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Arch Linux in Virtual Box


raymac46

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Any of you Arch-ers know the best tutorial for setting up Arch Linux as a guest in Virtual Box? I read over Josh's tutorial here and it's great - but it refers to an actual install on the rails. I need to know how to enable the guest additions and make sure the guest system uses the Virtualbox video drivers, etc. Anyone have a suggestion?

Edited by raymac46
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Thank you. I have the base system up in running in VBox now. So I'll move on to the Guest Additions and hopefully get a desktop in place.

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Got it working now. I have installed XFCE4 and it's looking good. All the Guest Additions stuff works and I have full width capability and automatic screen resize. I am using it for this post. I installed Firefox and Chromium so far.

Google Chrome is not in the repos and I tried to build it using yaourt and failed. There is a dependency libgcrypt15 which is needed and I can't build it so the overall Google Chrome build fails. Even if I got that build complete I am not sure how to keep the AUR stuff updated. So for now I'll stick with Chromium I guess.

I didn't find this install any more difficult than the Slackware installation I did a few years ago - which Bruno and Urmas talked me through. The tutorial Josh posted is excellent. I know my way around Linux pretty well by now and I've done probably 100 installs of other distros in my time. Every one has its own quirks but frankly if you can do a Debian net install, getting Arch going isn't going to exceed your technical skills.

Edited by raymac46
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securitybreach

Well the easiest method for building and updating from the AUR, is to use an AUR helper like packer or yaourt. Both of those can also update packages from the normal repos as well. I covered this in my tutorial but these will help as well:

https://github.com/keenerd/packer/wiki

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/yaourt

 

To install packer (one I prefer), click this link to download it: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/pa/packer/packer.tar.gz

 

Then extract it, change to the directory that was created and run makepkg. This will fetch the source and build the package. Then as root, run pacman -U packer-20140103-1-any.pkg.tar.xz to install the package.

 

Then just run packer -S google-chrome and it will install the dependencies and the package for you:

comhack@Cerberus ~ % packer -S google-chrome

 

Aur Targets (2): libgcrypt15 google-chrome

 

Proceed with installation? [Y/n]

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Aur Targets (2): libgcrypt15 google-chrome

 

Proceed with installation? [Y/n] Y

Edit libgcrypt15 PKGBUILD with $EDITOR? [Y/n] n

==> ERROR: Cannot find the fakeroot binary required for building as non-root user.

==> ERROR: Cannot find the strip binary required for object file stripping.

The build failed.

Dependencies for `google-chrome' are not met, not building...

[ray@ray-vbox-arch ~]$

Same problem with yaourt.

 

Not a big problem as I also like Chromium.

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Guest LilBambi

Oh, well...so much for my aspirations for an ArchLinux install in VirtualBox ... it's the way that Debian used to do it, and can also be done, but not required to be done....live choices and downloads as you install...oh, well...not on this bandwidth sadly.

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Well it's still early days but I am sure to keep Arch Linux around in a Virtual Machine. There are many reasons:

  • The minimal install and KISS philosophy are perfect for a low storage requirement - essential in a virtual disk.
  • Arch runs beautifully in VBox - as easy an install of the Guest Additions as I've ever seen.
  • Had my choice of desktops so went with Xfce right out of the box.
  • The package manager is really nice, even though it's a command line application.
  • Lots of technical support and encouragement right here on the forum.
  • Definitely like the rolling release.

 

However I'll probably stick with a mainstream distro like Linux Mint as my "production" system (and VBox host.) I've got a lot of time invested in the Debian way of doing things, and I need to run a system I would feel comfortable configuring for a new user.

I have trouble fixing Windows problems if I don't run the system myself. Vista and Windows 8 drive me nuts at times. The same thing goes for Linux - I want to know the most about the O/S I'd give a new user. I don't think that the older ladies and gents in my group are ready for Arch quite yet - I know that right now I'd have more trouble fixing their problems than I do with Linux Mint.

But I certainly see and understand the attraction Arch Linux has for many members of this forum.

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securitybreach

Aur Targets (2): libgcrypt15 google-chrome

 

Proceed with installation? [Y/n] Y

Edit libgcrypt15 PKGBUILD with $EDITOR? [Y/n] n

==> ERROR: Cannot find the fakeroot binary required for building as non-root user.

==> ERROR: Cannot find the strip binary required for object file stripping.

The build failed.

Dependencies for `google-chrome' are not met, not building...

[ray@ray-vbox-arch ~]$

Same problem with yaourt.

 

Not a big problem as I also like Chromium.

 

Sorry I had actually typed a reply but forgot to hit post. Anyway, I am getting the same error as you are. The issue is with the package, not your machine.

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Sorry I had actually typed a reply but forgot to hit post. Anyway, I am getting the same error as you are. The issue is with the package, not your machine.

 

It's OK. Chromium works just fine and it's supported in the repos. The only advantage that Chrome has is Pepper Flash and you don't really need that.

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securitybreach

It's OK. Chromium works just fine and it's supported in the repos. The only advantage that Chrome has is Pepper Flash and you don't really need that.

 

Well I use chromium-pepper-flash from AUR. B)

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Well installing base-devel certainly has worked a treat. I went back for fun and built Google Chrome from AUR using packer. Everything went great. :w00tx100:

 

Thanks Josh for your troubleshooting. :worthy:

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