Creating a virtual machine (VM) on your local computer typically involves installing virtualization software, often called a hypervisor, and setting up the VM using that tool. Unlike cloud computing where VMs are hosted on a provider's infrastructure, this process utilizes your own machine's resources.
Based on the provided guide, here are the key steps involved in creating and using a virtual machine using a local hypervisor:
Steps to Create and Use a Local Virtual Machine
The process is broken down into distinct stages, from preparing your system to using and shutting down the VM.
Step 1: Prepare Your Computer for Virtualization
Before you begin, ensure your computer's hardware supports virtualization and that this feature is enabled in your system's BIOS or UEFI settings. This is a fundamental requirement for virtualization software to function correctly.
Step 2: Install Hypervisor (Virtualization Tool)
A hypervisor is essential software that allows you to create and manage virtual machines on your host operating system. Popular examples include VMware Workstation, Oracle VirtualBox, or Hyper-V (built into Windows Pro/Enterprise). You need to download and install one of these tools on your computer.
Step 3: Import a Virtual Machine
Once the hypervisor is installed, you typically don't build a VM from scratch using this method. Instead, you often import a pre-built virtual machine image. These images contain a pre-installed operating system and configurations, making setup quicker. Image formats might include .ova or .ovf files. You would use the hypervisor's import function to load this file.
Step 4: Start the Virtual Machine
After importing the VM image, it will appear in your hypervisor's library. You can then select the VM and click the "Start" or "Power On" button. This process boots up the virtual operating system within a window on your host computer.
Step 5: Using the Virtual Machine
Once the VM has started, you can interact with it just like a physical computer. You will have a window displaying the guest operating system's desktop. You can install software, browse the web, and perform other tasks within this isolated environment. You might need to configure networking or shared folders depending on your needs.
Step 6: Shut down the Virtual Machine
When you are finished using the VM, it's important to shut it down properly. You can usually do this from within the guest operating system (e.g., clicking "Shut down" in the Windows Start menu or using a power command in Linux) or by using the shutdown options provided by the hypervisor software.
This step-by-step approach facilitates setting up and running virtualized environments directly on your personal computer for testing, development, or running specific applications in isolation.
