VirtualBox

With VirtualBox^® one can run Sugar on Microsoft Windows, Intel-based Apple Macintosh, or Linux host computers from within a virtual machine window.

(See VirtualBox/Technical for some collected details, and the VirtualBox.org Web site.)

See VirtualBox/Preparing a disk image for instructions on building a VirtualBox virtual machine disk from an .iso disk image.

The following instructions are intended for those Learners interested in using VirtualBox to run Sugar. The process is not mature as the technology is evolving both in the VirtualBox and operating system software.

Sugar disc images

Sugar on a Stick

These are instructions for using a copy of Sugar on a Stick, available from this Fedora download site.

Prebuilt VirtualBox Appliances are under construction (see this section for development notes) and will be available here.

Install VirtualBox

on OS X

 - the Apple Macintosh operating system

1. Download VirtualBox for OS X from here, http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
2. Install it by opening the DMG.
3. Follow the instructions in the window
   1. Double click VirtualBox.mpkg
   2. If you see a warning about running a program from the Internet, click OK to run it.
   3. Click continue until you see the license popup, click Agree.
   4. Choose location to install, probably something like Macintosh HD, then click Continue.
   5. Click Continue, then Install. Enter password, if required.
4. Now you can run VirtualBox by opening the Applications folder and double clicking on the icon.
5. Next Follow the instructions Setup a Virtual Machine for Sugar on a Stick

   You can watch a screencast video of the rest of the process on a Mac below in the Setup section (click the [show] link.)

on Microsoft Windows

Download from http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads.

on GNU/Linux

See http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads

For Ubuntu, it is available in Synaptic Package Manager, once you add the the URI, distribution & components to your 3rd-party software sources or enter the following in your /etc/apt/sources.list.

deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian <distribution> non-free

Install dkms, as well, so upgrades to your system will update the kernel modules.

(See the Talk:VirtualBox page for experimental installation variations.)

Setup a Virtual Machine for Sugar on a Stick

Warning: A prebuilt virtual machine that parallels Sugar on a Stick Mirabelle is not yet available.

See this section for a development edition, or VirtualBox/Preparing a disk image to prepare your own.

You can watch a screencast video of the process with an earlier version of SoaS on a Mac here:

1. In VirtualBox click New
2. Click Next
3. Enter a name "Sugar"
4. Operating System: choose Linux
5. Version: choose Fedora
6. Click Next
7. For memory leave 256 MB
8. Click Next
9. Virtual Hard Disk click Existing
10. Click the little folder to the right of the selection box
    1. A new window pops up
    2. Click Add button in the toolbar
    3. Browse to the location where you extracted the .vdi disk image
    4. Click Open
    5. Click Select
11. Click Next
12. Click Finish
13. Select Sugar on the left
14. Click Start in the toolbar
15. After a minute or two you should see the Sugar screen asking for you name
16. Enter your name
17. Click Done at the bottom of the window. You might have to scroll.
18. From now on you can start VirtualBox and start the "Sugar" virtual machine

Issues

• Activating the Frame might be a little difficult. The lower 2 corners are easiest and you may want to configure edge activation in the My Settings > Frame panel. With VirtualBox Guest Additions installed (see here), only the bottom edge and corners are available for Frame activation.

• On Mac keyboards, you might wish to change the Virtual Box default key for switching the Sugar cursor to the normal one, as the default key (control right arrow on Mac keyboards) is trapped by Sugar. (Windows and Linux keyboards use Right Ctrl.) You may do this change in File/settings of the Virtual Box menu.

Resources

• http://www.virtualbox.org/
• OLPC:VirtualBox
• How To Install Virtualbox Guest Additions in Fedora Guest