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Author Topic: Would like some VBox documentation  (Read 408 times)
satuser083
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« on: May 26, 2011, 07:20:03 AM »

I need to access a site which only works with IE (didn't realise that there were any stone-age web designers left out there  Grin ). Fortunately I have VBox on my gnome-box, so I did the job there, but while I was suffering in IE I started to wonder how VB actually does provide increased security (or even, if it does). Can anyone point me at some documentation which explains this, please? Thanks.
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menotu
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« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2011, 07:28:18 AM »

Hi satuser083

Security per se, is a very big term - have you got any specific area(s) in mind?
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satuser083
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« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2011, 07:46:07 AM »

Hi satuser083

Security per se, is a very big term - have you got any specific area(s) in mind?

Well, I was thinking of viruses, malware, etc. Specifically, is it likely that any of these might get into my luverly clean (as far as I know  Wink ) gnome box from XP. Certainly hope not !! Not too worried about XP getting corrupted, as long as any nasties stay there, because I can always restore from a copy.
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menotu
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« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2011, 11:16:54 AM »

This my understanding of it, but you may want to clarify from other sources

Yup, an XP VBox VM (virtual machine) can be infected by malware etc.

I would treat it as if your you were running the "real" thing and that you can get compromised in the same way.

It installs software the same way and to the same places as a "real" Windows setup so malware knows where to go

One area it differs is in the fact that the VM's virtual hard drive is basically just one file which can be deleted like any other file; the joy is that this "file" is like a little self contained capsule.

An exception is if you have Shared Folders and/or network File Sharing setup which obviously allows data to be sent through to the host machine (and vice versa).

At this point in time I'm unaware of any Windows malware being able to infect a Linux machine.

I know some people that make a Windows VM and set it up just as they want it, and then copy it a few times. Then when they have to use the Windows VM, they use a "clean" copy of it and then delete it from their system after use. Providing they keep the original "clean" VM hard drive they can keep making copies of it and discard it. Gotta remember to have a least one good copy though..... Wink

BUT in saying all that, I always bear in mind that it's all computer software code thus it's fallible, so good practice should be done whatever system I'm running
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If you can keep you head while all around you are losing theirs, then you have misunderstood the situation.

PCLinuxOS 32bit & 64bit; 3.2.17bfs kernel, KDE 4.8.3; nvidia 295.53, Athlon 64 X2 4200+; 4GB Ram; NVidia GeForce 8400GS 1GB; x.org 1.10.4 ; 500GB/320GB
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« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2011, 01:07:24 PM »

Excellent note on Shared Folders, menotu. When running vulnerable OSes as guest, users should make it a point to mark Read Only mounted shared folders. Not that Linux can be infected by the same viruses that plagues Windows, it's just for good habit. Also, it's a good thing to keep a snapshot of a pristine XP install that users can revert back to when their current state begins to show signs of regressions.

Just a thought.  Wink
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djohnston
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« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2011, 01:39:57 PM »

I need to access a site which only works with IE (didn't realise that there were any stone-age web designers left out there  Grin ).

Are you sure? Have you tried setting a user agent to register your browser as IE? In Firefox, you would need the User Agent Switcher addon. In Konqueror, go to Tools > Change Browser Identification.

If Windows can get infected on bare metal, it can get infected in VBox.
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« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2011, 01:44:54 PM »

/opt/VirtualBox/UserManual.pdf

http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Documentation

... this forum ... (suggested! )  Wink

... google ... when all others fail  Grin

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