A Professor Wingman Class 404
NetMgmt.Lab

Week 9

VirtualBox Installation and Setup

Install Oracle VirtualBox and prepare it for creating safe virtual lab environments.

Lesson recap

From this week forward, almost everything you do happens inside a virtual machine. A VM is a sandbox — you can install Kali Linux, break it, snapshot it, restore it, and your real laptop never knows. VirtualBox is the free hypervisor we'll use for the rest of the semester. Once it's installed, you have a hardware lab that fits in a USB stick. If the install fails on Windows, it's almost always because Hyper-V or virtualization in the BIOS needs attention — that's normal, and we'll walk through it.

Learning goals

  • Download and install VirtualBox
  • Verify the installation
  • Understand what a hypervisor does
  • Prepare to create your first VM

Key terms

Hypervisor

Software that runs virtual machines (Type 1 runs on bare metal; Type 2 runs on top of an OS — VirtualBox is Type 2).

Virtual Machine

A simulated computer running inside your computer.

Host

Your physical computer.

Guest

The OS running inside the VM.

Snapshot

A saved state you can revert to — your insurance policy against broken VMs.

VT-x / AMD-V

CPU features that make virtualization fast; usually enabled in BIOS.

Curated videos

How to Use VirtualBox (Beginners Guide)

Brett In Tech

You Need to Learn Virtual Machines RIGHT NOW

NetworkChuck

How to Build a Hacking Lab

NetworkChuck

Checkpoint checklist

Sign in to save your progress across devices.
  • VirtualBox downloaded
  • VirtualBox installed
  • VirtualBox opened successfully
  • Install documented with screenshots
  • Saved required evidence
  • Answered the reflection questions

Pro tips from the instructor

  • ★Always download VirtualBox from virtualbox.org — never a 'mirror' site. The installer is a common malware lure.
  • ★If the installer warns about Hyper-V on Windows, you'll need to disable Hyper-V (run `bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off` as admin, then reboot).
  • ★Install the VirtualBox Extension Pack from the same page — USB 2/3 passthrough won't work without it.

Try this — stretch exercises

Optional hands-on practice that goes beyond the workbook. Check items off as you complete them — progress saves in this browser.

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  • After install, in BIOS/UEFI, verify VT-x / AMD-V is enabled. Boot speed of VMs depends on it.

Files to save this week

  • 📁 Week09_VBoxInstall_YourLastName.png
  • 📁 Week09_VBoxFirstOpen_YourLastName.png