How to install Rocky Linux on VirtualBox in Windows 11

Rocky Linux is an open-source Linux distribution based on RHEL or Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It offers binary compatibility and robust security, but the best part is that it is community-driven. In this post, we are going to see how you can install Rocky Linux on VirtualBox to use this distribution even on a Windows computer.

How to install Rocky Linux on VirtualBox in Windows 11/10

To install Rocky Linux on VirtualBox, you need to follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Meet the prerequisites
2. Create a virtual machine
3. Install the operating system

Let us talk about them in detail.

1] Meet the prerequisites

First of all, you need to make sure to download and/or install the required tools for this setup. You can download the distribution for Rocky Linux from rockylinux.org. Now, you need to go to the tab based on your architecture, and then select the ISO of your choice.

The following three ISOs are available.

• Minimal ISO: This is used to install a minimal Rocky Linux environment. It includes only the essential packages required for a basic system setup, making it ideal for lightweight installations or servers.
• Boot ISO: It downloads the packages during the installation setup, allowing you to install only the required packages.
• DVD ISO: This facilitates a complete installation of the operating system as it includes all the Rocky Linux packages.

For the sake of this tutorial, we are going with DVD ISO.

Additionally, you would need to install VirtualBox on your computer.

2] Create a new virtual machine

Now that we have all the tools needed for this setup, let us go ahead and create a virtual machine. To do so, open VirtualBox and follow the steps mentioned below.

1. In VirtualBox, you need to go to Machine > New.
2. Once the Create Virtual Machine wizard appears, give it a name, something like “Rocky Linux 9.5”.
3. It should automatically set the Type, Subtype, and Versions. If it doesn’t do that, you can manually set it to Linux and its latest version.
4. Then, go to the Hardware tab, and set the Base Memory and Processor.
5. Now, go to the Hard Disk, do the needful, and then click on Finish.

Wait for a few seconds as it creates the virtual machine.

Read: How to install Fedora on Oracle VM VirtualBox

3] Install the operating system

Now that we have a virtual machine ready at our disposal, let us go ahead and install the OS. But before that, let us add the ISO file to the virtual machine.

To do so, you need to right-click on the newly created virtual machine and select Settings. Then, go to the Storage tab, select Control IDE, click on the Disk icon placed next to Optical Drive, select Choose a Disk File, and then finally, select the ISO image.

Once done, you need to boot up the virtual machine by selecting it and clicking on Start. You can then follow the steps mentioned below to get on with the installation process.

1. You will get the option to either test the media or install the system. Go for the installation option.
2. Wait for the setup to load. Once done, you need to select the language and then click on Continue.
3. Now, let’s just start configuring things. First, select Keyboard, double-click on it, click on the Plus (+) icon, and then add a keyboard of your choice.
4. Go to Installation Destination and select your hard disk.
5. Double-click on Time & date, wait for it to detect the zones automatically if you are connected to the Internet, and the Network Time is enabled. You can even configure the settings manually if you want to, or if you don’t have Internet access.
6. To add more packages, go to Software Selection. It allows you to go through different base environments, select the one you like, and go through the Additional Software option.
7. Double-click on Root Password, and then set the password for the Root user.
8. Similarly, you can go to every option and configure it.
9. Finally, click on Done.

You then have to follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

When you want to log in, you can use the password that we created for the Root user. Hopefully, now you will be able to log in and use Rocky Linux.

Read: Speed up a VirtualBox Virtual Machine and make it run faster

How to install Rocky Linux in VM?

To install Rocky Linux in a VM, you first need to download the ISO from the linked website, then create a virtual machine based on your performance requirements. Once done, you need to add the ISO image and boot up the machine. You will get the prompt that you can follow to complete the installation process.

Read: How to install Linux Ubuntu on Hyper-V in Windows

Can you install Linux on VirtualBox?

Yes, you can install Linux on VirtualBox. You can install various Linux distributions in VirtualBox. We have guides to install Oracle Linux, Debian, Kali Linux, and even Rocky Linux in VirtualBox. However, there are other virtual machine tools that you can use instead of VirtualBox as well.

Also Read: Install Ubuntu in VMWare Workstation.