VirtualBox 5.0 tested
Snapshots
Many users like to test new programs, functions, or configurations on virtual systems. To avoid the need to reconfigure the system if something goes wrong, VirtualBox has a snapshot function. In contrast to legacy VirtualBox systems, this now works on the fly.
If you want to freeze the system state, click on Machine | Take Snapshot in the virtual machine menu. A prompt pops up asking for a name and an optional description.
VirtualBox manages the snapshots in the main window below the Snapshots button on the top right. The hierarchy is designed to help you organize your snapshots (Figure 6).
The software was only capable of backing up and restoring idle systems in the past, but virtual machines now restart at precisely the point at which they were frozen. However, the procedure is somewhat complex: To restore a snapshot, you have to right-click the name of the snapshot you want and select Restore Snapshot in the context menu. VirtualBox then creates another entry with an additional snapshot and starts the system.
If you are considering making regular use of this feature, remember that VirtualBox snapshots are extremely large – you can expect 10GB or more per freeze. In the course of the tests in our lab, the disk space needed for Windows 7 grew to a huge 38GB.
Conclusions
VirtualBox 5.0 inspired mixed impressions. In many cases, you can't help thinking that Oracle has not paid sufficient attention to programming for Linux guests; Windows guests worked better in many situations. On one hand, the many configuration options are useful for many users; on the other hand, they do come with a risk of faulty configurations. To compensate for this, the software wraps the setup up in an attractive and carefully considered interface.
The drag and drop function is still very much experimental. In our lab, I only managed to transfer files from the Linux host to the Windows guest without problems; the shared clipboard worked well in all variants, however. Oracle has added a very useful function in the form of the ability to encrypt the virtual machine, and this worked perfectly in our lab. The implementation of the USB stack was less satisfactory: If you choose the wrong settings here, your Windows guest will just ignore the USB port.
All told, Oracle can be quite proud of this major release; it offers far more than its predecessor, although some rough edges need a little polishing.
Infos
- VirtualBox: https://www.virtualbox.org
- VMware: http://www.vmware.com
- Parallels: http://www.parallels.com/
- VirtualBox download: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads/
- Peacekeeper: http://peacekeeper.futuremark.com
« Previous 1 2 3
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.