VirtualBox

To set up networking for VirtualBox:

install needed packages

• bridge-utils
• uml-utilities

local

host OS that runs VBox

VM#

VBox that runs on local host

Create a .sh script with the following.

#!/bin/sh
# set PATH for the case we are called via sudo or su root

PATH=/sbin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin/
USER=michael_VM

NUMBER_OF_VM=1
# create the bridge
brctl addbr br0

# create the taps and insert them into the bridge

NB=1
while [ $NB -lt $(($NUMBER_OF_VM+1)) ]
do
  tunctl -t tap$NB -u $USER
  ip link set up dev tap$NB
  brctl addif br0 tap$NB
  NB=$(($NB+1))
done

# set the IP address and routing
ip link set up dev br0
ip addr add 10.1.1.1/24 dev br0
ip route add 10.1.1.0/24 dev br0

run this script on local host as root

Be sure to change the USER and NUMBER_OF_VM switches accordingly.

USER should be the owner of the taps on the local host

Your host requires only one bridge, but a tap for every VBox that you need to run concurrently. If you install too few taps then some VM's won't have networking.

Change the IPADDR of each VM# to make them unique

Edit the VMBox's /etc/sysconfig/network-script/ifcfg-eth0 file or whichever file is appropriate for the guest OS

# Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] 79c970 [PCnet32 LANCE]
DEVICE=eth0
BOOTPROTO=noe
HWADDR=08:00:27:BF:37:7F
ONBOOT=yes
NETMASCK=255.255.255.0
IPADDR=10.1.1.15
USERCTL=no
PEERDNS=yes
GATEWAY=10.1.1.15
TYPE=Ethernet
IPV6INIT=no

Within Virtual Box GUI, change the networking to a single bridged interface that uses br0.

Note: Make sure to have an /etc/resolv.conf file on the VM guest OS that is empty except for the following line.

search localdomain

Otherwise in the guest OS bringing eth0 up or trying to use ssh will take a very long time.

For further issues consult this wiki http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Advanced_Networking_Linux