Installing Linux Lite on VirtualBox Virtual Machine / MacOS ?

[Moltke]

That's what I had tried to do, as I remembered doing years ago, but it gave several errors as per the zipped jpeg. As explained, the reply in that thread on MacRumors was telling the poster to do it from the guest instead. Which also seemed a bit strange to me.

All I can see in the jpeg is what seems to be a guest additions install process failed, no "vbox extpack", was this on the host or the guest? Cause it's not clear really. Also, Linux Lite's based on Ubuntu 20.04 and you're using VBox 4.3.40 which is quite old (2016),so there may be some compatibility problems there since the error reads unknown X windows system installed. You haven't mentioned which "vbox extpack" version you're using, I guess is 4.3.40 but it'll help if you clarify that for us. Finally, you might have a better informed answer at the VBox forum https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewforum.php?f=8 since they surely know a lot more than any of us how their software works

[Quouab]

You can run qemu on a MAC. To get it install homebrew first then install qemu from homebrew.

For homebrew here: https://brew.sh/
Tutorial here: https://graspingtech.com/ubuntu-desktop-...acos-qemu/
Simpler tutorial here: https://opensource.com/article/20/9/try-linux-mac

Results can vary but should be fine for virtualizing Ubu ISO style installer like Linux Lite.

TC

Sorry, but there's only one word I've heard of in what you have posted, and that's “homebrew”, which I had some interaction with some years ago and quickly left because I didn't understand anything of what was going on. I got interested in Linux Lite because it seemed made for simple-minded end-users like me, who have no understanding of programming. Thanks anyway.

[Quouab]

That's what I had tried to do, as I remembered doing years ago, but it gave several errors as per the zipped jpeg. As explained, the reply in that thread on MacRumors was telling the poster to do it from the guest instead. Which also seemed a bit strange to me.

All I can see in the jpeg is what seems to be a guest additions install process failed, no "vbox extpack", was this on the host or the guest? Cause it's not clear really. Also, Linux Lite's based on Ubuntu 20.04 and you're using VBox 4.3.40 which is quite old (2016),so there may be some compatibility problems there since the error reads unknown X windows system installed. You haven't mentioned which "vbox extpack" version you're using, I guess is 4.3.40 but it'll help if you clarify that for us. Finally, you might have a better informed answer at the VBox forum https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewforum.php?f=8 since they surely know a lot more than any of us how their software works

Sorry for the confusion: I got those terminal-looking errors in the jpeg after “inserting” the Guest Additions CD image from the VB Manager's Devices menu and running autorun.sh from the Linux file manager. That's what I was referring to in the first posts. It's later on, only after coming across that thread in MacRumors, that I downloaded “vbox extpack” in the guest, tried to run it and immediately got that blunt error. But yes, the version of this “vbox extpack” (see the link) is 4.3.40.

From your previous reply, do you suggest that I try to run it from the host? How should I do this? Also, while I was on the download page on Oracle's site I downloaded (in the Mac host) a package called “Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.3.40-110317a.vbox-extpack”. But I wouldn't quite know what to do with it either.

But yes, it's possible that 4.3.40 (the latest to run in Snow Leopard) is too old for Linux 20. In which case...

I'd rather wait for your replies before venturing on the VB forums. Some years ago both a family member and myself spent lots of time there trying to understand, among other things, how to run an older Mac OS in a VM on a newer Mac, using VB v.6. And got lost, and gave up.

Now, there's one thing I've discovered today, that may or may not be related: my machine has a 4 core processor, but if I try to tell Linux Lite to use more than one, it won't launch at all. The same is true of Lubuntu. While an XP VM that was installed a few months ago and runs without the slightest problem does so set to use all four processors.

[Moltke]

From your previous reply, do you suggest that I try to run it from the host? How should I do this?

I wasn't suggesting just asking whether or not you tried running the "vbox extpack" and/or the guest additions from the host or the guest. In any case, the "vbox extpack" must be installed in the host and the guest additions, as its name implies, in the guest.

Also, while I was on the download page on Oracle's site I downloaded (in the Mac host) a package called “Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-4.3.40-110317a.vbox-extpack”. But I wouldn't quite know what to do with it either.

I haven't used a MAC in a while and as far I remember never used/installed vbox while at it, but in Linux and Windows, both the host, you double-click that file and VBox's main window will start, a dialog box pops up asking for a confirmation to install the extpack, click yes/ok and that should do it.

But yes, it's possible that 4.3.40 (the latest to run in Snow Leopard) is too old for Linux 20. In which case...

I'd rather wait for your replies before venturing on the VB forums. Some years ago both a family member and myself spent lots of time there trying to understand, among other things, how to run an older Mac OS in a VM on a newer Mac, using VB v.6. And got lost, and gave up.

Now, there's one thing I've discovered today, that may or may not be related: my machine has a 4 core processor, but if I try to tell Linux Lite to use more than one, it won't launch at all. The same is true of Lubuntu. While an XP VM that was installed a few months ago and runs without the slightest problem does so set to use all four processors.

You should at least ask whether or not it is possible to run/install Ubuntu 20.04 in that VBox version so you rule out the compability issue or to confirm that it doesnt, otherwise you might waste time and effort trying to make it work when it won't.

[Quouab]

Thanks a lot for your help, Moltke.

First, I tried to reinstall LL following the instructions from your Fedora link, thinking that I might have missed something earlier, but the result was the same. The VM could also only launch with no more than one processor.

Next, installing the VB Extension Pack made no difference that I could notice, besides a quick one-time pop-up message that said something like “The VBox Kernel Service is not running. Exiting.”. Whatever that means.

Last, you're right, I agree about checking the VB forums anyway. Unfortunately, in order to ask that question, you have to register and tell Oracle [https://profile.oracle.com/myprofile/acc...count.jspx] everything about yourself, including homestead, phone facilities, number of children, colour of underwear etc.

I did quite a few searches throughout the forum, though, but only got this out of it [https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic....rd#p440143]:

the basic problem is that you're trying to run a today's guest OS in an ancient host OS. Virtualization actually goes the other way; new host OS, ancient guest OS.

- a reply by an admin to another Snow Leopard user who was unable to install Linux Mint. Sounds pretty much like what you were telling me.

For reference, I also came across this thread regarding the issue with setting the number of CPU cores: [https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic....04#p475911]. But the poster's setup is different and anyway, how he ended up fixing the issue is beyond my understanding. Not even sure that it would help either.

I would really like to be able to use Linux Lite, but at the very least for that one application I'd need the Host to Guest clipboard to work, as is the case with my Lubuntu VM.

Btw., do you or anyone else know anything about running LL in VMware Fusion? If so, I'd need to know where a 10.6.8-compatible version can be downloaded — nothing of the sort on their site.

[Quouab]

Back again, at last. That's how long it took. Under the given circumstances it turns out that in order to install the VBoxGuestAdditions4340 successfully I had to use Linux Lite 3.8 64bit. Anything newer wouldn't do, as I found out by experimenting with some of the .vdi files found at this site: https://www.osboxes.org/linux-lite/ (a highly commendable one, IMO: all the settings are there, so there's hardly any need for fine-tuning). After this, installing 4-5Gb of system updates (which there seems to be no dearth of), a customized browser and the application I needed the most all went like a charm.

The result still not perfect, but the GUI is much more user-friendly than anything I've met before, Linux-wise, and at least both the internet connection and the bidirectional clipboards Guest<->Host are working.

A few questions/issues left over…:

1. It seems that the bidirectional clipboards Guest<->Host only work properly with plain text, or something similar. Copying formatted stuff, say a from a page in a browser in the Guest (and maybe only the Guest), blocks the functionality until the VM gets rebooted.

2. Drag & drop in either direction still isn't working. At one point it seemed that I'd be able to move a tiny file onto the Guest, but as the progress window was showing an increasing number of minutes, the whole machine ended up freezing until I force-quit the VM.

3. So far the solution to 2. has been to mail to myself the few files that were necessary. But it would be useful to know where in the Guest the Shared Folder that was set up in the VB Manager is to be accessed. I probably figured it out ages ago in L/Ubuntu, but remember?

4. Now that this installation is running properly, is it possible to upgrade from 16.04 to 18.04 without having to change anything else? One of the reasons is that an application I wanted to install gave an error to the effect that the kernel was “unsupported”. Earlier versions of that app didn't help, but when I tried to apply this work-around, as suggested by its developers for those running Ubuntu 16.04: [sudo apt-get install linux-generic-hwe-16.04], I ended up with a VM that wouldn't boot up anymore.

Then, some small stuff:

5. My Mac's keyboard layout is not US, and I have to use the Opt (Alt) key for a number of special characters, especially the @. In the Linux Lite environment the Alt key doesn't seem to be responsive, so what's the trick to get a @ there?

6. Lots of Mac users would probably testify that one main inconvenience of switching back and forth to a Linux or a Windows environment is having to constantly keep in mind to use the Ctl key instead of the  key. Of course it might be quite encompassing, but is it conceiveable to change the mapping of these keys in the Linux environment to have them match the Mac's?

7. Can Linux Lite's bootup chime be disabled? Couldn't find anything…

8. I was able to change the user name entered at bootup, but the admin's name, say in the Terminal, remains that of our friendly <[email protected]>. Is there an easy way to change that?

9. Occasionally, at bootup the File System and the Trash icons get shoved back up to the upper left corner. Is there a way to tell them to stay put once and for all?

10. Last, just as everything was set up and running, I started getting at bootup, right away after login, the image of a mouse that says "XFCE - Starting Desktop Manager". Not a clue how it suddenly got there, but here too… how to get rid of it?

Any comment will be appreciated.

[trinidad]

1, 2, 3. Google drive is your friend.

4. There is no upgrade path between series (3.x to 4.x) in Linux Lite only point releases within a series (3.2 3.4 3.6 etc.)


7. The login sound setting is in >Session and Startup. A single boot chime is set in grub.


10. The XFCE mouse background comes up because you have the wrong file path or have no new file path for your lightdm background. Open up lightdm in settings and pick a background and save.


TC

[Quouab]

Thank you for your help.

1, 2, 3: Maybe there's something I'm not understanding correctly, but pardon me, nothing that comes out of Google is “my friend”. One of the reasons for using Linux is exactly attempting to avoid that entities like Google, or Apple, or Microsoft, or whoever stick their noses (and their servers) in my affairs. But even if this wasn't the case, Clipboard functionality between Host and Guest…? — I had always understood that G. Drive was meant for file transfers; in which case I have plenty of alternatives at my disposal, email being as said the fastest and easiest one.

4, 7: Thanks for the information. I had noticed the Application Autostart tab, but it looked threateningly like one of those “Don't touch it if you don't know what you're doing” things. So that was easy. Not sure I understand what “grub” means, but as I'd rather have no startup sound at all…

10. I had figured out in the meanwhile that in that same >Session and Startup panel, “Balou” had been selected by mistake in the Splash tab. Reverting it to “None” got things back to normal, which was the Desktop background selected at some point during system installation (which point, I don't remember). Thanks for bringing lightdm to my attention, I'll certainly give it a closer look.

[Moltke]

Trying to install Linux Lite for the sake of two Linux-only small applications

What applications are those? There might be some alternatives out there.

I had to use Linux Lite 3.8 64bit.

This one's based on Ubuntu 16.04 which will be supported up to April 2021 so don't expect new software to work properly if at all. 

[Quouab]

Trying to install Linux Lite for the sake of two Linux-only small applications

What applications are those? There might be some alternatives out there.

One is a cryptocurrency wallet, to which there is no alternative. It's updated regularly, and the last update, quite recent, runs perfectly well. The other one is a VPN proprietary software, which I wanted to use in order to “double up” on the Mac OS's VPN. That's the one that gave the unsupported kernel etc., mentioned under 4. I guess I'll live with the Host's “single” VPN, which lacks nothing in terms of security.

I had to use Linux Lite 3.8 64bit.

This one's based on Ubuntu 16.04 which will be supported up to April 2021 so don't expect new software to work properly if at all.

Thanks for the info, I wasn't aware of this. I guess I'll have to see what goes on by then.