Appendix. Virtual Machine Installation

Each of the virtualization technology overview chapters in Part I recommended that you “Refer to Appendix.” This is where those chapters continue—with the virtual machine (VM) installation. The appendix refers to the installation of Debian 4, a specific Linux distribution; it is generic and refers to the installation of any operating system.

We’re including this appendix to demonstrate that after you’ve created your VM, the installation of the operating system into that VM is no different from installing an operating system onto a physical machine. The only notable difference is that some operating systems are “smart” enough to detect that the disk they’re using is virtual (as you’ll see in Figure A-10).