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Setting up Ubuntu
The bitcoin node that we will install runs on a Linux/Debian-based operating system. In order to most effectively interact with it, we recommend running an Ubuntu installation. If you don't have access to a machine that runs Ubuntu, you can run Ubuntu virtually on your Mac or Windows machine.
We are looking at a Mac as an example. In principle the same process applies for Windows. To run Ubuntu in parallel to the Mac OS you can choose several methods, e.g.
- Partition your harddrive and install Ubuntu next to Mac OS.
- Use Parallels to run Ubuntu virtually (commercial product)
- Use Virtualbox to run Unbuntu virtually (open source)
This guide will walk you through the VirtualBox setup. Alternatively to this guide, you can also use instructions on WikiHow here.
You will use this downloaded Ubuntu OS through VirtualBox.
- Download from 'Ubuntu Desktop' from here
- Download VirtualBox from the download page. Choose the version for OS X (Download Page)
- Install VirtualBox by double-clicking the downloaded .dmg file and following the instructions in the installer
- Open VirtualBox
- Click 'New'
- Select the follow parameters:
- Screen 1 (Memory Size: Choose around 50% of your RAM to allow sufficient space for Ubuntu to run. In my example this is 8000 MB)
- Screen 2 'Hard Disk': Choose default 'Create a virtual hard disk now'
- Screen 3 'Hard Disk file type': Choose default 'VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image)'
- Screen 4 'Storage on physical hard disk': Choose default 'Dynamically allocated'
- Screen 5 'File location and size': Change to 20,00 GB
- Click on your newly created image
- Select 'Settings'
- Select 'Storage'
- Add CD image by clicking the CD symbol
- Click 'Choose Disk' and select the Ubuntu .iso image file you downloaded earlier
- Confirm with 'OK'
- Run Ubuntu by double-clicking or clicking 'Start'
- Choose your language
- Select 'Install Ubuntu'
- Check 'Download updates while installing Ubuntu'
- Use the default option 'Erase disk and install Ubuntu'. Don't worry, the warning relates to what VirtualBox sees. VirtualBox has no knowledge of and access to your actual OS, it lives in a virtual machine only.
- Select 'Continue' on the 'Write the changes to disk' screen.
- Continue through the setup wizard for your location and keyboard layout
- Enter your details in 'Who are you'. I suggest to keep it simply. This will be the login and password to use to access/unlock Ubuntu on your virtual machine, so remember or write this down.
- Let the installation finish and restart Ubuntu with 'Restart Now'
There are some additional applications that we want to install to support our work on the Bitcoin Node and overall make things easier to use. Select to the 'Application Software' icon in the navigation on the left and install:
- Installing Build Essentials
The build-essential software contains an informational list of software’s which are treated as important for building Debian packages including gcc compiler, make and other needed tools.
sudo apt install build-essential
- Setting up Share Folders and Clipboard
This will help exchange files and do copy/paste between your local machine and Ubuntu
- While Ubunutu is running, look for the VirtualBox application menu, go to the main Menu -> Devices -> Insert Guest Addition CD image
- Select
Run
and enter your Ubuntu password and clickAuthenticate
. - Wait the script to run and at the end press return to close the terminal window
- Folders
- Go to the main Menu -> Devices -> Shared Folders -> Shared Folder Settings
- Select the small
Add Folder
icon - Select 'Other' and choose your
Downloads
folder and checkAuto-Mount
and '. You can choose any folder you want, but I suggest using the downloads folder to have direct access to downloaded files later. - Verify your Folder is added and select
OK
- Clipboard
- Go to the main Menu -> Devices -> Shared clipboard -> Bidirectional
- Open
Search your Computer
-> typeTerminal
-> Open the Terminal application - type:
sudo adduser [your-Ubuntu-user-name] vboxsf
(note that copy/pasting does not work just yet). - Enter your Ubuntu user password and hit enter. This should look like this:
- Close the Terminal window
- In order for the shared folders and clipboard to take effect, you need to restart. On the top-right cogwheel select 'Shut down' then 'Restart' to restart Ubuntu after the installation
- Now when you open you 'Finder' you should see your shared folder called 'sf_Downloads'
- Copy/Paste will now also work between your machine and Ubuntu, however the keyboard shortcuts are likely different. Instead of 'cmd-c or p' on Mac, you will need to use 'shift-ctrl-c or p' in Ubuntu. Alternatively, just use right-click and 'paste'.
- P7Zip
- Launch Termininal and installP7Zip - the unzip software you need for some of your downloads
- Enter
sudo apt-get install p7zip-full
- You will be prompted for your Ubuntu password and it should look like this:
- Etcher
- Launch your browser
- Download
Etcher
from here - Navigate to the
Download
folder and right-clickExtract Here
- You will use this software to copy the Debian OS onto your SD card later. You might only require Etcher on your local machine and not on your Virtualbox. More on that later.
Ubuntu runs a bit sluggish with the default settings. It is highly recommended to also carry out these configuration tweaks next to ensure you have a smooth Ubuntu experience.
- Shut down your Ubuntu
- In VirtualBox choose
Settings
andSystem
- On the
Motherboard
tab uncheckFloppy
- Also set your set your
Base Memory
to about 50% of your RAM, in my case 8000 MB
- On the
- Choose
Processor
tab- Increase Processors to 2
- Check `Enable PAE/NX``
- Choose
Display
andScreen
tab- Increase Video Memory to 64 MB
- Choose
Network
andAdapter 1
tab- For
Attached to
chooseNAT
- For
Name
choose your Wifi adapter
- For
- IGNORE FOR NOW (START) - Choose
Network
andAdapter 2
tab- Check
Enable Network Adapter
- For
Attached to
chooseHost-only Adapter
- For
Name
choosevboxnet0
*** . -- IGNORE FOR NOW (STOP)
- Check
- Click
OK
to finish
In order to keep all those settings for the future and in case you need to experiment with installs or at any point in team want to revert back to this clean configuration you can create backup which is called a snapshot:
- Ensure you Ubuntu is shut down
- Click on your instance in VB and select
Take
. Select an appropriate name and description for your snapshot - At any point in time you can right-click this snapshot and select
Restore
to bring back your original setting.
Compare the VirtualBox User Manual for more details
NEXT CHAPTER: Setting up your Node