How to run linux on a mac with virtual machine

#How to run linux on a mac with virtual machine install#
#How to run linux on a mac with virtual machine drivers#
#How to run linux on a mac with virtual machine iso#

Give the VM a name, choose Linux from the Type dropdown, and select the Linux version as indicated. Open VirtualBox, click New, and use the following steps as a guide: Now that you have VirtualBox installed and Linux downloaded, itвЂ™s time to get your guest OS set up.

#How to run linux on a mac with virtual machine iso#

You should end up with an ISO file in your Downloads folder. Once you find the version you want to try, download the installation file. You can start with this article for help defining your specific needs and refer to this one for a quick rundown of some popular options. There are a vast number of distributions that you can choose from. Next, youвЂ™ll need to track down a version of Linux that suits your needs.

#How to run linux on a mac with virtual machine install#

This is the software that powers the entire virtualization process, so go ahead and download it here if you havenвЂ™t already and then install it. VirtualBox is a free program provided by Oracle. Although there are ways to resolve issues later (such as increasing a virtual diskвЂ™s space limit), itвЂ™s much easier to make the right decision from the get-go. Depending on your use of the VM, you should be able to decide pretty easily if you can predict the physical storage space needed. The difference is pretty straightforward: a fixed-size drive carves out a specific amount of storage space for the guest OS, while a dynamically allocated drive will expand the space as needed. Simple, right? Also, now is a good time to take a moment and decide whether you will create a fixed size or dynamically allocated virtual hard drive for your VM. When it comes to virtualization, the operating system you already have is the host OS.

The BasicsД«efore we really get going, thereвЂ™s an important distinction to make about terminology. Best of all, it takes just a few minutes to do. Whether you want to learn bash scripting, try out a new program, or test hardware compatibility, running a Linux virtual machine (VM) will get you there. And now, itвЂ™s easier than ever to do it without wiping out your existing setup. For VMWare, go to the troubleshooting forum (opens in new tab), where youвЂ™ll find a wealth of things to try if a VM isnвЂ™t performing as you expect still, many of the tips there will, once again, apply to VirtualBox and Parallels as well.ThereвЂ™s something refreshing about installing a new operating system onto a computer. Look out for platform-specific tweaks, though. ItвЂ™s written for Parallels Desktop, but much of it you can adapt to VirtualBox or VMWare. Next, follow the walkthrough opposite to optimise your VM, test its performance and then tweak further if necessary. This will also help maximise performance.

#How to run linux on a mac with virtual machine drivers#

Next, make sure you install the dedicated hardware drivers for your VMвЂ™s operating system, if you havenвЂ™t already вЂ“ that means installing Parallels Tools (opens in new tab), VMWare Tools (opens in new tab) or VirtualBox Additions (If you use VirtualBox (opens in new tab), you should also download and install the VirtualBox Extension Pack from its website to add USB 2.0 and USB 3 support).

Open your virtualisation tool and make sure itвЂ™s fully up to date вЂ“ all three of the virtualisation tools weвЂ™ve mentioned are frequently updated to fix bugs and improve overall performance.

VMWare Fusion adopts a similar configuration tool to that employed by Parallels Desktop Get optimising