Getting Started with Vagrant and VirtualBox

In the following is a step by step guide to get you up and running with Vagrant and VirtualBox to run various operating systems, such as Ubuntu Linux, MacOS, Windows, etc. from your computer (the host).

Windows

Required Software

VirtualBox
Vagrant
GitBash

Step-by-step Installation Guide

Download URL: https://git-scm.com/download
- During installation choose the following:
  - Use Git from the Windows Command Prompt with this option you will be able to use Git from both Git Bash and the Windows Command Prompt.
  - Checkout as-is, commit Unix-style line endings
Download and install VirtualBox https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
- The current version is 6.0.10 (Sep. 2019)
  - Get it from here
  - Download the extension pack too
  - After installing VirtualBox, open it and click File -> Preferences -> Extensions and click the marked icon
  - Select the downloaded extension pack and then click Install -> I Agree -> Yes
Download and install Vagrant (https://www.vagrantup.com/downloads.html)
- Direct link for Win64
Adapt the computer’s settings:
- Enable VT-X (Intel Virtualization Technology) in your computer BIOS/UEFI. (OBS You enter your BIOS after restarting the computer and hit a key like F1, F2, up to F12 or DELETE. Which button to press depends on the vendor and the model of you computer. Find that in your computer’s manual.)
- Disable Hyper-V on program and features page in the control panel.
If you did not already generate an SSH keypair, generate one (e.g., via ssh-keygen -t rsa in GitBash)
Now everything is installed. See if you can run vagrant --version in GitBash.

MacOS

Required Software

VirtualBox
Vagrant
Installed via homebrew

Step-by-step Installation Guide

Install VirtualBox and the Extension Pack https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads. The current version is 6.0.10 (Sep. 2019)
```
$ brew install virtualbox
$ brew install virtualbox-extension-pack
```

Install Vagrant (https://www.vagrantup.com/downloads.html)

$ brew cask install vagrant
$ brew install vagrant-completion

If you did not already generate an SSH keypair, generate one (e.g., via ssh-keygen -t rsa in GitBash)
Now everything is installed. See if you can run vagrant --version in GitBash.

Linux

Required Software

VirtualBox
Vagrant
Installed via apt

Step-by-step Installation Guide

Install VirtualBox and the Extension Pack https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads. The current version is 6.0.10 (Sep. 2019)
```
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt install virtualbox virtualbox-ext-pack
```
Install Vagrant (https://www.vagrantup.com/downloads.html)
```
$ sudo apt-get install vagrant
```
If you did not already generate an SSH keypair, generate one (e.g., via ssh-keygen -t rsa in GitBash)
Now everything is installed. See if you can run vagrant --version in GitBash.

Creating Virtual Machines

Virtual machines (VM) are created from their specifications in a Vagrantfile. Get an example Vagrantfile with a description of a Windows 10, Ubuntu 16.04 and 18.04, and MacOS 10.14 VM-

Move that Vagrantfile to a directory of your liking (<vagrant_dir>)
Open a terminal (on Windows GitBash)

Start-up the VM:

$ cd <vagrant_dir>
$ vagrant up <vm_name>

The <vm_name> with the given Vagrantfile can be either macos, windows, ubuntu, ubuntu18
The first time you run the vagrant up command it will take a bit as it has to download the corresponding OS image. That is, to run this step, you have to be connected to the internet. Do not interrupt the process and keep track that potential errors.
To log onto the virtual machine from the command-line after completion of vagrant up execute:
```
$ vagrant ssh
```
Alternatively, you can login via the GUI. For all OSes, the GUI login name should be vagrant and the password should be vagrant.
Now, you should be logged onto the VM and you should see a Bash prompt similar to:
```
$ vagrant@vagrant:~$
```
When you are done working on your VM, you can leave it by issuing the exit command.
```
$ vagrant@vagrant:~$ exit
```
Subsequently, you can put the VM to “sleep” (just like closing the lid of your notebook) by running vagrant suspend on your host machine.
```
$ vagrant suspend <vm_name>
```
Or you can stop the VM (just like pressing the power botton) by running vagrant halt on your host machine.
```
$ vagrant halt <vm_name>
```
In case you want to discard this VM just run vagrant destroy <vm_name> from within the directory containing the Vagrantfile.
Hint In case you want to modify the configuration of the virtual machine, which will be created, you can do this now. Edit it with an editor of your choice. For example, to give the VM more RAM adapt the line vb.memory = "6144" to a value of RAM in megabyte, which fits your host machine. That is, if you have 8GB of RAM and you want to give your VM 7GB of RAM change 6144 into 7168.

References

This guide is adapted from earlier versions and from https://www.swtestacademy.com/quick-start-vagrant-windows-10/