Can I Open An OS On VirtualBox From USB?

[RobotLizard]

Hi all!

I really want to try out Steam OS, but don't want to install it over Windows 7 which I currently have.

I was going to use VirtualBox to do so, but it seems to only allow you to boot an OS from a disk.

I don't have any discs other than a CD-RW and I don't think I can mount an ISO on that.

So my questions are:

Can I boot an OS in VirtualBox from a USB flash drive instead of a disc?
Can I mount an ISO to a CD-RW, and if so how?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Someone Somewhere]

You can definitely burn an ISO to a CD-RW, though you have to erase it first. Whatever burning tool you're using should prompt you to do this first.

By memory you should be able to mount an ISO directly into the VM, though.

 

[RobotLizard]

Can it be done from a USB, because it's a lot easier than mounting an ISO!

 

[Someone Somewhere]

I don't know; I haven't done much with VMs.

From memory, the VM control panel let you do it really easily.

 

[RobotLizard]

From memory, the VM control panel let you do it really easily.

Sorry I'm a noob with this, how do I do it from memory?

 

[Someone Somewhere]

No, I'm saying that's what I remember it being.

I haven't messed with VMs for several years, and only did some very light stuff then.

 

[Deleted member 904905]

Have you checked out the VirtualBox docs? Here's the two sections on storage:

https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch03.html
https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch05.html