Module 2 – Download, Install and Configure

 What is a Oracle Virtual Box?

Oracle VM Virtual Box is cross-platform virtualization software. It allows users to extend
their existing computer to run multiple operating systems including Microsoft Windows,
Mac OS X, Linux, and Oracle Solaris, at the same time. Designed for IT professionals and
developers, Oracle VM Virtual Box is ideal for testing, developing, demonstrating, and
deploying solutions across multiple platforms from one machine.

The following table summarizes each of the components:

Oracle VM Virtual Box has been designed to take advantage of the innovations introduced in
the x86 modern hardware platform, and it is lightweight and easy to install and use. Yet,
under the simple exterior lies an extremely fast and powerful virtualization engine. With a
well-earned reputation for speed and agility, Oracle VM Virtual Box contains innovative
features to deliver tangible benefits: excellent performance; a powerful virtualization system;
and a wide range of supported guest operating systems.
Oracle VM Virtual Box is a bridge to open source and cloud development. The latest release
allows users to create and deploy virtual machines nearly everywhere, upload to the cloud,
download from the cloud, and review and make changes offline.
 How to download Virtual Box?

Virtual Machine abstracts the hardware of our personal computers such as CPU, disk drives,
memory, NIC (Network Interface Card), etc, into many different execution environments as
per our requirements, hence giving us a feeling that each execution environment is a single
computer. For example, Virtual Box.
We can create a virtual machine for several reasons, all of which are fundamentally related to
the ability to share the same basic hardware yet can also support different execution
environments, i.e., different operating systems simultaneously.

Downloading and Installing Virtual Box

To download Virtual Box, go to the official site [Link] and download the latest
version for windows.

Beginning with the Installation:

 Getting Started:

 Select Installation Location:

 Creating Entries and Shortcuts:

 Ready to Install:

 Installing Files and packages:

 Installing Certificates:
 Finished Installation:

 When you will open virtual box it will look like as shown below:
 How to Create a Virtual Machine:

What you need:

1) A computer with a processor that supports Virtualization.
2) At least 8-20 GB of disk spacedepends on what OS you are installing and 1 GB of RAM.
3) Installation Media: You must have the CD/DVD or the .iso file.
4) If you are creating a VM that runs Windows you will need the Product Key.
5) An internet connection or the VirtualBox installation file.

There are several applications that allow you to create a Virtual Machine. For most users I
recommend Oracle VM Virtualbox. This software is free, open source, and multi-platform.

Step 1: Download and Install VirtualBox

Download VirtualBox from [Link] Select the version

for your Operating System.
Install VirtualBox.
Keep all of the default settings.
You will be prompted to install several Oracle components. Install all of them.

Step 2: Create a Virtual Machine:

Start VirtualBox and Click on 'New' in the menu.

Enter the Name of your VM. This is how you will identify it in VirtualBox so name it
something meaningful to you.

Select Type and Version. This depends on what OS you are installing.

Step 3: Allocate Memory

This depends on how much memory you have on your host computer. Never allocate more
than half of your available RAM.
If you are creating a Windows VM I recommend at least (1-2 GB)
If you are creating a Linux VM I recommend at least (512 MB)

Step 4: Setup the Hard Drive

If you already have an existing VM that you want to add select "Use an existing Virtual hard
drive file."
Otherwise select "Create a virtual hard drive now."

Step 5: Select Hard Drive File Type

Select 'VDI.' This is usually the best option.
The VM will be stored in a single file on your computer with the .vdi extension.

Step 6: Select Storage on Physical Hard Drive

I recommend you choose "Dynamically allocated." This will save space on your computer.

Step 7: Setup File Location and Size

By default, Virtualbox selects the minimum size you should choose.

Depending on what you want to do with the VM you may want to select a bigger size.

You have created a VM. Now you need to install an OS on it.

Step 8: Install the Operating System

Double click on your newly created VM (It will be on the left hand side and will have the
name you gave it in Step 2).
Browse to your installation media or .iso file.
Finish installation.
The actual installation process will depend on which OS you are installing.

Step 9: Install Guest Additions

Guest additions add more functionality to your VM, including the option to make the VM
full screen.
Boot in Safe Mode.
Instructions for Windows XP
When you have booted in Safe Mode, click Devices --> Install Guest Additions
Follow the Prompts and Install.
Shutdown the VM.
Step 10: Update Settings for 2D and 3D Acceleration

Go to the Display settings for your VM.

Check both 2D and 3D acceleration.
Increase Video Memory (I recommend 128 MB)
Start your VM.
Congratulations. You now have a functional Virtual Machine.
 What are Linux Distributions ?
Introduction to Linux Distribution

Other operating systems like Microsoft combine each bit of codes internally and release it as
a single package. You have to choose from one of the version they offer.
But Linux is different from them. Different parts of Linux are developed by different
organizations.
Different parts include kernel, shell utilities, X server, system environment, graphical
programs, etc. If you want you can access the codes of all these parts and assemble them
yourself. But its not an easy task seeking a lot of time and all the parts has to be assembled
correctly in order to work properly.

From here on distribution (also called as distros) comes into the picture. They assemble all
these parts for us and give us a compiled operating system of Linux to install and use.

 A Linux distribution is an OS made through a software collection that contains the Linux
kernel and a package management system often.
 Usually, Linux users obtain their OS by downloading a Linux distribution, available for a
range of systems from embedded devices (e.g., OpenWrt) to robust supercomputers (e.g.,
Rocks Cluster Distribution).
 A Linux distribution is composed of a Linux kernel, GNU libraries and tools, other
software, a window system, documentation, a desktop environment, and a window
manager.
 Almost every added software is open-source and free and becomes available both as in
source code and compiled binary form, permitting changes to the actual software.
 Optionally, Linux distributions add a few proprietary software that might not be available
in the source code form, like binary blocks needed for a few device drivers.

Linux Distributions List

There are on an average six hundred Linux distributors providing different features. Here,
we'll discuss about some of the popular Linux distros today.

1) Ubuntu
It came into existence in 2004 by Canonical and quickly became popular. Canonical wants
Ubuntu to be used as easy graphical Linux desktop without the use of command line. It is the
most well known Linux distribution. Ubuntu is a next version of Debian and easy to use for
newbies. It comes with a lots of pre-installed apps and easy to use repositories libraries.

2) Linux Mint
Mint is based on Ubuntu and uses its repository software so some packages are common in
both.
Earlier it was an alternative of Ubuntu because media codecs and proprietary software are
included in mint but was absent in Ubuntu. But now it has its own popularity and it uses
cinnamon and mate desktop instead of Ubuntu's unity desktop environment.
3) Debian
Debian has its existence since 1993 and releases its versions much slowly then Ubuntu and
[Link] makes it one of the most stable Linux distributor.
Ubuntu is based on Debian and was founded to improve the core bits of Debian more
quickly and make it more user friendly. Every release name of Debian is based on the name
of the movie Toy Story.

4) Red Hat Enterprise / CentOS

Red hat is a commercial Linux distributor. There products are red hat enterprise Linux
(RHEL) and Fedora which are freely available. RHEL is well tested before release and
supported till seven years after the release, whereas, fedora provides faster update and
without any support.

5) Fedora
It is a project that mainly focuses on free software and provides latest version of software. It
doesn't make its own desktop environment but used 'upstream' software. By default it has
GNOME3 desktop environment. It is less stable but provides the latest stuff.

 Choosing a Linux Distro

 Different way to install Linux
Installing Linux can be done in various ways, depending on your preferences and
requirements. Here are some different methods:

[Link] Installation: This involves downloading a Linux distribution (such as

Ubuntu, Fedora, or Debian), creating a bootable USB drive using software like Rufus or
Etcher, and then booting your computer from the USB to start the installation process. You'll
typically go through steps like partitioning your disk, selecting installation options, and
configuring user accounts.

[Link] Machine Installation: You can install Linux within a virtual machine on your
existing operating system (e.g., Windows or macOS) using software like Virtual Box,
VMware, or Parallels Desktop. This method allows you to run Linux alongside your primary
OS without affecting your system's configuration.

3. Dual Boot Installation: If you want to keep your existing operating system but also use
Linux, you can set up a dual-boot system. This involves partitioning your hard drive to create
space for Linux, then installing Linux alongside your primary OS. When you boot your
computer, you can choose which operating system to use.

4. Wubi (Windows-based Ubuntu Installer): This is a Windows-based installer for Ubuntu

that allows you to install Ubuntu like any other Windows application. It creates a virtual disk
within your Windows file system where Ubuntu is installed. However, this method is not
recommended for newer versions of Ubuntu and may not be actively maintained.

5. Live CD/DVD/USB: Many Linux distributions offer a "live" version that you can run
directly from a CD, DVD, or USB drive without installing it on your hard drive. This allows
you to try out Linux and its features before deciding to install it permanently.

6. Network Installation: Some Linux distributions offer network installation methods where
the installer fetches the necessary files from the internet during the installation process
instead of using physical media like CDs or USB drives.

7. Pre-installed Systems: Some vendors offer computers and laptops with Linux pre-
installed. This is a convenient option if you prefer to have Linux already set up on your
hardware without going through the installation process yourself.

Choose the method that best suits your needs and technical expertise.
 How to Download and Install Linux (CentOS)
CentOS is a popular open-source Linux distribution aimed at servers and provides
compatibility with Red Hat’s RPM package manager. It is built with the goal of providing a
stable operating system that provided great compatibility with the upstream RHEL (Red hat
enterprise Linux) CentOS is therefore one of the best free Linux distributions to utilize in
server space.
Installation is divided into three parts :
ISO Download
Preparing a bootable USB
Final Setup
ISO Download
Before we begin the installation process, we need to download the ISO file for CentOS. For
that, all the versions of CentOS are available on the official site [Link].
Step 1: Go to the CentOS website and go to the downloads tab.

Step 2: Click on the correct ISO file for your system architecture (most likely x86_64 for
modern systems).
Step 3: Choose a mirror to download the ISO from (preferably from mirrors in your region
for better download speeds).

Step 4: Download the version that says [Link]

Preparing a bootable USB

Step 1: Now, Connect the USB flash drive to your system.

Step 2: Use a tool like an etcher or UNetbootin, etc to flash the drive.
Final setup

Step 1: Click on the option “Install CentOS 7” and wait till Graphical Interface appears.

Step 2: Choose your installation language. Here, we have chosen English.

Step 3: Configure options such as date and time, network configuration, etc.
Step 4: Choose the software to be installed depending on the use case and familiarity with
the desktop.

Step 5: Choose the disk where the distribution should be installed.

Step 6: Our Installation process has been started successfully.

Step 7: Now, set up a root password and user account in the meanwhile.

Step 8: After installation is completed successfully, reboot and accept the license agreement.

Step 9: Now, log in to the system using the credentials created in Step 6.
Step 10: Complete the initial setup and the system is ready for use.

Step 11: We have successfully completed the installation process of CentOS.

  Linux Desktop (GUI)

9 Best Linux Desktop Environments That You Can Use

1. GNOME
GNOME is a popular, free, open-source desktop environment built for Linux operating
systems. The word GNOME stands for GNU network model environment and offers users
dependability, simplicity, and ease of access. Originally, GNOME was developed under
a GNOME project built by paid contributors and volunteers.
This desktop environment comes with major Linux distros such as RHEL, Fedora, SUSE
Linux, Ubuntu, Debian, and many more. Moreover, it also supports GTK-based
applications and extensions to extend its options.

2. XFCE
XFCE is a lightweight desktop environment that offers a visually beautiful and user-friendly
graphical interface using fewer system resources. This desktop environment has hundreds of
plugins to personalize everything according to the requirements. That’s why XFCE is not
only best for the old machine but also satisfies the needs of a power user.
XFCE doesn’t have any animations or added effects, yet it serves its job quite well. This
desktop environment is based on the GTK toolkit and uses the Xfwm, i.e., a window
manager.

3. KDE Plasma
KDE Plasma is one of the most flexible desktop environments that offer the most
contemporary appearance and feel. The latest version of KDE is KDE Plasma 5, the fifth and
latest generation of this desktop environment. KDE Plasma 5 has “Breeze” as the new default
theme and includes a highly enhanced convergence for different devices.
This desktop environment has several unique programs, including digiKam, Dolphin file
manager, Amarok, Krita, Okular document viewer, etc. Additionally, there is an official
variant of Ubuntu with KDE called Kubuntu.

4. MATE
MATE is a lightweight desktop environment with a simple-to-use and attractive interface.
This desktop environment is free and open-source for Linux,illumos, and BSD. The history
and origins of the MATE and Cinnamon desktop environments are almost similar. MATE,
like Cinnamon, is forked from GNOME 2 to offer extra features that GNOME 3 does not
contain.
The most notable part of the MATE Linux desktop environment is that it does not consume
your hardware resources. You can run MATE on low-end machines with basic hardware
resources, like Raspberry Pi.

5. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a free, open-source, easy-to-use desktop environment derived from GNOME 3
but following traditional desktop conventions. It contains themes, plugins, and modules to
personalize everything with a little effort. The desktop layout is identical to GNOME 2, i.e.,
the underlying technologies derived from Gnome Shell.
The Linux Mint development team initially developed cinnamon to offer something different
to users. Due to its highly conservative design model, this desktop environment is similar to
XFCE, GNOME 2, and MATE.

6. Deepin
The Deepin Desktop Environment (DEE) was initially developed for Deepin
Linux distribution only. Deepin is a Linux distribution that provides attractive, simple, stable,
and secure systems worldwide. However, it is now compatible with several Linux
distributions, including Arch Linux, Manjaro, and others.
Deepin also has a well-designed and user-friendly interface and supports various applications
to simplify everything. Furthermore, Deepin has the most user-friendly design requiring
the slightest modifications and adjustments.

7. Budgie
Budgie is a free, open-source, and great desktop environment developed to provide a hybrid
of the modern and traditional user interface. It’s not precisely resource intensive, but it’s not a
lightweight desktop experience.
This desktop environment has been developed by Budgie organization, a team of contributors
from various Linux distros like Debian, Arch Linux, Fedora, etc. Ubuntu Budgie is
the official Ubuntu variant that comes standard with the Budgie desktop. Budgie’s
design mainly focuses on minimalism, elegance, and simplicity.

8. Pantheon
Pantheon is a desktop environment that looks similar to macOS. It contains the dock at the
bottom contains applications with a stylish and unified design.
Pantheon has become a hotbed for new Linux applications thanks to the core project’s
innovative pay-what-you-want payment scheme. However, this desktop environment’s
customization and extensibility are limited. This desktop environment is used in the
Elementary OS, but you can use it in different Linux distros.

9. LXQT
LXQT is another excellent lightweight desktop environment. Due to its low RAM and CPU
usage, LXQT is a modern edition of LXDE suitable for cloud servers and legacy
infrastructure. This desktop environment’s ability to run on even the most essential devices is
unparalleled.
LXQT is the default desktop environment on many Linux distributions, including Lubuntu-
Lightweight Linux, which is based on Ubuntu, and several others. LXQT doesn’t contain the
default window manager like LXDE because it lets the users decide which window manager
they want to use.
 What Is a Virtual Machine Manager?

The definition of “virtual machine manager” can be a bit ambiguous, as this can be used to
refer to different pieces of software. In some cases, people will use this term to mean
a hypervisor, which can create virtual machines and allocate hardware resources to them. A
virtual machine manager in many cases also refers to a tool or piece of software managing
your hypervisors, virtual machines, or virtual environment generally. When we’re thinking
of the kind of tools administrators need, virtual machine monitors and programs to track the
performance of your virtual environment are incredibly vital. I’ll briefly explain how
hypervisors work, then go through why you might need software to manage your hypervisors
and virtual machines.

Hypervisors come in two forms: hosted hypervisors and bare-metal hypervisors. Hosted
hypervisors are installed on the host operating system, such as Microsoft Windows. You can
then open them like any normal computer application, and in most cases, these hypervisors
use a kind of “setup wizard” for you to easily create virtual machines and change their
settings as needed. Bare-metal hypervisors are installed directly on the hardware, which can
make things a little more complicated if you’re not familiar with more in-depth computer
management.

Hypervisors can virtualize many different parts of your infrastructure and systems, including
creating virtual desktops, applications, networks, storage, servers, and even data. A
hypervisor is a layer between the hardware and your virtual machines, or between your host
operating system and the virtual machines. Enterprises often use them to increase storage
capacity without needing to buy more hardware, or to virtualize desktops so employees can
access standardized workstations. The virtualization of infrastructure allows cloud providers
to provide infrastructure as a service, and virtualized applications mean you can access the
same application anywhere, regardless of device. The use of hypervisors and virtual
technology is extremely useful for both individuals and businesses.

 Difference between Linux and Windows

Linux: Linux could be a free and open supply OS supported operating system standards. It
provides programming interface still as programme compatible with operating system
primarily based systems and provides giant selection applications. A UNIX operating system
additionally contains several severally developed parts, leading to UNIX operating system
that is totally compatible and free from proprietary code.

Windows: Windows may be a commissioned OS within which ASCII text file is

inaccessible. it’s designed for the people with the angle of getting no programming
information and for business and alternative industrial users. it’s terribly straightforward and
simple to use. The distinction between Linux and Windows package is that Linux is
completely freed from price whereas windows is marketable package and is expensive.
Associate operating system could be a program meant to regulate the pc or computer
hardware Associate behave as an treater between user and hardware. Linux is a open supply
package wherever users will access the ASCII text file and might improve the code
victimisation the system. On the opposite hand, in windows, users can’t access ASCII text
file, and it’s a authorized OS.

Let's focus some head to head comparison between Linux and Windows.

Parameter Linux Windows

Access Users can access the source code Usually, users cannot access the
of kernel in Linux and can alter source code. However, members of
the kernel according to need. some groups can have access to it.

Variety Linux has several distributions Windows have fewer options to

that are highly customizable. customize.

Command The command line usually Windows also have a command line,
-line referred to as Terminal, which is but it is not such effective as a
the most useful tool of the Linux comparison to the Linux terminal.
system. It used for administration Most users prefer the GUI options
and daily tasks. For the end- for daily tasks.
users, it does not look so
effective.

Installatio The Linux installation process is a Windows OS is easy to install and

n bit complicated to set up as it set up on a machine; it requires
requires many user inputs. It fewer user input options during
takes less time than Windows to installation. However, it takes more
install. time to install as compared to
Linux.
Ease of The Linux OS is meant to be for Windows comes with simple and
use the technical user because you rich GUI options, so it is easy to use
must have some exposure to it. It can be simply used by
various Linux commands. Users technical as well as non-technical
may take more time to be a users. The troubleshooting process
handy user of Linux. The is also much easy than Linux.
troubleshooting process is also
complicated as compared to
Windows.

Written in Linux is written in assembly Windows is written in C+

language and C. + and assembly language.

Reliability Linux is highly reliable and Windows is not as much reliable as

secure. It has well-established Linux. However, now Windows has
system security, process improved reliability but still has
management, and uptime. some security weaknesses and
system instabilities.

Support Linux has a Windows also provide good support

to its user. It provides free as well
good support as it has a huge as paid support. It has an easily
community of user forums and accessible online forum.
online search.

Update Linux provides full control to its Windows updates are annoying. The
users on updates. A user can updates will come at any time and
install the update whenever take too much time to install.
needed. Also, it takes less time to Sometimes, you power on your
install an update. machine, and updates are
automatically getting started.
Unfortunately, the user does not
have much control over updates.

Security Linux OS is more secure than Windows is less secure than Linux.
Windows. It is hard for the Attackers primarily target the
hackers and attackers to find a Windows for malware and virus.
loophole in it. So, Linux is hard to Windows is most vulnerable without
breakthrough. anti-virus.

License Linux is distributed under Windows is distributed under

the GPL(GNU General Public a Proprietary commercial
License) license. software license.

 Who uses Linux?

Linux is used by many professionals and companies. Linux developers, IT systems
 administrators, Linux support engineers, software engineers, technical support, and
Kernel administrators use the open-source operating system.

Uses of Linux OS
Several quantitative studies of open-source/free software concentrate on topics, such as
reliability and market share, with many studies examining Linux specifically. The Linux
market is developing, and the Linux OS market size is supposed to see a development of
19.2% by 2027, reaching 15.64 billion dollars, compared to 3.89 billion in 2019. Proponents
and analysts attribute the associative Linux success to its freedom, low cost, reliability, and
security from vendor lock-in.

Web servers
W3Cook releases stats that utilize the top 1,000,000 Alexa domains, which estimate that
96.55% of web servers use Linux, 1.73% use Windows, and 1.72% use FreeBSD as of May
2015.

Laptops and desktops

As of May 2022, the estimated Linux market share is around 2.5% on desktop computers,
according to web server statistics. Microsoft Windows include a market share of
approximately 75.5%, while macOS has around 14.9%.

Mobile devices
Android has become the leading OS for smartphones which is Linux kernel-based. In July
2022, 71.9% of smartphones worldwide using the internet used Android. Also, Android is a
famous OS for tablets, being liable for more than 60% of table sales as of 2013.

Film production
Linux has been the preferred platform in the film industry for years. The first big film
released on a Linux server was 1997's Titanic. Since then, big studios, including Industrial
Light & Magic, Weta Digital, Pixar, and DreamWorks Animation, have relocated to Linux.

Government use
Linux distros have also got popularity in several national and local governments. Kerala has
gone to the mandating extent that every state high school use Linux on their systems. China
utilizes Linux exclusively as the OS for its Loongson processor family for achieving
technology independence.