it would be better to just do it in a VM and not kill a good install that's already set up.

Ok, I have no experience with VM's.

I just installed VirtualBox from Discover software center and that was fine as always but it doesn't show when I go to look for it, only when I type it in the search box.

The question I have is because it doesn't want to use a downloaded .iso as something to make a VM out of? I downloaded bazzite to test next and selected it as the subject to make the VM from but VB seems to want a cdrom instead?

Currently lost.

 

[kc1di]

You may find this page helpful.

Chapter 1. First Steps

Another alternative would be use make a ventoy usb and that will let you try many live distros without much hassle.

Ventoy

Ventoy is an open source tool to create bootable USB drive for ISO files. With ventoy, you don't need to format the disk again and again, you just need to copy the iso file to the USB drive and boot it.

www.ventoy.net

 

[Trml]

The ventoy way suggested by @kc1di works indeed great if you want multiple ISO at your disposal on a single USB storage.

For installing one in a virtual machine manager, like Virtualbox, you only need one at a time.

I downloaded bazzite to test next and selected it as the subject to make the VM from but VB seems to want a cdrom instead?

The way it works is you setup the ISO as a "virtual CD ROM" device. This procedure attaches the downloaded (and already sha checked by you) image as a read-only device to boot from.

I'm not familiar enough with VirtualBox anymore to tell you the exact steps, but the following link appears to provide a sensible description: https://eitca.org/cybersecurity/eit...e/how-do-you-mount-an-iso-file-in-virtualbox/

I do recall doing something similar many years back and am a bit surprised it may still be this complicated. In any case, the description of the steps involved should clarify the questions that arose when the application asked for a cd-rom. It is only an ISO standard conformant format, that may also be provided by an ISO file on your PC (no external medium like USB or CD required).

 

[ranking1960]

I got some kind of 403 Access Blocked from that link.

 

[Condobloke]

Instead of me continuing to wipe my SSD or spare HDD's and install a new distros

There is no need to wipe ssd's or hdd's etc etc.
Just intsall straiht over the top of whatever is in there. The vast majority of installers on distros will format the ssd or hdd etc as part of their install process.

There you go...more choices !

Ventoy works like a charm. Multiple .iso's on one usb stick.

 

[kc1di]

I got some kind of 403 Access Blocked from that link.

which link they both are working here. If you have a vpn engaged try disabling it for a minute and try it again.

 

[kc1di]

Ok it the link from @Trml that link does give 403 error.

 

[bob466]

The first thing you need to do is download Virtualbox and Extention pack
from here...
https://www.virtualbox.org
To find out the correct version to download...run this command...

   inxi -Szxx

I'm using Linux Mint Cinnamon 22.1...so my version is..

You don't need to burn the Linux ISO to a Flash Drive or use Ventoy...you install the VM straight from the ISO.
This might help...
https://www.linux.org/threads/how-to-install-a-virtual-machine-in-virtualbox.56334/
At the moment I have three VMs...

Hope this helps.