Virtual Box

Jared:

          I have only been using VirtualBox about two weeks. Initally, I had some trouble.
You probably know that when you first install VB there is only a small screen and that you have to click on "devices" at the upper left and install the "guest additions." That allows you to resize the screen and use your usb stuff.

          Initially, I had installation problems. The problems, it developed, were with permissions. Almost every problem in Ubuntu is related in some way to the system's overdone security. If you are having this sort of problem in 8.04, go to "system" and "administration" and "authorization." Change everything that could possibly be involved from "no" to "yes" and don't forget to click on "modify." If you don't "modify", nothing gets saved.

           Next, go to "system" and "administration" and "user groups." Hand out permissions to every group that might be involved, particularly anything about virtualboxusers.

            I don't know if this is necessary, but I also found a Ubuntu Forums article about changing a configuration file. All I had to do was activate a couple of lines. You could find this article as easily as I could at this point.

            Finally, it is hard to keep in mind that your printer and other devices may be held by Ubuntu and not set for sharing. You can get in a situation where you don't "own" the device and can't install it. The best solution seems to be to reinstall your printer as a network device and let your systems use it that way.

            One little postscript that should have been at the beginning. You might as well set up your virtual machine with the defaults. It seems to work better, and you almost certainly want to allow the option to let your "disk file" grow. Remember also that your usb device settings are on the right side of the little screen where you set up the machine, but the VB people forgot to tell you that you have to scroll down in order to activate your devices. Afterwards, when you want to run your virtual machine you have to click on "devices" at the upper left of the screen and activate any of the usb devices you want to use. Then install your printer.

            Be sure to download the VB manual and put the icon in a handy place. Also, you may have problems with your screen. Be sure to set your screen size under the guest system. Then choose automatic screen sizing under your VB screen. Minimize your Ubuntu screen down to the size of the VB screen and maximize it once more. I have no idea why this works.

             It works beautifully after you fool with this nonsense for a couple of days.

Its not that i have problems with the security or anything, its just simply that i cannot install it at all, i can download it and then i don't know where to go from there. I did download the Manual and followed the instructions for installing it on ubuntu, but it just says that there is an error processing it.

Thanks Jason Ribeiro, that solved my question.