VirtualBox

IMPORTANT

 * NOTE! It is possible to use the system on Note/Netbooks, but it is not recommended!
 * NOTE! Your computer should have a minimum of 4 GB memory free!
 * NOTE! If xubuntu at any point asks you to update, do NOT update xubuntu!

Virtual computer setup.
You will install a program that will allow you to run this virtual computer. You will import a setup for the computer, a so-called virtual hard-disk file, that will hold all the tools you will need for a basic comparative genomics analysis. Create a virtual computer on your local hard-drive.


 * Download the program virtualbox from this link: http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads (version: select the one that fits your computer).
 * Install the program VirtualBox following the installation steps.
 * Start the VirtualBox
 * Click new (the blue icon on the left of the tool bar).
 * Type CMG − biotools in the VM name dialog box
 * Select linux (Operating system) and ubuntu (Version) in the Create New Virtual Machine dialog.
 * Leave the Memory as default, if you are expecting to do very heavy computations set this as high as allowed (within the green area of the bar)
 * Create a new hard disk #Leave virtual disk creation wizard settings unchanged: file type = VDI
 * Set memory allocation as dynamic
 * Click create in the Summary dialog

The virtual computer has now been created and can access part of the physical computer. The next step is to read the disc image, this process is equivalent to inserting a CD into the physical computer.


 * Click the Settings tab of the CMG-biotools computer
 * Click the tab Storage
 * Part of this window is dedicated to the Storage Tree in which there will be a branch called IDE Controller Under this branch there should be a CD icon and the text Empty
 * Select the Empty branch and click the CD icon to the right of the CD/DVD Drive
 * Click the “Choose a virtual CD/DVD disk file...” and find the folder where the CMG- biotools-version.iso is stored
 * Click OK

The computer now knows which file to read when booting.


 * To open the computer, click the Start button.


 * When given the option, select “live - boot the Live System”.


 * When the desktop appears, click the "Install icon" on the desktop and follow the instructions.


 * Create a user and a password that you can remember.


 * Restart the computer when asked and then you should be done.

Host computer
Create a shared folder in the VirtualBox graphical interface. This part is made on the host computer. Do not use a major drive for a shared folder, for example the Documents folder. Create a dedicated folder for the purpose. Lets call the folder biotools-shared.

Virtual computer
On the terminal command line enter the following command: sudo mkdir /Desktop/share This will create a folder that will be linked to the folder on the host computer. When you want something to be shared, you need to copy it here. The next step is to mount this folder and connect it to the host computer folder. This is done by specifying the mount folder on the virtual computer and the shared folder on the host computer. sudo mount -t vboxsf sudo mount -t vboxsf biotools-shared /Desktop/share