1. VirtualBox Introduction:
Sam Hart ( -
Currently working for the Linux Foundation (
This presentation will be a high level overview of VirtualBox, what it is and what it can offer. The presentation can be found online at:
Reference URLs:
VirtualBox :
QEMU :
Bochs :
UML :
Xen :
VMware :

2. VirtualBox Overview of Virtualization Software:
What is Platform Virtualization? From Wikipedia: Platform virtualization is performed on a given hardware platform by "host" software .. which creates a simulated computer environment .. for its "guest" software. The "guest" software, which is often itself a complete operating system, runs just as if it were installed on a stand-alone hardware platform.
Previous virtualization software for Linux:
Userspace-ish* VMs
QEMU
Bochs
VMware
Kernel space-ish* VMs
UML
Xen
* Note: This distinction is somewhat arbitrary, each of these VMs have user and kernel space aspects. The distinction is mainly emphasis from a user's perspective.

3. VirtualBox Other VMs Pros/Cons (or why do we want VirtualBox?):
QEMU Pros:
Works very well
Emulation of multiple archs (e.g., ARM on x86)
QEMU Cons:
Difficult to use / Command-line
Bochs Pros:
Tries for “complete” x86 emulation
Tends to do x86 emulation very well
Bochs Cons:
Tends to be rather slow
VMware Pros:
Easy to use GUI
Snapshots
“For cost” version is very featureful
VMware Cons:
Proprietary and costly
“Free” (as in beer) version has less features
Potentially corrupting of host OS

4. VirtualBox Enter VirtualBox
VirtualBox is an Open Source “general-purpose ... virtualizer for x86 hardware”. It can provide a “full virtualization” meaning it allows an “unmodified operating system with all of its installed software to run in a special environment on top of [an] existing operating system”.
Features:
Cross-platform (Win32, Linux, OS X)
Dual licensed Free Software (GPLed source)
VM configurations in XML
Modularity (Client/Server) (VMs can run localy, be controlled remotely, for example)
Virtual USB Controllers
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) (VM can be “run” on a thin client)
Shared Folders between host/guest
Scalable Images
Platform snapshotting

5. VirtualBox On Snapshotting:
VirtualBox has the ability to take snapshots of your virtual machines as you are running them. Allows for experimentation with a “safety net” as well as saving a machine in its running state to restore later.

6. VirtualBox Downloading VirtualBox: VirtualBox can be downloaded from:
Note that the binary versions have a special “Personal Use and Evaluation License” (PUEL), however the source is also available (GPL) and you can build it without accepting this PUEL.

7. VirtualBox Installing on Debian:
VirtualBox is not yet in Debian, which is not ideal. An ITP has been filed (see but it seems to be dead (over 150 days since ITP was filed at the time of this writing).
InnoTek provides a Debian package for download, but unfortunately it is not available in a repository. Thus, you have to download it and install it by hand, as well as install any dependencies it may have.

8. VirtualBox Installing on Debian 2:
Unfortunately, downloading the Debian package from InnoTek's website requires you to accept their PEUL when you install. If this is unacceptable for you, then you can always checkout the source from their SVN repository and build it manually.