The course is part of this learning path
In this course, you will learn how to install a Linux system and connect to it, whether that be on Mac or Windows. You'll also learn how to install Linux from scratch. This course is part of the Linux Administration Bootcamp learning path, designed to get you up and running with Linux.
Learning Objectives
- Understand what a Linux distribution is, what the most common Linux distributions are, and how to choose the right one for you
- Learn how to install VirtualBox on Windows and Mac
- Learn how to install Linux using an image for VirtualBox
- Understand common issues that may arise with VirtualBox and how to deal with them
- Learn how to install CentOS from scratch
- Learn how to connect to a Linux system
Intended Audience
- Anyone with little to no knowledge of Linux who wants to learn more about the operating system
- Professionals who want to learn about Linux to enhance their career prospects
Prerequisites
This is a beginner-level course so there are no prerequisites, but an interest in Linux and programming knowledge in general would be beneficial.
Resources
The external resources for this course can be found here:
- Installing Linux Using an Image for VirtualBox - https://www.linuxtrainingacademy.com/vdi/
- Installing CentOS from Scratch - https://centos.org/download/
This video is for Mac users only. So if you're using Windows, skip ahead to the next video. The first thing we're going to do is open up a web browser and visit VirtualBox.org. Next find the link that takes you to the download page. From here, select the file for your platform which is Mac. So we'll click on the link next to OS X hosts.
Once the download is complete, we'll go ahead and click on the file to open it. Now we can double click on the VirtualBox.pkg file to start the installation. We're going to click continue and we'll click continue again. Now we'll click install. If it prompts you for your password, go ahead and enter that. The installer reports that the installation was successful. So we can go ahead and click on the close button.
Now that the installation is complete, you can start virtual box by using spotlight. Press command + Space, or click the magnifying glass icon in the upper right-hand corner of the menu bar to bring up the spotlight search bar. From here, simply type in VirtualBox and press return. You can also start VirtualBox by opening up the finder, navigating to the applications folder and double clicking on VirtualBox there.
Next, let's install the Unarchiver. The easiest way to do that is to open up the app store. Let's start spotlight again by clicking on the magnifying glass icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen, or again by pressing command + Space. So now just type in app store and press return. Next, what we want to do is search for the Unarchiver that should bring up a list of matching applications. Now simply click on install under the Unarchiver and enter in your password if you're prompted to do so.
In an upcoming video, you'll be asked to download and extract the contents of a compressed archived file. You'll do that with the Unarchiver. Here's an example. I have a file I downloaded that ends in 7z. I've navigated to that file using the finder. Now I'll just double-click the file and the Unarchiver will extract the contents of that file. If we navigate into the folder that it created you can see that the uncompressed file is in that folder. Now you're ready to install Linux in a virtual machine using VirtualBox.
Jason is the founder of the Linux Training Academy as well as the author of "Linux for Beginners" and "Command Line Kung Fu." He has over 20 years of professional Linux experience, having worked for industry leaders such as Hewlett-Packard, Xerox, UPS, FireEye, and Amazon.com. Nothing gives him more satisfaction than knowing he has helped thousands of IT professionals level up their careers through his many books and courses.