Noob Needing VM!! please help!

[johnashu]

hi guys,

i have a pretty decent dell laptop with 3gb of ram..

running pclinuxos..

i am backing up home videos onto dvd for my mother and have a lead which will only work in windows 7..

i need to set up some sort of vm for windows 7.. is this possible?

if so can anyone point me in the right direction for a step by step guide?

i also want to put linux on the windows laptop my housemate uses but it uses a wireless usb receiver for the headset for skype so i need to vm windows xp for that so i can go 100% linux...

like i say the above two things are the only things stopping me.. windows truly sucks!

cheers in advance..

[Rudge]

First, make sure you are fully updated. I assume you don't need help with this step.

Next, open synaptic and install "getvirtualbox".

Once, or if, you have done this, the next steps are easy, but can be lengthy.

Let us know if you have already done this.  

[Old-Polack]

hi guys,

i have a pretty decent dell laptop with 3gb of ram..

running pclinuxos..

i am backing up home videos onto dvd for my mother and have a lead which will only work in windows 7..

i need to set up some sort of vm for windows 7.. is this possible?

if so can anyone point me in the right direction for a step by step guide?

i also want to put linux on the windows laptop my housemate uses but it uses a wireless usb receiver for the headset for skype so i need to vm windows xp for that so i can go 100% linux...

like i say the above two things are the only things stopping me.. windows truly sucks!

cheers in advance..

Do a forum Search for VirtualBox. There are lots of threads about how to set it up and install various OS. What makes you think your housemate's headset will not work with Linux? Have you tried using it with any Linux distribution?

There's a pretty good run through of creating a Windows XP VM in VirtualBox, from the online PCLinuxOS Magazine, here.

http://pclosmag.com/html/Issues/200810/page03.html

If you need USB support in the VM, install the getvirtualbox package through Synaptic. This is a script, written by Texstar, that will d/l and install the PUEL version of VirtualBox, with USB support.

[johnashu]

hi,

thanks for the info.. i will get down to work on it..

i have tried my headset on my linux machine but to no avail (im no pro though!)

cheers again...

[GermanTux]

hi guys,

i am backing up home videos onto dvd for my mother and have a lead which will only work in windows 7..

i also want to put linux on the windows laptop my housemate uses but it uses a wireless usb receiver for the headset for skype so i need to vm windows xp for that so i can go 100% linux...

What do you mean by a "lead" in reference to home videos? 

Also, for things like a USB headset I would heavily recommend against using VirtualBox, even if it is an XP host.  Virtualbox USB support is good, but far from perfect. 

Also, keep in mind that there is an additional layer of complexity in that if you are burning DVDs, and sending files back and forth between Linux and a Windows host that you will need to assign shared folders.  I would strongly recommend creating a shared folder (see documentation, with a Windows host it is quite easy), then burning the DVD's with K3B. 

[johnashu]

yes vhs to dvd..

i managed to hook up the vm environment with windows 7 but cant get usb support and tried applying filters.. not even my kingston memory stick!

do i need to install something else or am i missing something.. it is on the list but in grey under the usb icon!

also if vm windows usb is no good then is there a way i can use the win driver to run the desired devices?

regards.

[GermanTux]

Are you sure you have the non OSE version of VirtualBox?  If all USB devices are greyed out, it sounds like you might have the open source edition.  Did you install it via synaptic, or from the 'get-virtualbox' script?  

I only ask because despite some USB devices not working, it's very rare for a simple memory stick not to work...

[johnashu]

hi

i downloaded the getvirtualbox from synaptic..

it was all straight forward..

[johnashu]

this is the version i installed..

3.2.12

This program will download and install Oracle VM
VirtualBox Non-OSE edition with USB support!

Do you wish to continue with the installation?

[NoIBnds]

After you have your Windows VM running go to the top of the window, where it says Devices, then install "Guest Additions". After it is installed reboot the VM. When it is all logged back in, put in your USB device, then after the linux machine has control of it, go back to Device at the top of the window again. go to USB Devices, and put a check mark by the device you want Windows (VM) to take control of. Wait a bit until Linux releases control and Windows takes control. Then you should have full use of the device as if it was a full Windows install.

[johnashu]

After you have your Windows VM running go to the top of the window, where it says Devices, then install "Guest Additions". After it is installed reboot the VM. When it is all logged back in, put in your USB device, then after the linux machine has control of it, go back to Device at the top of the window again. go to USB Devices, and put a check mark by the device you want Windows (VM) to take control of. Wait a bit until Linux releases control and Windows takes control. Then you should have full use of the device as if it was a full Windows install.

hi,

i had already done all of that but a simple reboot of linux was suffice to enable all usb!!

cheers for all your help guys!