Apple Thoughts: VirtualBox: A Free Virtual Machine For Your Mac

Guest Additions

Figure 3: Windows XP running in VirtualBox.

The Guest Additions installed without any problems in both Linux and Windows. I did have to install the Linux headers using Debian's "apt-get" command, but I had to do that with VMware as well, since the guest additions to any Virtual machine need to be compiled against the Linux kernel. The Guest Additions allow you to share folders between your Mac and the Virtual Machine. They also add tighter integration between the guest and host OS, especially with regards to the mouse.

Shared folders show up on the network. You can set folders up temporarily, or set them up to be shared every time the virtual machine is loaded. In windows, I usually map a driver letter to each shared folder so they're easier to find.

Conclusion
If you don't need Coherence/Unity and you don't need to access a Boot Camp partition, VirtualBox is a viable solution for any Mac user to occasionally run Linux or Windows on your Mac. While it can sometimes be less than intuitive, once it's set up, it runs flawlessly. It's fast and efficient and runs Linux and Windows well. In short, it's certainly worth more than its Free price tag would suggest.

Joe Johaneman is a programmer and web designer in Honesdale, PA. He is also an amateur photographer and graphic designer.