Creating 32-bit CentOS Virtual Machine with VirtualBox from Multiple ISO Files
Short description of installing CentOS 5.6 32-bit VM on VirtualBox
Published on by nick
Many of us use VMWare or VirtualBox to create virtual machines for testing, deployment or whatever. I happen to use it routinely for testing other software, namely Java apps that require cross platform functionality. Generally, this blog is about web development, so I understand that this doesn't quite fit. But it's important, so hence its presence.
In this particular case, I'm faced with supporting a subset of clients who are running older RHEL. I'm not particularly fond of RHEL (or CentOS, for that matter), as Ubuntu is pretty much awesome for most of my Linux needs. Even so, I needed to create a 32-bit CentOS version 5.6 VM.
The mirror I used to get the ISO files supplied only smaller files, numbered 1 through 7. In many cases, the discs after the first one aren't needed to installer the base OS. In this case, the installer required all but number 7. Now I coujld have created a single ISO or gone to the web and found one, but I happened to get this started with only the seperatre ISO files.
This post basically acts as a reference on the web for others who might co me across this need. It doesn't apply only to CentOS or Linux, for that matter; rather, VirtualBox tripped me up and there is a work around.
Furthermore, I'm not 100% certain there sin't another, most reasonable way to accomplish this. This is just the way I found to do it.
I'm going to assume that if you are here you know what you are doing with your VirtualBox installation and that yo've created at least a couple VMs already. If not, check out the VirtualBox docs here.
First, when you attach an ISO in the CDROM IDE, choose the number one disc. The setup wizard will tell you at some point that you will need disc 1, 2, 3..., etc and to be prepared for this. OK, fine. Got 'em... When the installer gets done with "disc 1," it will ask for the next "disc." At thisa point, go into the VirtualBox control panel, and find your VM. Go to its settings and find the storage tab where it describes the IDEs. YOu might notice that the i mage is missing and it's current "empty." This is fine. Simply manually add disc number 2 right now.
Now, back in the setup wizard, click "OK, blah, blah, go to next step." If this process worked, the setup wizard will continue. Simply keep doing this all the way through until yo've included all required discs.
I know it's not pretty, but it works. Hopefully, if nothign else, I've helped one other person get done what was needed at the time they went hunting for this tid bit on Google.
Happy virtualizing...
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