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Windows

All of this is directly taken from my Fedora 9 attempts.

This needs to be altered and updated.

K

This is a guide to get Windows running in a sandbox. What this means is that windows runs on an artificial system within Linux, so those windows-only apps that you still want hanging around (like Quicken or TurboTax, perhaps) will work, or if someone tells you about something that you "gotta try" you can.

Overview

1. Download the most recent VirtualBox RPM for your system from http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
2. Install the rpm

    sudo yum localinstall --nogpgcheck VirtualBox-1.6.2_31466_fedora9-1.x86_64.rpm 

3. Make sure you have kernel development packages installed, because we will be doing exactly that

    sudo yum install make automake autoconf gcc kernel-devel 

4. Build the VB kernel

    sudo /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup 

5. Add yourself to the vbox users group. I tried using sudo for the following, but it didn't work and I had to log in as root with su. That didn't work immediately, but at some point it did work. I'm leaving it as sudo for the time.

    sudo /usr/sbin/usermod -G vboxusers -a kevin 

6. You will need to logout for the change in group membership to take effect. So, log out and log back in
7. Check that your username has vboxusers as a group using groups kevin
8. At this point you can start VirtualBox by typing VirtualBox

Pre-Startup Settings and Support

1. You sould be able to figure out how to create a new VirtualBox sandbox easily. Make sure to give up enough Ram and Hard Disk space. I created a separate partition for my virtualbox installations.
2. Customize your settings by hitting settings:
   1. Despite an educated guest, the VB User Guide recommends not turning on CPU Virtualization Hardware Acceleration because it claims it's software acceleration, which conflicts, does a better job than the CPU.
   2. Sound
      1. Make sure to turn sound on. If you have disabled PulseAudio (as recommended in Hardware? to get the microphone to work), use the ALSA option. With this, I have had no problems. It actually integrates better than many other linux sound systems (there were no errors using linux programs and VB-XP at the same time)
   3. USB Support. I haven't tested full USB support but it seems like evertyhing works. The following is taken from FedoraForum Post in case you have problems
      1. create a new group called "usb";
      2. locate file usbfs: in my case is /sys/bus/usb/drivers (I suggest to find the file with a usb device inserted;
      3. modify file /etc/fstab inserting a line containing the right path and the number corresponding the "usb" group :

          none /sys/bus/usb/drivers usbfs devgid=503,devmode=664 0 0 

      4. command mount -a;
      5. start VB and try...;

Post-Install Settings

1. After you install a Windows (or Linux) Sandbox, there is still more work to make the sandbox best:
2. Additions are things that you need to make your experience better, but they can only be installed after your OS is set up.
   1. When you are running the Windows Sandbox, pull down Devices >> Install VirtualBox Guest Additions.
   2. This will "insert a CD" with the software to install into the operating system. Among other things, this allows you to have automatically re-sizing screen resolution, and "transparent mousing" (your mouse can move between Linux and the Sandbox seamlessly, without an exclusive capture).
3. Network Shares : It was hard to get this set up for me, because my Windows didn't have "View Entire Network" in Network Places.
   1. First, use VirtualBox to specify the physical locations that you want available to Windows under Shared Folders. This should be straightforward.
   2. Then, in the Windows Sandbox, go to My Network Places
   3. Choose Add a network place
   4. Choose Choose another network location
   5. Browse
   6. Entire Network
   7. Under VirtualBox Shared Folders, all of your specified shares should be located. Choose one and press next.
   8. Now it should show up under My Network Places whenever you click on it.
4. To make it accessible as a Hard Drive (recommended)
   1. Choose Map Network Drive from the Tools menu in any MyComputer type Explorer Window.
   2. Browse for the network share folder as you did above.
   3. Select an unused Hard Drive.
   4. Make sure Reconnect at Login is selected if you want this to be permanent.