Ubantu on Mac OSX using VirtualBox

I installed ubantu on mac osx using VirtualBox some time back. Installation went fairly easy except for the fact that I had to look out for increasing the resolution from the default 800X600.

Here is an step by step approach to install and use VirtualBox.

Install the latest free Oracle VirtualBox and start VirtualBox

• Create Virtual Machine (Click New)
• Provide a name for the virtual machine
• Choose the type of OS , in my case this was Linux
• Choose the version (Specially the 32/64 bit depending on the ISO file that you are going to use to install the OS
• Select the default Memory as suggested by virtual box
• Select the virtual hard disk (Click on "boot hard disk" and "create new hard disk")

Now we are ready to install the OS

• Setup Virtual Machine for OS installation 
• Click on "Settings" of the newly created virtual machine
• Click on Storage (You should see IDE Controller with CD empty and Sata Controller)
• Click on CD ROM symbol and on right side, click on the "Folder" icon beside "CD/DVD device".
• Choose the Linux ISO, you have downloaded for install and click on "OK" (The file should be an ".iso file)

• Install Linux
• Start VirtualMachine
• Screen for installation should appear. Follow the usual instruction to install the Linux distribution.
• After installation, remove or unmount the iso loaded on the CD/ROM
• Restart the virtual machine. Ergo! you should see the Linux distro coming up!!

After this a few more useful things to setup that comes handy when working with VirtualBox

• Install  VBoxAdditions
• Start the Virtual Machine
• After the Linux has loaded up, go to VirtualBox menu -> Device -> Install Guest Additions
• After installation, you should see CD ROM mapped to VBoxAdditions.iso
• Use Linux terminal 
• cd /media/VBoxAdditions_xxx
• sudo sh ./VBoxLinuxAdditions-(x86 or amd64).run  (Depending on 32 bit or 64 bit  Linux system you have)
• Restart the virtual machine

Default resolution for Linux on VirtualBox is 800x600. 

• To get the higher resolution , do the following
• Edit or Create file : sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf
• Add the following to the file

            Section "Screen"
               Identifier "Screen0"
               Device "Card0"
               Monitor "Monitor0"
               DefaultDepth 24
                   SubSection "Display"
                       Viewport 0 0
                       Depth 24
                       Modes "1024x768"
                  EndSubSection
            EndSection

• Restart the Linux
• Update the resolution of the monitor using preference

• To share a folder between Mac host and Ubantu Guest:
• With the Virtual Machine powered off and selected in VirtualBox, go to: Machine > Settings… > Shared Folders
• Add a "Host" folder here, which you want to access in guest OS (VirtualBox VM), give it a name - folder_name
• Start Virtual Machine
• Create a mount point which is basically an empty folder 
• Use the following command : sudo mount -t vboxsf folder_name path_to_mount_point
• You should be able to browse the shared folder now.