How to Install Fedora on a Virtual Machine

Edited 4 weeks ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

FedoraInstallationVirtual MachineVirtualBoxVMwareBeginnersOperating SystemSetupComputersSoftware

Virtual machines (VMs) are a great way to run multiple operating systems on a single physical machine. They can simulate an entire computer system, providing a flexible and secure environment for a variety of applications. One popular operating system you can install on a VM is Fedora, a reliable and user-friendly Linux distribution. In this guide, I'll walk you through the process of installing Fedora on a virtual machine, step-by-step. We'll cover everything from setting up your virtual machine software to completing the installation of Fedora.

Choosing the right virtual machine software

First and foremost, you need a virtualization platform. There are several free and proprietary virtual machine software options available:

• VirtualBox: A free and open-source tool from Oracle that is widely used for personal and business virtual machine setup.
• VMware Workstation Player: A streamlined and easy-to-use product for running virtual machines on Linux and Windows, which is free for personal use.
• VMware Fusion: Suitable for Mac users, provides seamless integration between Mac applications and virtual machines running in the background.
• KVM: Kernel-based Virtual Machine is an open-source virtualization technology built into Linux, suitable for more advanced users.

For this guide, I will focus on using VirtualBox, which is supported on a variety of operating systems and is friendly to beginners.

Downloading Fedora ISO

Fedora Workstation, which is a more user-focused and developer-friendly version of Fedora, is usually the best choice for most users. Follow these steps to download a Fedora ISO image:

1. Visit the official Fedora website.
2. Select the "Download Now" option for Fedora Workstation.
3. Choose the 64-bit x86 option as this is the architecture most machines use these days.
4. Download the ISO file to your computer: This is a large file (about 2GB), so make sure you have a stable internet connection during the download.

Setting up VirtualBox

After you download the Fedora ISO, you'll need to prepare your virtualization software. We're using VirtualBox for this guide:

1. Download the latest version of VirtualBox and install it on your host system.
2. Once installed, launch VirtualBox, and you will see the VirtualBox Manager interface.
3. Proceed to create a new virtual machine by clicking the New button.

Creating a new virtual machine for Fedora

Follow these steps to set up a virtual machine (VM) for Fedora in VirtualBox:

1. In the "Name and Operating System" window, enter a descriptive name for your VM, such as "Fedora VM".
2. Select "Linux" as the type, and choose "Fedora (64-bit)" from the Version dropdown menu.
3. Choose the amount of memory (RAM) to allocate to the VM. A minimum of 2GB (2048MB) is recommended, but you can allocate more if your system has enough resources.
4. Select "Create a virtual hard disk now" and click Create.
5. For the hard disk file type, VirtualBox Disk Image (VDI) is the default choice, and it works well in most cases.
6. Next, choose “Dynamically allocated” for the storage option. This means the VM will only use what it needs initially, but can grow to its maximum size when needed.
7. Set the appropriate size for the virtual hard drive. Generally, about 20GB is enough for Fedora, but more space may be needed depending on your usage.
8. After clicking Create, your virtual machine is ready to be set up.

Configuring your virtual machine

Before you begin the Fedora installation, you may need to adjust a few settings for optimal performance:

• With the VM selected in VirtualBox Manager, click the Settings icon.
• In the System tab, under the "Motherboard" section, make sure "Optical" is before "Hard Disk" in the boot order. This will allow you to boot from the downloaded Fedora ISO.
• Switch to the "Processor" tab and dedicate at least one CPU core to the VM. If your host machine's processor supports it, you can allocate more cores, which will improve performance.
• Under the "Display" tab, increase the "Video Memory" to at least 128MB. This helps with graphical performance in the VM.
• Go to the Storage section, highlight the "Empty" disk under "Controller: IDE" and select Choose Disk File by clicking the disk icon next to "Optical Drive". Locate and select the downloaded Fedora ISO.

Starting the Fedora installation

Once the VM is configured, it's time to begin the installation of Fedora:

1. In the VirtualBox Manager, make sure your Fedora VM is selected and click the Start button.
2. The VM will boot from the Fedora ISO. You will see the Fedora start menu. Select "Start Fedora Workstation Live 36" (or the version number you downloaded).
3. After a few moments, you will be brought to a live session of Fedora. Here you can try out the live environment or proceed directly with the installation, which is our choice. Click the "Install to hard drive" icon on the desktop.

Completing the installation of Fedora

The Fedora installer, known as Anaconda, will guide you through the installation process. Here's how to proceed:

1. Select your preferred language and click Continue.
2. You'll arrive at the "Installation Summary" screen, where any items that need your attention will be marked with a warning.
3. Go to the installation destination, select the virtual hard drive created earlier, and choose the automatic partitioning option, unless you have specific needs for manual partitioning.
4. Return to the "Installation Summary" screen. If you want to configure your network, you can do so now.
5. Begin the installation by clicking the Start Installation button.
6. While the system files are copying to your virtual hard drive, go to the "Root Password" section and set a strong password for the root user.
7. In the "User Creation" section, set up a user account with administrator privileges by checking the applicable option.
8. When the installation is complete, click Finish Installation and restart your VM.
9. Upon reboot, make sure the ISO image is no longer mounted as a CD drive, otherwise the VM may boot back into the live session instead of your newly installed system.

First boot and system configuration

After rebooting, Fedora will load for the first time. You need to:

1. Fedora will launch to a welcome screen with some initial setup requirements, such as connecting to a network, setting privacy options, and enabling location services.
2. You can configure online accounts by linking accounts such as Google or Microsoft, or skip this step by selecting "Skip" if it is not necessary.
3. The last step is personalization. Set up your work environment and finalize your setup.

Installing guest additions (for VirtualBox users)

To enhance the functionality and integration between Fedora and your host system, you need to install VirtualBox Guest Additions.

1. With your Fedora VM running, go to the VirtualBox menu and select Devices > Insert Guest Edition CD Image.
2. Open the terminal in Fedora and execute the following command:

sudo dnf update -y
sudo dnf install -y gcc make perl kernel-headers kernel-devel
cd /run/media/<username>/VBOXADDITIONS_<version>/
sudo ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

Replace <username> with your Fedora username and <version> with the current VBoxGuestAdditions version number.

This process will install drivers and tools to improve the responsiveness of the virtual machine, providing features such as clipboard sharing, drag-and-drop, and resizable screen resolution.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed Fedora on a virtual machine using VirtualBox. The virtual environment ensures a safe and convenient way to test and explore Fedora without affecting your primary operating system. During this journey, you have become familiar with downloading Fedora, setting up your VM, walking through the installation, and even adding enhancements for better service and user experience. With Fedora on your virtual machine, you can now explore its features, install software, and even develop applications. Enjoy your new setup!

  Share This Article

If you find anything wrong with the article content, you can request an update