oracle vm

[seven2]

Hello
When you create a vm like oracle box and then import an os to it like Win 8 or Ubuntu, if you decide to remove these, can you simply remove the vm and all is gone, or, are there remnants.
I ask because I am thinking of creating Win 8 in Oracle's vm but reflect back to my last vm experience. I usd Oracle's vm with used Ubuntu. After a while I decided to remove the vm thinking Ubuntu would be gone as it was part of it.
I found Ubuntu deeply entrenched within my host pc.

This is why I ask if I made an error before or should the guest remain even after the vm is removed?
Thank you
Peter

 

[kado897]

What do you mean by you found Ubuntu deeply entrenched? When you remove a VM from Virtualbox you are asked if you wish to delete the files. If you do so then it is gone usually. Sometimes the delete will fail and you have to do it manually.

 

[seven2]

VM

It has been awhile and I only did it once because of the residual files.

I found Ubuntu in several places on my pc which prompted me to use Acronis to become stable again. I also found vm in different places.
I did not see any selection to remove files so apparently I did it wrong.
How do you remove the VM the proper way so you have a choice to remove everything?
I thought you could remove the VM or the guest but I did not know the proper way to do it so nothing was left over.
I did not want to randomly delete folders in case one was shared or a file was necesary.
I would like to use the Oracle VM with Win 8 as long as I could remove it all when I wanted.
If I knew how to remove a guest I could add them as I needed, to investigate.

Long short = how to remove guest and vm?

 

[kado897]

The correct way to do it is...

Right click and select remove.


When asked press delete all files.



This has improved in recent releases. It didn't work in windows 7 a while back but it does now.

 

[seven2]

vm

So to remove the guest, right click the one you want, click remove and follow up with remove all the files.
If you remove all files will the guest and Oracle vm be removed or just the guest?
Or when you want to remove the Oracle vm, do you click on settings?

 

[kado897]

No you just right click the vm name in the left hand pane.

 

[seven2]

vm

I guess what I have to understand is what the vm is. I thought it was only Oracle and that you imorted guests into it.

I amend that comment.
All are vms and to completley rid the pc of the Linux Mint for example you right click, then click to remove all. That takes care of that particular Linux Mint vm but the Oracle remains. Then you remove each the same way. If you wish to remove the Oracle machime.... this is where I do not understand.

 

[kado897]

Yes it can be confusing. A virtual Machine is just another way of describing a guest OS running under a host OS rather than directly on the hardware. Oracle VirtualBox is just the software that allows you to do that.

 

[strollin]

As previously stated, you can remove the individual VMs by simply right-clicking and selecting Remove. If you want to remove the Oracle software, VirtualBox, you would do that from "Programs and Features" just like you would any other installed program.

 

[seven2]

vm

For example, if you had Win 7 , Oracle, Mint.

Is Mint the guest, Win 7 the host and Oracle the software but neither host nor guest.?

 

[kado897]

Yes that is correct.

 

[seven2]

programs and features

As previously stated, you can remove the individual VMs by simply right-clicking and selecting Remove. If you want to remove the Oracle software, VirtualBox, you would do that from "Programs and Features" just like you would any other installed program.

Being that you can remove the Oracle as you would any program, could you use Revo if you choose to?

I will answer that myself by saying yes. I now have a much better picture of what each is and how to do it. I thank you all for your time and patience.

 

[kado897]

I guess you could, although I have never tried it. Uninstalling VirtualBox will not get rid of any VMs you have defined though. You would need to delete them manually afterwards.

 

[seven2]

vm

I understand and thank you.

I wanted you to know thaat my problem was that I removed oracle with Ubuntu in it thinking all would be gone - wrong. I thought everything within oracle would go with it.
Each guest has to be completely removed before removing the Oracle box.

 

[kado897]

You are welcome seven2.

 

[strollin]

... Each guest has to be completely removed before removing the Oracle box.

I think you understand now but the above statement isn't necessarily correct. You don't have to remove the guests before removing Oracle VirtualBox. For instance, you could remove ONLY VirtualBox and leave the VM's which would allow you to re-install VirtualBox and have your VM's intact OR you could copy/move the VM's to another machine and import them into VirtualBox there.

 

[kado897]

Sorry. I missed that line. Strollin is correct. Just think of the VM as data that VirtualBox uses just like a spreadsheet that Excel uses. If you uninstall Excel the spreadsheet remains and can be opened by another installation of Excel.

 

[seven2]

understand

To understand, I would like to ask just a bit more if I may.
Honestly, I have used neither a sreadsheet nor Excel so I am sorry but the analogy is beyond me but I'll bet an accurate one.

My question is,"If the Oracle box is removed without removing the guests like Ubuntu, where do the guests reside.

I alays thought one reason for virtualization was to keep material from being instaled in the C: drive, using Oracle in its place. Then you could add guests to this Oracle software upon which all rest, the host or Win 7.

If I approach the area of depair then wave the flag and I will thank you all and depart.
I have been conquering tasks like imaging etc and am determined to comquer this on eway or the other. I must first understand the basics and the terms involved.

 

[kado897]

No problem seven2.

VBox creates a folder for each VM with two main files in it The first is a .vbox file which contains the settings for the VM. The second and much bigger file is a virtual disk, usually with the .vdi extension. This contains the installed guest and all its data. There are various other files and folders but those are the important ones. The folder by default resides in your documents folder although you can change that. I have moved mine onto an external disk as they are quite large. This is the folder for my Ubuntu VM.

 

[seven2]

avoid C:

As you can tell I am trying to avoid installing to the C: drive.
I wonder if you can use a usb drive - 8GB - to contain everything or do you still need to involve the C: drive?
I read about Lili and pen drive.
I was going to follow a tutorial from YouTube with the laptop to guide the desktop and use Oracle's box to install Win 8?

With a friend's advice, perhaps I need more pc experience before I get into virtualization. I shall continue to watch tutorials and read before messing up a good pc.

Thank you all for your support - I'll be back.