Installing ReactOS on VirtualBox in Win32 Host

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cuttysark
Posts: 84
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 2:20 pm

Installing ReactOS on VirtualBox in Win32 Host

Post by cuttysark »

Installing ReactOS on VirtualBox ( http://www.virtualbox.org/ )
1 - Grab a copy of the ReactOS Install CD ISO/ Trunk Build. Unzip it to your favorite location.
2 - Launch VirtualBox, and create a new virtual machine. The name of the new vm is up to you. Set the OS Type to Windows XP.
I used 256MB for base memory.
3 - Create a new Boot Hard Disk, dynamically expanding, with as much space as you want. I chose 2GB.
4 - Add the Install CD ISO to the Virtual machine.
5 - Start your new vm and begin the ReactOS install process.
6 - Choose your language.
7 - Choose your hardware settings (PC or multi-processor PC, display, keyboard, keyboard layout).
8 - Partition your disk (or just use the whole disk, since its virtual, after all!)
9 - Choose to format your disk FAT (not quick) - Quick also works
10 - Choose your install directory, or just leave the default \ReactOS.
11 - Since you’re doing a virtual machine, install the bootloader on the hard disk.
12 - Reboot the machine.
13 - When the machine boots, it will automatically run the ReactOS Setup Wizard.
14 - Acknowledge the license.
15 - Give it your name and organization
16 - Specify the computer name, and administrator password. The password, at this point, is optional.
17 - Change the system locale settings if you want. Change the keyboard layout if you want.
18 - Change the date and time if you need to, as well as the timezone.
19 - One more reboot, and your ReactOS VirtualBox is DONE!

To generate Debugs:

20 - Turn off Virtual Machine
21 - Download the VmwareGateway application http://l4ka.org/tools/vmwaregateway.php
22 - Download a Telnet client. I used PuTTy http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/
23 - Start the Windows CMD (Command Prompt)
24 - Run the VmwareGateway application in the CMD.Start it with /r option to make it run as a service (in Vista you have to use an elevated cmd for this). Next you need to start the service, using SC command in the CMD: sc start vmwaregateway
25 - To configure your Virtualbox Machine, set it to Host Pipe with the following pipe adress: \\.\pipe\vmwaredebug
Make sure you do not mark the "create pipe" box. vmwaregateway has already created it.
26 -Start your favourite telnet client to connect to localhost on port 567. Enable log file (PuTTY).
27 - Start your Virtual Machine. Debug output should appear in your telnet client

Software testing.
Some ReactOS Trunk Builds won't give you internet access and since there's no USB Support, I thought in a small workaround to Install applications in your ReactOS Virtual machine.
28 - Download or join every programs you want to Install in ReactOS.
29 - Create a ISO file with all the programs you want to install with your favourite Image file creator.
30 - Enable the CD Drive in your Virtual machine and choose the image that you previously created.
31 - Start your Virtual Machine, Browse virtual machine and explore the CD drive! Test the applications and update the Compatibility Database!

Tutorial based on a annonymous author and ReactOS Wiki, as well on my experiments!

BRegards!
Lone_Rifle
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Re: Installing ReactOS on VirtualBox in Win32 Host

Post by Lone_Rifle »

If it's based on a Wiki article, we will be grateful if you could edit it to reflect the content in your post. I'll volunteer to vet it once I locate the article.
cuttysark
Posts: 84
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 2:20 pm

Re: Installing ReactOS on VirtualBox in Win32 Host

Post by cuttysark »

My post sources:

http://journal.nearbennett.com/2008/05/ ... irtualbox/

http://www.reactos.org/wiki/index.php/V ... bug_output


The extra information reflect my Virtualbox/ ReactOS usage
Lone_Rifle
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Re: Installing ReactOS on VirtualBox in Win32 Host

Post by Lone_Rifle »

Ah, I see. well, if you want to you could start a new Wiki article with content from your first forum post... Would be good to keep within arm's reach..
elhoir
Test Team
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Re: Installing ReactOS on VirtualBox in Win32 Host

Post by elhoir »

just for all of you to know

i just found a website with preinstalled versions of ReactOS, starting with 0.3.3

here is the link: http://virtualboxes.org/images/reactos/
milon
Posts: 969
Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2009 9:26 pm

Re: Installing ReactOS on VirtualBox in Win32 Host

Post by milon »

You can also get it on the ROS download page (http://www.reactos.org/en/download.html) - or were you meaning something else?
Z98
Release Engineer
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Re: Installing ReactOS on VirtualBox in Win32 Host

Post by Z98 »

We didn't start providing a virtualbox version until fairly recently, in terms of releases.
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