How to install Mint in Virtual Box

Before we start…

Some Requirements:

1. Download Linux Mint. Get it from the official site https://www.linuxmint.com/download.php and get Linux Mint 18.2 Cinammon 64-bit, you decompress the file and put the “.iso” file in any place you want.
2. Get Virtual Box: You can get it from here https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads  if you are using windows get windows vesion 64bit and the installation is just clicking next next.
3. Then you have first and make sure to get VBox installed and have enabled the BIOS configuration property “Virtual Technology” or VT-X (comes in different names), this is to give VBox the capability to run 64bit operative systems, here is how you do it Enabling VT-X

Now let’s start:

• Open Virtual Box and click the icon to create a new VM.
  • I called ZecNodeMint (Once you type Mint Vbox automatically select the “Type” and “Version”)

• Next screen is to select how much memory we want to assign to it, I recommend to assign 4g (4096mb), you must at least have 6 or 8 gb overall in your machine to do this.

• Then select “Create a virtual hard disk now”

• Next screen select “VDI” file type.

• Then we have to tell how we are going to allocate the data, I recommend “Dynamically allocated”.

• Here we have to specify how much space the disk will have, depending of how much space you have you can assign 80gb as the minimum but is up to you if you add more.
  • Then click “Create” button to finish the setup and prepare for the next.

• After we completed the previous steps successfully our new Virtual Machine will appear in the list and it will look like this:

Now that we are ready to install Linux Mint I suggest you to perform some configurations before we started along with “Choose Mint iso to start it”

Let’s start:

• Select the VM we just created and do right click, a new menu will pop up then select “Settings” and a new window will open.

• First we need to indicate the VM the Operative System we want to use, in this case the one we just got it “Linux Mint”, to do this in the screen that just appeared go to “Storage” and follow the steps as shown in the image.

• Then from the menu select “Choose Virtual Optical Disk File…”

• Go to the location you unzipped the download of Linux mint and select the ISO file.
  • Then just click open and you are done with the ISO selection.
    
• To finalize this just press OK button and you are done.

So far this is all you need to get the installation to start, if you already know how to use Vbox you can stop here and skip to the instillation otherwise I suggest you to follow the next steps just to give you a better performance once its up and running.

• Now I’m going to change one some setting to get a better performance and this is to increase the number of processors assigned to the VM we just created.
  • So now again open the “Settings” window as we explained earlier then go to “System” and on the “Processor” tab just put the arrow at the most right over the green line and click ok. And you are done.
    • As you noticed I only have 4 processors and that’s why I’m using my personal laptop which comes with less than a desktop.

• Once you are done press OK button.

Now we finally are ready to install Linux Mint in our Virtual Machine so now you just follow the next steps.

• Go to the list where is the VM we just created in my case it is “ZCashNodeMint” and do right click to it and then go to “Start” followed by “Normal Start” as shown. This is not the only way to start it so if you know other way just do it the way you know.

• A new window will pop up shown the VM started and in some point you will see this screen which means that Mint is loading and getting ready to take you to the main screen.

• Finally you will be in the main screen which that doesn’t mean that we are done or even Mint is installed,

• In order to do so we just go to the icon that is in the Desktop screen that looks like a disc named “Install Linux Mint” and executed by doing double left click on it or just click and hit enter.

• Now the installation will proceed and its pretty much just next next and intuitive so if you need to adjust something do it accordingly.

• Here I opted to no install any party software so just click “Continue” button.

• Next screen tells you that is going to erase the this which is fine since is the virtual disk we created previously in the initial setup, so just click “Continue” button.
  • Immediately a new window will pop up, just click “Continue” button again and proceed.

• Select your time zone, ‘m in east side so I choosed Chicago, you just click wherever you live and it will give you the zone and then “Continue”.

• Next screen is to select the language of the keyboard, I just left it as it is which is “English”.

• Now the next screen is the most important which is where you have to create your credentials, here I recommend to you to use a password you will remember or even a password you use somewhere else so you won’t forget but at the same time don’t use a very easy password like name and birthday (like Juan12081990).
  • Second thing I recommend you click in the option “Encrypt my home folder” just to ask extra security to this.
  • Once you are done with this, the installation will start when clicking “Continue”.

• Now just wait until it’s complete, meanwhile you will see a screen like this:

• Once its done you will see this, just click “Restart” button.

• Finally the VM will be restarted and when it come up again, it will show the screen below you just have to hit “Enter” with your keyboard and you are all set.

• Wait until loading screen disappears.

• And finally you will reach the login screen where you have you put the credentials and have fun.

If you messed up or something is wrong, just start over. In case you still have problem check you meet the requirements.

Notes: Make sure you have this configured properly just to avoid any trouble in the future or issues with any installation.

1. Specify where the VM and Virtual Hard Disk will be located in your machine, by default VBox uses the same drive which it got installed so I recommend you to not use that one, and instead if you have another partition like D: (which holds data and not the Operative System installation). You can check an example here also.