1.14.1. Snapshot Management¶

• Useful for trial software installation. Remember: just running an operating system creates changes. We can’t restore while the machine is powered on.

• In VirtualBox > Snapshots:

  • Right click > Take snapshop

  • Right click > Restore snapshot

  • Right click > Delete snapshot (to remove large files)

1.14.2. How to Clone VMs¶

• How to give other people the VM? Clone it Can’t give just snapshot

• Clone snapshot: Right click > Clone

If you are going to be using the clone on the same network as the virtual machine check reinitilise the MAC address of all network cards – otherwise you will have multiple machines with the same MAC address and this will confuse the network.

• Select: Full clone – so other people can use it

• Select: Clone everything

Can now give other people the .vdi file (the harddisk) and the .vbox. They can launch this directly in their copy of virtual box.

1.14.3. Adjust Network Adapter¶

• Use: NAT (allows Guest to use Internet)

• Adapter Type: PCnet-Fast III (Am79C973)

• Can randomise MAC address. 08002731A607 (if other VMs are somehow using the same address)

1.14.4. Types of Storage¶

• In VirtualBox: Settings > Storage

• Ubuntu uses SATA, CD uses IDE.

1.14.5. How to Copy vdi files¶

• File > Virtual Media Manager

• Differencing files are roughly equivalent to snapshots

• .vdi files have unique identifiers – can’t just copy and paste

• If you want to copy a snapshot – you must use clone (as above)

• If you want to copy a VM (that isn’t a snapshot), you can use: File > Virtual Media Manager > Copy > Next > Next > Next > Give it a name > Copy

• To test the copy, you must add the .vdi file as a harddrive to a virtual machine (not just in the virtual machine manager)