Mac OS X-Boot USB with VirtualBox

Running Soas files on a 2nd USB in VirtualBox 3.2 installed on the MacBook Air

In VirtualBox Make a "new" VirtualBox appliance where you specify the existing vmdk file on the 2nd USB as the Hard Disk.

NOTE the same 4 GB USB 2nd USB containing the students appliance files runs interchagably in BOTH VMPlayer and VirtualBox on Mac and PC.s

This ONLY applies to Appliances built with EasyVMX and a Burned CD in VMPlayer.

Hard Disks built in VirtualBox will not start with VMPlayer.

TESTED ON:

Acer Aspire One Netbook Ubuntu 9.10 VirtualBox 3.2.10

MacBook Air OSX VirtualBox 3.2.10

Dell 520n Dektop PC Ubuntu 9.04 VMPlayer

EeePC1000HE running Windows XP Pro SP2 VirtualBox 3.2.10

CAUTION: DO NOT OPEN Appliance WITH VMWORKSTATION 6.5.2

USB will become unusable if you do. VMPlayer is OK

This a much simpler solution if you have VirtualBox-3.2.10-66523-OSX.dmg installed on your Mac.

See: SoaS v3 Mirabelle VirtualBox files to put on 2nd USB

• 

Mac OS X F14 desktop with VirtualBox Boot USB

• (This is an experimental Work in Progress; PLEASE TEST)

This is a 4GB USB that is booted on a MacBook Air with a boot helper CD

It opens a SoaS v3 Mirabelle Virtual Appliance located on a 2nd USB

This 2nd USB can be exchanged with that of another student.

This is proposed as a first solution for SL#598 Boot Helper Virtual Machine

To run USB from ram: on Boot screen <TAB> add to boot command "live_ram" (supposed to load into ram) Needs testing.

How you can get it

Boot USB

• 4GB USB to be booted in an intel Mac ONLY:

Mac_F14_Vbox.img.tar.bz2 1.8G

Note will not boot in Non-Mac Machine and will be damaged if you try to do so.

Download it and decompress it

Use Boot Helper CD soas-4-boot-test.iso (Burn this to a CD and boot with it)

Hold "C"key when powering up Mac and Hold it down until blue fedora screen appears)

• DO NOT try to build or import a Virtual Machine on this live USB - It is only 4GB in size and it will fill up and be destroyed.

You can always dd write a copy from the Mac_F14_Vbox.img if this happens.

• Use it to point to an existing Virtual Machine on a 2nd 4GB USB ONLY

dd command to copy it to your Boot 4GB USB

• To Write to your 4GB USB (linux)

/dev/sd(x) BE CERTAIN THIS IS THE DEVICE ADDRESS OF YOUR USB

type mount in terminal to see device (/dev/sdb; /dev/sdc; /dev/sde....etc

root@xxx:/home/xxx/Desktop# dd if=Mac_F14_Vbox.img of=/dev/sd(x)
7831552+0 records in
7831552+0 records out
4009754624 bytes (4.0 GB) copied, 1365.52 s, 2.9 MB/s
root@xxx:/home/xxx/Desktop#

SoaS v3 Mirabelle VirtualBox files to put on 2nd USB

NOTE the files on the 2nd USB can be opened directly in VirtualBox 3.2 installed on the MacBook Air

In VirtualBox Make a "new" VirtualBox appliance where you specify the existing vmdk file on the 2nd USB as the Hard Disk.

• Suggestion: Put Multiple Copies of these 8 files on an external USB Hard disk each set in a separate folder

rename the folders to match your students' Names.

Easy to Copy for backup

Archive in a safe place between sessions

Students have access to their own files from one PC or Mac

Each student has name and password set by "firstboot" on first login.

Occupies minimal space on Class Computer.

Disadvantage: Only one student access at a time.

Prebuilt Soas-v3-Mirabelle 4GB Appliance

Details Talk:Mac OS X-Boot USB with VirtualBox

Download tar.bz2 file Soas-v3-Mirabelle_no_firstboot 421M

This Appliance is ready for students First login where they will set their name and password.

Decompress (linux)

copy-paste files 8 files (listed below) to a preformatted 4GB USB (fat16 label=MIRABELLE)

Contains these files

nvram
Soas-v3-Mirabelle.log
Soas-v3-Mirabelle.vmdk<- Use this file
Soas-v3-Mirabelle.vmsd
Soas-v3-Mirabelle.vmx
Soas-v3-Mirabelle.vmxf
Soas-v3-Mirabelle-s001.vmdk
Soas-v3-Mirabelle-s002.vmdk
Soas-v3-Mirabelle-s003.vmdk

Eject USB from Linux PC

Insert in MacBook Air

Start VirtualBox 3.2 for OS X

""NEW"/Linux/Fedora

"Hard Disks"

"Use Existing Disk/ADD"

Click on USB Labeled MIRABELLE

select Soas-v3-Mirabelle.vmdk

<Choose>

_>START

Soas Boots and Runs to firstboot where you set password and user name. Then to gdm where you log in to Soas.

ENJOY

• Tested Nov 24 2010 and it works from DL -satellit

Build your own Virtual Appliance using EasyVMX!

• NOTE we Build the Appliance on a PC running Linux (Ubuntu 9.04) with VMware Player; then use the Appliance copied to a 4 GB USB inserted into the Macintosh and run from VirtualBox 3.2 for OSX

xxx.vmdk files it creates can be opened in VirtualBox 3.2

An installation of VMware Player (free) is used to create the files we need (linux or windows)

• web site that builds a vmx file to your specifications (free)

http://www.easyvmx.com/

Works fine, runs on most platforms, and has persistence

VMware Player download (free): http://www.vmware.com/tryvmware/

specified a 8 GB Hard Drive and other parameters

downloaded, in browse, the Custom vmx file as a .zip file

Decompressed the .zip file

Put CD soas-3-mirabelle.iso burned as CD in your CD Drive

Open VMware Player and point it to this vmx file

CD boots in VMware player application

Sugar Starts

• To install to VMware player Hard Disk:

Open Sugar-terminal:

su
liveinst
Anaconda installer opens
Initialize all disks
custom/create
/boot 200 ext4
/     6000
swap  400
Install proceeds normally
Shutdown 

Copy the files created in VMPlayer and save them (they can be used to make multiple 4GB USB's for different students as it starts with firstboot with it's personalization of password and name.)

• To use:

Copy-Paste all files to a 4 GB USB (fat 16 Label: MIRABELLE) and insert it into a Mac with VirtualBox 3.2 for OSX running

In VirtualBox Make a "new" VirtualBox appliance where you specify the "existing" vmdk file on the 2nd USB as the Hard Disk.

• Advantages:(2nd USB with personalized .vmdk files)

Portable (Student can take home and run on home Computer)

Run it on different Platforms where VirtualBox 3.2 is installed.

Boot Helper CD's

• MAC SOAS-3 Mirabelle Boot DISK

soas-3-boot-test.iso (Burn this to a CD and boot with it)

Read Me First & Credits to Programmer

• MAC SOAS-4 Mango lassi Boot DISK

soas-4-boot-test (Burn this to a CD and boot with it)

References

• Sugar_Creation_Kit#Building_a_bootable_USB_using_a_MacBook_Air
• http://lists.sugarlabs.org/archive/iaep/2010-November/012019.html
• Emulator_image_files#VirtualBox