As the number of Chromebook users continues to increase, there is a rising demand for virtual machines that they can use. A virtual machine (VM) is a software program that emulates a computer’s hardware, enabling you to run other operating systems (OS) inside it. Virtual machines are often used to run applications that are not compatible with the Chrome OS.
Here is a step-by-step tutorial that will guide you in downloading virtual machines for Chromebooks.
Step 1: Enable Linux on your Chromebook
Before you can use virtual machines, you need to enable Linux on your Chromebook. To do this, go to Settings, click on the “Advanced” option, and select “Developer Options.” Afterward, toggle the “Linux Development Environment” option to enable it.
Step 2: Install a VM application
The next step is to install a virtual machine application. One of the most popular choices for Chromebooks is VirtualBox, an open-source VM application that can run on Linux systems. To install VirtualBox, open the Linux Terminal and enter the following commands:
“`
sudo apt update
sudo apt install virtualbox
“`
Step 3: Download a virtual machine
Once you have installed VirtualBox, you can then download a virtual machine. There are two options for downloading VMs: either create one yourself or use pre-made ones available online.
Creating a VM from scratch is a time-consuming process and requires technical knowledge, so it’s best to use pre-made ones. You can find different VM images online, such as Ubuntu, Windows, and macOS. A great website for downloading these images is the VirtualBox Images website.
Step 4: Import the VM into VirtualBox
After downloading the virtual machine image, you need to import it into VirtualBox. To do this, launch VirtualBox, and click on “New.” Next, give a name to your new virtual machine, select the OS that the VM will run on, and then allocate RAM and specify its storage location. Finally, click on “Create.”
Step 5: Configure the virtual machine
Once your virtual machine is created, you need to configure it to suit your needs. You can adjust settings such as the amount of RAM and the number of CPUs allocated to the VM. To do this, select the virtual machine in VirtualBox, click on “Settings,” and select the “System” category. From there, you can adjust the RAM, CPU, and other settings.
Step 6: Start the virtual machine
Once you have configured the virtual machine, you can then start it by launching VirtualBox and selecting it from the VM list. You should now be able to run applications on your VM that are not compatible with Chrome OS.
In conclusion, downloading and using virtual machines for Chromebooks is a straightforward process. Enabling Linux, installing VirtualBox, downloading a virtual machine, importing the VM into VirtualBox, configuring the virtual machine, and starting it are all the steps that you need to follow. With virtual machines, Chromebook users can run applications that are not supported by Chrome OS, making it possible for them to work on different operating systems without buying separate hardware.