You need a recent virtualbox, or the (proprietary) server version of it (which is free as in beer). In any case, the steps below work for me on Ubuntu intrepid:
/etc/apt/sources.list:
deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian intrepid non-free
Execute:
$ wajig install virtualbox-2.1
Answer yes to install the kernel module, it should just work. Create the virtual image:
$ VBoxManage createvm -name ubuntu -register $ VBoxManage modifyvm ubuntu -memory "2048MB" -acpi on -boot1 dvd -nic1 nat $ VBoxManage createvdi -filename ~/.VirtualBox/Machines/ubuntu/ubuntu.vdi -size 20000 -register $ VBoxManage modifyvm ubuntu -hdb ~/.VirtualBox/Machines/ubuntu/ubuntu.vdi $ VBoxManage registerimage dvd ~/ext/debian-40r6-i386-netinst.iso $ VBoxManage modifyvm ubuntu -dvd ~/ext/debian-40r6-i386-netinst.iso
Start the image
$ VBoxHeadless -startvm ubuntu VirtualBox Headless Interface 2.1.2 (C) 2008-2009 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved. Listening on port 3389
Connect to the image (requires X) on the same machine:
rdesktop localhost
Or you can login remotely by forwarding the 3389 port:
$ ssh -L 3389:localhost:3389 server
And from your desktop computer
$ rdesktop localhost
Install the system. After installing it, remove the cd (iso image) by
$ VBoxManage modifyvm ubuntu -dvd none
Stop the image (do not save changes)
$ VBoxManage controlvm ubuntu poweroff
Stop the image (save changes)
$ VBoxManage controlvm ubuntu savestate
Networking
In order to be able to login using ssh, do:
$ VBoxManage setextradata ubuntu "VBoxInternal/Devices/pcnet/0/LUN#0/Config/guestssh/Protocol" TCP $ VBoxManage setextradata ubuntu "VBoxInternal/Devices/pcnet/0/LUN#0/Config/guestssh/GuestPort" 22 $ VBoxManage setextradata ubuntu "VBoxInternal/Devices/pcnet/0/LUN#0/Config/guestssh/HostPort" 2222
Then you can login on the server using:
$ ssh -p 2222 localhost
To forward the port 8000 for the Sage notebook, use:
$ VBoxManage setextradata ubuntu "VBoxInternal/Devices/pcnet/0/LUN#0/Config/guest8000/Protocol" TCP $ VBoxManage setextradata ubuntu "VBoxInternal/Devices/pcnet/0/LUN#0/Config/guest8000/GuestPort" 8000 $ VBoxManage setextradata ubuntu "VBoxInternal/Devices/pcnet/0/LUN#0/Config/guest8000/HostPort" 8000
Sage
Download and install Sage as usual in the virtual machine. Start the notebook:
$ ./sage ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | Sage Version 3.2.3, Release Date: 2009-01-05 | | Type notebook() for the GUI, and license() for information. | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- sage: notebook(address="") [...] ************************************************** * * * Open your web browser to http://localhost:8000 * * * **************************************************
And connect to http://localhost:8000 on your host machine.