4.4 Virtual Machine Setting

💡 .vbox

• ❓ Where can I see .vbox and .vdi folders?
• scaffold > right click > show in explorer

• .vdi of 2 megas is always the min size of a dynamic vdi
• when we create a VM, the vbox only contains RAM, cores, BIOS
• The .iso file is an installer, it could be an OS, app to run

💡 Adding extra settings to the VM

• Scaffold > Configuration ➡️ Window that gives lot of info about extra things in a VM:

  • Every window here is specified with the option of menu a dot and the name of label Menu.label
  • According to versions and characteristics of hardware for each one the label’s name are different.
• There are two ways to see this
• 1️⃣ basic
• 2️⃣ expert: for technicians

📌 General label

✅ general.basic

✔️ Name

• change name of VM for the last time
• ⚠️ chaning VM name later will unlink files of the VM once started!

✔️ Fields like type, subtype, version

• type, subtype, version can be changed here if they are not filled
• ⚠️ also last chance
• some .iso files do not fill these fields automatically
• If we do not fill it, the VM will have mistakes when we start
• bc the specification of the iso files do not match

👀 An iso file with type windows, subtype 10
without the field version filled,
the system will filled this by default with the host arch settings.

✅ general.avanzado

✔️ Spapshot folder, carpeta de instaneas

• folder where the recovery points are saved
• recovery point: when we want to go back
• ⚠️ If we change this manually the snapshots could get unlinked, don’t do it.
• This is a subfolder in the VM folder

✔️ Clipboard, Portapapeles

• portion of the RAM for copying and pasting data

✔️ Shared functionally

• for copy and paste data from host to guest
• importatnt for sharing information trough machines
• recommended to set it in bidireccional (copy & paste)

✔️ Drag ‘n drop

• Arrastrar y soltar
• Is not copying, is moving and pasting, must set to bidireccional
• This two functionallities are not activated until you add an extra package for security reasons
• GUEST ADDITIONS

⭐️ Guest Additions ⭐️
GUEST ADDITIONS complementos del invitado
- installed manually,
- needed for bidireccionality
- it cannot be installed until there is at least one OS in my VM
- For each OS is a different guest additions package

- In VM guests changes every time we add a VM
- In the VM in the aula the guest is GParted
- as GParted is not an OS we don’t installed guest additions (they are
only for OS)
- after we install Windows it will be my host
- then Lin on top of Windows and it will be the host.

✅ general.description

• Mandatory when we deploy (desplegar) our VM
• high level description of a virtual machine
• it says thoroughly what the vm says

VM over dynamic 100GB virtual disk created internally in host for dual
booting Linux and Windows on a hardware limited computer adding
tunnelling, distrohopping and making sure that both OS systems boot
independently no matter future changes.

✅ general.disk encryption

• setting for transparent encryption
• encrypting the .vdi with a key in my unit 0 of the real disk
• or in the TPM(.vdi does not have a unit 0)

• .vdi does not have specific booting if the real disk boots

• it should be activated when we have private information(👀 passwords)

• 👀 the HR of a company should be encrypted or ethic hackers

• Do not enable unless is needed, encryption overloads the VM
• Remember that hashing which is the same as encryption, modifyes totally the data even with a little change

⭐️ ETHICAL HAKING
Hacking with a good purpose.
Whe we design hacking,
the VM should be ecrypted to avoid infections into the real machines

💡 Enable hardware watch(clock)

• Enable hardware watch(clock)
• you are getting the real machine data and time
• and you are giving that to the VM
• purpose: both VM and RM are syncrhonized
• when would you not want to synchornize the VM with the RM
• when you want to make a worm and play around

📌 System label

✅ System.motherboard

✔️ Memoria base

• change the size of RAM given to the VM

👀 If we have a windows 10 32bits
 .iso and the RAM is should be 4096MB (4096MB = 4GB),
⚠️ if bigger than 4GB, this system will not boot
so set it down to 4000 not to the limit.
sometimes more is less

✔️ Boot order

• same as boot sequence (which device will boot: HD or USB bootable)

• remember this is not the same as bootstrap loader(which OS boots= GRUB)

• there are four options(although first two are mainly used)
• 1️⃣ Optical CD: iso this is first, this means: boot with .iso and forget what is in the harddisk
• 2️⃣ Hard disk: .vdi this is first, this means: boot with harddisk and forget what it is in the iso
• 3️⃣ untick diskett, it is not used

• correct order and options ticked

• when the .vdi is created, it is empty
• in Virtualization, if the .vdi is first, the machine will not boot
• this is an order that excludes, will show the error No Bootable media found

👀 If we have windows and we want to install Linux,
which option should I use for the boot order,
and what iso should I exclude?

- Optical = iso
- Harddisk
- if we do it backwards, linux will never be read

• 4️⃣ network installation: sometimes network installation is also possible

✔️ Chipset

• Dual chips: northbridge and southbridge
• NB helps with important things

• 🛠️ RAM, Graphics FSB

• SB helps with not so important things big chip

• 🛠️ USBs, microphones, speakers(external connection)

• These days, the northbridge goes inside the CPU and lost functionalities
• the SB now called PCH does more things getting hotter
• Here we have to decide if we want traditional system or modern PCH, remember it is not what I have, it is what I want.
• If I want standard chipset, select PIIX3
• If I want powerful chipset, select ICH9

• PIIX3: NB and SB called like this due to the first computer that has this structure
• 🛠️ choose PIIX3 when the vm doesn’t need much power in graphics
• 🛠️ simple OS
• ICH9: PCH modern structure
• 🛠️ strong OS

👀
GParted. iso → PIIX3
Mac OS→ ICH9
iOS → ICH9
Win32b → PIIX3
Win ≥ Vista 64b → ICH9
Linux ? should be flexible

• ⚠️ Sometimes chipset is not available
• because of backwards compatibility,

• which means if a host has ICH9 and the VM will use ICH9 it will work with iso files, this is valid but not perfect.

• Normally using ICH9 needs more energy

• TPM means if you want to simulate TPM for Windows 11 OS option v2

• Some selections are flexible and others are strict,
• Whenever you tick something that is strict
• it will appear an option Invalid settings detected
• example disk encryption is strict only tick when needed
• Selecting the TPM when we don’t need it means overloading the CPU in my computer

✔️ Pointing device mouse

• PS2 is you want the vm mouse to behave as the standard mouse

• blinks at low speed

• Tablet USB: means new USB
• high speed
• To use the tablet usb, the USB should be readable for the vm so it will only be valid when we have the extension pack
• Many companies reject the extension pack
• they don’t want you to do the things your way.
• in this case, if we don’t have the extension pack, we have to use PS2 option
• conclusion: choose the most modern possible pointing device, making sure that is valid add ss of extension pack and tablet

✔️ I/O APIC

Input/Output Advanced Programable Interrupt Controller

• Peripherals = input output
• Interruption = error

• 💡 8 shape: If there is an interruption, we go to the verctors table, it sends us down to the service routine, solved by execution of a command and I come back to where I was before

• If we activate this option we are asking for help to the peripherals
• we should do it when :
• 1️⃣ More than 1 virtual core: mandatory, must tick on I/O APIC
• bc you have two bosses(cores) interrupting
• if we untick the invalid settings detected will appear

• 2️⃣ app or OS has 64b optional

• after you start the OS, you will not be able to tick/untick the I/O APIC
• ⚠️ so becareful

Virtual Box 7 chooses I/O APIC auttomatically, v5 doesn’t.

❓ Why companies with v5 stayed this way?
- Upgrading means leaving traces from older versions
- in companies these traces must be cleaned computer by computer and they can make the scaffolds dissapear

✔️ EFI

• ⚠️ last opportunity to change this
• OS specials: this is telling you this is needed in a OS Win ≥ grater Vista 64Gb
• If we tick this we have the possibility of activating the secure boot
• Linux does not accept secure boot

✅ system.procesador

✔️ Cores

• ⚠️ last chance to change core number

✔️ Execution Cap, Limite de ejecucion

• 1️⃣ If the execution is 100%, there is no limit on the VM
• obviously, there will always be RAM, cores limit

• but other than those, there is no other limit

• 2️⃣ If the execution is lower than 100%, weakens the VM
• you do it to weaken the VM
• and give the power to the RM
• do it when the VM is so demanding, it is being too strong
• the VM is eating too much of your RM
• and the RM will run better

• Setting the Exec limit down means weakening the VM and giving better performance or extra power to the real machine.

• 3️⃣ If the execution is 0%
• you are making the VM stop/freeze
• which means 🟰 stopping
• it does not mean shutting down the VM ❌
• 🛠️ to protect your VM from VM malware
• 💡 VM malware: a VM that enters your computer without your permission, and starts running
• if you have a VM malware, you set the limitation cap of all the VMs to 0%
• then, go one by one and for only the VMs you know and are official, set it back to 100%

✔️ PAE/NX

• 1️⃣ PAE
• P: Physial
• A: Address ➡️ RAM
• E: extension
• ➡️ RAM Extension
• ➡️ SWAP
• use harddisk help

if RAM of the VM < 4GB then SWAP = RAM*2
if RAM of the VM = 4GB then SWAP = RAM
if RAM of the VM > 4GB then SWAP = RAM/2

• 💡 Note: Tick PAE, if RAM <= 4 GB
• Do not tick PAE only if RAM > 4GB

• Also try to save some SWAP, save some harddisk, if you do not need

• ❓ Why not tick PAE in every condition?

• bc PAE is taking space from your SWAP, your HD

• 2️⃣ NX: Non execute
• Flag that you exable for suspicious processes
• 👀 suspicious processes: process that tries to enter the OS in RAM
• then you enable NX flag for that processes
• if the antivirus sees a process with the NX flag,
• antivirus will capture it and swap out three generations from the process from the RAM
• in order to see the generations of the process,

• we need to do a query of the processes table in OS in RAM

• ❓ Why is PAE joined to NX?

• bc I need to capture the suspicious process and make queries
• and these queries are overusing the RAM
• and you are increasing the waiting time for the good processes
• so you use the help of SWAP

• so that standard processes do not have to wait so much

• 💡 Note: not all process needs protection in a computer
• 👀 pings can fail, but as it is repeated, it can fail as long as it is repeated

✅ system.aceleration

• the RAM always gives more priority to the RM processes
• VM processes have worse priority
• if you activate accerleration,

• you balance all processes of both RM and VM

• tick means: balancing

📌 Pantalla

✅ Pantalla.pantalla

✔️ memoria de video

• RAM of your graphics card
• modern graphics card have their own RAM for speed purposes
• memoria de video(Grpahic card) does DMA, they have their own RAM ⭕️
• it does not do PIO anymore ❌

PIO: doing the 8 in the RAM
DMA: Direct Memory Access, having your own RAM

• If I have a graphics card in my RM that has a RAM,
• how much of the total RAM of grphics card should I give to the RAM?
• maximum half of the RAM of grphics card to the VM

✔️ numero de monitores

• several screens in your VM
• leave it as default
• when we tick this option, we need to choose how much percentage we want for scallatoin through monitors

✔️ Factor de escalado

• how to split VM to several monitos
• scale: give 40% of VM to screen 1, give 60% of VM to screen 2…

✔️ Graphic controller

• controlador grafico
• resolution you are giving to the screen of the VM

• should be specific for each .iso

• 💡 Two types of resolution
• 1️⃣ VGA : low resolution, width and height lower than 800px
• 2️⃣ Super VGA: high resolution, width and height more than 1000px

• we need SVGA for VM when the VM needs high resolution

• 🛠️ high resolution: when GUI is important
• we always need to check the specs of the .iso
• if we have a VM buttons that disappears,

• it is bc you should have given SVGA, but you did NOT! 😱

• ❓ Why not give SVGA always?
• do not give a SVGA to an application that wants VGA
• it can make an .iso not to work, bc you are demanding too much resolution

✔️ Two types of SVGA

• 1️⃣ VMSVGA: the perfect controller for that specific .iso

• 2️⃣ VBoxSVGA: standard controller offered by virtual box, with minimum requirements

• if the .iso needs VMSVGA, do not give VBoxSVGA
• some .iso do not have VMSVGA, so you need to choose VBoxSVGA

✔️ Acceleration 3D

• tick only if the specifications of the .iso demands on its specs
• 🛠️ for videos, movements
• do not tick by default

✅ pantalla.screen remote

• executing applicationg using the network

✅ pantalla.Grabacion

• used for recording the VM with the camara
• for this, the extension pack is necessary
• only will be possible when the extension pack is active

📌 Alacanamiento

• not booting order
• booting order was in systema.placabase
• first, optica, then HD

✅ Alacanamiento

• but in almacemiento is organizing the files
• ideally, there should be two zones in this screen

1️⃣ zone 1: IDE Controller

• IDE is PATA
• 🛠️ PATA is for CDs/DVD

PATA
- Parallel, the bits travel in parallel, in groups
- (the wide gray wire)
- they were used for CD/DVD

• 🟰 nowadays, CDs will be the equivalent to .iso files,
• .iso files are for installing applications
• 👉🏻 It is mandatory that the .iso file of the VM
• must be under the IDE zone of the storage window

2️⃣ zone 2: SATA/AHCI controller

• better for interferrences
• and the harddisks were connected to the SATA

• 🛠️ SATA is for Harddisk

• 🟰 in VM, the .vdi(virtual disk) is equivalent to the Harddisk in VM
• 👉🏻 It is mandatory that the vdi file is inside the SATA zone

⭐️ Conclusion
iso file inside IDE controller
vdi inside SATA controller

💡 ITIL standard

Information Technology Infrastructure Language
standard of working, 👀 file names

• And if your VM has this structure,
• (iso file inside IDE controller, vdi inside SATA controller)
• you are fullfilling the ITIL standard

❓ What happens if I do not fulfill the ITIL standards?

• the machine will work
• but it will not be organized
• you should transform into ITIL

💡 How to make your almacenamiento ITIL

• imagine you have both iso and vdi inside the SATA

• you do not have PATA

• 1️⃣ Create the controller that is missing
• click on the green plus that you have on the bottom, the mostleft button
• and add a new controller añadir controlador
• there are several versions of the controller
• choose the default
• 👀 create PATA

• 2️⃣ Eliminate the file that is incorrectly located
• 👀 if you have iso in the SATA, delete the iso from the SATA

• use the red cross next to the green plus

• 3️⃣ Then add the eliminated file to the correct controller
• (a) click on the controller that you want to add the file
• (b) choose if you want to add the iso(round) or the vdi(square)

• Note: If VirtualBox does not let you add one of the controllers
• it means your hardware, like your macbook, does not allow

📌 Audio

• used for enabling/disabling sound in VM
• 🛠️ audio is used to indicate/correct the installation process signals
• to check if installation process is going well

📌 Network

• to connect your VM to the network
• see chapter 4.5

📌 Serial port/puertos serie

• old fasioned
• to create a vintage VM
• to use joystick in serial port

📌 USBs

• used for using USBs in your VM
• should enable
• and choose the speed
• USB letter A, B, C means the shape of the USB

• and the number means the speed of the USB

• If you want to use a speed >= 2, you need the package extension pack

💡 USBs have a problem in VM

• USB is in the real machine
• and if used by VM

• then the USB cannot be used by the RM

• 👉🏻 USB cannot be used simultaneously used by the RM and the VM!
• RM and VM fight for the USB

• only one machine can have it

• so very problematic for installing a file with a USB
• 💊 Control the USB as a shared folder
• so USB will become a shared folder

💡 How to make USB into a shrared folder

• …continued in shared folders

📌 Shared folder

• USB can be transformed into a shared folder
• not a device anymore!

• 1️⃣ Insert USB
• 2️⃣ Click on the green plus
• add shared folder
• 3️⃣ Select your USB root

• ruta de carpeta > select origin of the USB
• select the letter of the USB
• 4️⃣ Decide if you want the USB just for reading
• for us, let it both for reading and writing

• 5️⃣ In windows, USB is read automatically
• But in Linux, USB is not read automatically
• Linux does not show the USB as soon as you insert it
• 👍🏻 Linux does this for security reasons
• you have to mount the USB
• 6️⃣ Click on set mount automatically, Automontar
• 👉🏻 Now this USB is a shared folder,
• being reachable both by VM and RM

• 7️⃣ We need to add extra security
• as the USB is reachable by both machines, we need more secuirty
• need an extra package Guest Additions, GA
• package installed after running the .iso
• GA adds extra funcionality and security

⭐️ mount in Linux

• giving a name
• and activating it

⭐️ Guest Additions

• add extra security for shared folders
• need to add this package after the iso
• If you want to make your USBs you need to install GA
• 👀 functionalities such as: maximizing your window

📌 User interface

• Interfaz de usuario
• how your interface looks like
• But as tecnicians, do not touch it, as not everyone likes your style…

📌 Host Key

• tecla unfiltrion

• very important extra setting

• key for giving the control to the host(RM)
• in case of loss
• sometimes, when we run the VM,
• the VM can be in control
• control of keyboard, mouse…
• so use Host key to get that control back to the RM

sometimes, the VM can capture the mouse
mouse will not be useable by the RM
💊 to solve this, use the host key
to get the control back to the RM

• by default, the host key is Control key on the Right
• Control + ➡️ ❌

• press the control key that is on the right side of the keyboard

• If we do not have the Control key on the Right bc I have a laptop,
• 💊 we should modify the host key
• this is a basic setting, so you must do it

💡 How to modify the host key

• 1️⃣ All the machines should be turned off
• 2️⃣ archivo(files) > preferences >

• 3️⃣ entrada > virtual machine

• 4️⃣ to change it, click on it and delete it
• Note: If it appears in black color, it is for security reasons

• 5️⃣ press once, on your keyboard on the key that you want to use as your host key
• Note: use a key that is not used so often, so that it is not pressed so often

💡 How to take screenshot in the VM

• In VM, the shortcut with the keyboard will change

• there are three tecniques that always work

• 1️⃣ Windows + Mayus/Shift + s
• 2️⃣ Use external application
• Herramientas recortes windows
• 3️⃣ Screenshot tool of VM
• for tecnique 3, the VM should be running

📌 How to close the VM when it is running

• When the VM is running

1️⃣ If there is an OS installed on the VM

• use the OS switch off technique
• follow the standard way of switching off the VM
• in windows: start > switch off
• ⚠️ If you are going to use this method,
• make sure to press on the VM machine button ⭕️ , not the RM button ❌

2️⃣ If there is no OS installed on the VM

• use the X of the VM
• there will be three states

• 1️⃣ Save state guardar el estado
• hybernate, freeze the VM
• leave the VM for later
• ⭐️ hybernation means:
• save the information on the RAM(volatile)
• and save them on the Harddisk(involatile)

• for later uses

• ⭐️ hybernation save state is saved in the vbox
• vbox file is specific for each RM
• so if I have a VM in the USB in work computer and I bring the USB to my house
• and the USB opened in my house computer,
• the file will not be the same
• hybernation cannot be deployed/distributed to another computer

• hybernation is local, for one computer

• 👎🏻 uses lots of harddisk space

• 🛠️ Only if we need to interrupt the VM for a long installation process

• 2️⃣ Send shutdown signal enviar señal
• this is switching off carefully, perfectly
• saving everything, extracting the USBs…
• 👎🏻 It extracts the iso from the VM
• 🛠️ Use when installation is complete

• when you do not need the iso anymore

• 3️⃣ Switch off apagar
• same as closing a computer by pulling the wire
• shutting down a computer in a very abrupt way
• 👎🏻 many problems, the VM will not be able to save the files, the VM will be corrupted
• 🛠️ Use when there is a fatal error, and the machine does not work

CC Estefany María Cano Ochoa