How to: Install Puppy-Linux to a VirtualBox VDI on a Windows Host

Note: This tutorial has been split into four parts / posts to comply with forum image number restrictions. At the end of each post, simply move on to the next one to continue.

I run Puppy Linux FossaPup64 not as a Live CD but as a permanent frugal install that would save its state on each exit or reboot within an Oracle VM VirtualMachine. I had trouble finding a walkthrough that would show me how to do it, despite many searches on the Web and watching various YouTube videos.  

This walkthrough has been created to assist others new to Puppy Linux that may find themselves in a similar position while using BionicPup64 8.0 as an example. Snapshots of every step, as they were done, are included. Other current Puppy builds will be very similar.

It’s a great way to have a permanent Puppy Linux installation on hand.

Pre-requisites:

Windows 10 Host

Oracle VM VirtualBox Version 6.1

A downloaded copy of BionicPut64 8.0 from this link

Let’s get on with it…

Install Puppy Linux to an Oracle VirtualBox machine as a permanent install

Just like when installing any other OS to VirtualBox, we need to create an initial Virtual Machine (VM) template for it.

Step 1. Open VM VirtualBox Manager and click the New icon

Step 2. Start filling out the “Name and operating system details”

A ) Specify the name of your VM. (Puppy-Linux-BionicPup-64-Bit in this example)

B ) Choose an appropriate location on Windows 10 where VM will be saved

C ) Specify the amount of RAM you’re willing to dedicate to the VM. The default of 1GB (or even less) will be fine, but since I have plenty to spare, I’ve given mine 4GB of dedicated RAM

D ) Select “Create a virtual hard disk now” and then click the Create button

Step 3. Specify the settings of the VirtualBox Disk Image (VDI) - though it’s possible to use a Dynamically allocated VDI, I prefer to use a fixed size, so below, I’m going to specify a 4GB fixed sized VDI disk to install Bionic Pup to. Change that size to suit yourself. 

Once you’re happy with your settings, click the Create button. Your initial VM template will now be created.

Step 4. Back on the VirtualBox Manager window, time to adjust a few settings to best suit the Bionic Pup install. You could do this later, but I like to get it all out of the way now. Click the Settings button

Step 5. I suggest changing the following settings for best performance. 

System > Motherboard

A ) Chipset: PIIX 3

B ) Pointing Device: USB Tablet (or PS2/Mouse if that’s what you have)

C ) Extended Features: Enable I/O APIC

D ) Hardware Clock in UTC Time (This is optional)

System > Processor

A ) Processor(s): 2 (or more) depending on how many cores your Hosts processor has. If using an older generation CPU with Windows 10, leaving this to 1 processor will be fine

B ) Extended Features: Enable PAE/NX and Nested VT-x/AMD-V

System > Acceleration

A ) Paravirtualization Interface: Enabled

B ) Hardware Virtualization: Enable Nested Paging

Display > Screen

A ) Video Memory: 128 MB

B ) Graphics Controller: VMSVGA

C ) Acceleration: Enable 3D Acceleration

Storage > Controller IDE

This tells VirtualBox to load your downloaded bionicpup64-8.0-uefi.iso file as a Live CD that we’ll be booting with and using to permanently install Puppy later

A ) Click the Empty DVD icon

B ) Check the Live CD/DVD option 

C ) Click the Choose a virtual disk icon

D ) Select Choose a disk file...

E ) Browse to where you saved your Puppy ISO and select it, then click Open

Audio

A ) Check Enable Audio

B ) Host Audio Driver: Windows DirectSound

C ) Audio Controller: ICH AC97

D ) Extended Features: Check Enable Audio Output (You can also enable Audio Input as well if you’re that way inclined)

Network

Finally, ensure your Network Adapter is enabled and attached to NAT (it should be by default) and then click the OK button to exit out of settings

Running BionicPup64 8.0 Linux for the first time

Step 6. Now that you’ve set your VM to optimal defaults, click the Start button to Boot the VM

Step 7. The virtual machine boots to the following screen. Either wait 10 seconds for the boot to automatically continue, or press your Enter key

Puppy will boot into the Quick Setup screen as shown below. You can change these to suit yourself if you want to, but as we’re working on Live Boot at the moment, any changes will be lost so just click the OK button to continue. 

Step 8. Close the Welcome screen and continue to Step 9.

Preparing your VDI Partition

Step 9. Time to prepare the virtual disk image you created earlier for a permanent install of BionicPup64 on it.

Click Menu > System > GParted partition manager

Step 10. Select sda internal drive -- ATA VBOX HARDDISK and click the OK button

Continued in next post...

Step 11. You now need to create a partition on the unallocated VDI space, so select it and then click Device > Create Partition Table

Step 31. Just leave everything set to default on the Grub4DosConfig windows and click the OK button to continue

Step 32. Leave defaults again and just click OK to continue

Step 33. Click OK again to confirm

Step 34. Now click OK once more to Quit the Grub4DosConfig installer

Step 35. Click OK, then OK again, and finally, Close the NEWGRUBTEXT document presented

Step 36. Bionic Pup is now installed on the VDI. Click Menu > Exit > Shut Down to temporarily close the VM 

Step 37. Click No to save this session. Puppy will shut down.

There is no need to save this session because we’ve already configured the partitions on the VDI and installed Puppy to it 

Step 38. Back at the Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager window, click the Settings button on your BionicPup VM

Step 39. Navigate to Storage and Right-Click the bionicpup64-8.0-uefi.iso file and then click Remove Attachment 

This tells VirtualBox to no longer boot from the ISO and to boot from the VDI you installed Puppy to instead

Step 40. Click the Remove button to confirm your choice and then click the OK button to close the Settings window

Step 41. Now click the Start button to fire up and use your BionicPup Virtual Machine again, only this time, from the installation you made in the earlier steps

Step 42. When puppy boots this time, you’ll see the following screen. Press your Enter key to continue booting

Step 43. When Quick Setup presents this time, be sure to set your Locale and other preferences. We’ll set up Puppy to remember these settings for future boots later. At a minimum, you should:
 

A ) Set your preferred Country, State, and Keyboard preferences

B ) Check Firewall enabled to configure Firewall protection at the same time

C ) Click OK to continue

Step 44. Click the Apply button to accept the generic pre-set firewall rules

Step 45. You will be prompted to perform a soft Puppy restart (Restart X) so that your locale and other settings can take effect 

Click the Restart X button to continue

Step 46. Close the Welcome window that appears and proceed to do the first shutdown where we will tell Puppy to remember and automatically save whatever is done each time it's booted up

Continued next post...

Step 47. We're on the home stretch. Prepare yourself for a wild ride of confirmations!

This step is essential so that you don't lose all of the preference changes you've just made

Initiate another shutdown by clicking Menu > Exit > Shut Down

Step 48. Click the SAVE button

Step 49. Click the administrator button

Step 50. Click the NORMAL (no encryp.) button

Step 51. Retain the Save in a folder. *RECOMMENDED* option and click the OK button

Step 52. Click the OK button

Step 53. Click the YES, SAVE button on the First Shutdown: sanity check

Step 54. Now click the “Create pupswap.swp“ button to accept the default 64MB swap file size and “finally” get to watch your Virtual Machine shut down for the first time

Done!

BionicPup 64 8.0 is now fully installed as a Frugal installation just as if it were installed to a physical hard drive.

Each time you fire up your Virtual Machine now, it will save its state and remember anything you’ve installed automatically.

If you have any questions about using or configuring your new Puppy installation, head over to the Puppy Linux Discussion Forum, create a free account for yourself and ask away. Lots of friendly help for beginners is available there.

Enjoy the speed that using Puppy Linux will give you. I hope this walkthrough helped you out and look forward to any comments you may have below.

Regards, Andrew

Great job.

Edited by NickAu, 09 November 2021 - 10:15 PM.

Thanks for your feedback Nick. Much appreciated

Best, Andrew

Well, I must say.....amazing job, Andy. Well done!

Reading through all this reminded me that I'd forgotten just how much in the way of GUI 'help' tooltips & wizards'n'stuff Puppy actually has. I haven't gone through all these steps for several years; I usually do a "quick'n'dirty" manual install to a sub-directory, followed by tweaking the bootloader by hand. Takes all of around 5 minutes!

After that, it might take me perhaps 90 minutes or so to set-up and completely customize any Puppy to how I want it. Over time, I've "streamlined" the process; I've built several highly personal .pet packages which, upon the single-click for an install will perform multiple customization steps FOR me, automatically. Some of these steps are also 'fixes' for Puppy peculiarities that tend to interfere with the way I like to do things.

Again; excellent job.

Mike. 

Thank you!