Installing Oracle Linux on Oracle VM VirtualBox

Overview
This guide shows you how to install Oracle Linux 6.3 as a Virtual Machine (VM) using Oracle VM VirtualBox. Installing enterprise Oracle software such as Oracle DB, Oracle Identity Manager (OIM), or BI Publisher on a VM have several advantages. Oracle VM VirtualBox allows you to take snapshots of your VM. Snapshot saves the current state of your machine at the time you take it. Typically, I take snapshots when patching OIM, performing any test operations that may corrupt my OIM, or saving a good state point. Also, you can make clones of your VMs. A good scenario is when you successfully installed Oracle DB. Make a clone out of that since you might want one VM to have OIM 11g R1 and the other OIM 11g R2 or some other enterprise Oracle software later on.

Prerequisites

1. Install Oracle VM VirtualBox. The download link can be found here.
2. Download the Linux ISO file here. You must have an Oracle account to get the files. Making an Oracle account is free. 

Product Pack: Oracle Linux
Platform: x86 64 bit
Description: Oracle Linux Release 6 Update 3 Media Pack for x86_64 (64 bit)
Part Number: B69242-02
Name: Oracle Linux Release 6 Update 3 for x86_64 (64 Bit)
Part Number: V33411-01

OEL Installation on VM
The screenshots given below will walk you through the process of installing Linux on a Virtual Machine (VM).

1. Click the blue icon with New label under it to create a new VM.

2. Specify the name, type, and version of your VM.

3. Specify the memory size of your VM.

4. Select "Create a virtual hard drive file".

5. Select "VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image)".

6. If you want to spin up your VM as soon as possible, select "Dynamically allocated". Selecting "Fixed size" might take a while for the initial install if you are allocating a large storage size.

7. Specify the size of hard drive for your VM.

8. After successfully creating a VM space, the VM should appear on the front page.

9. Load up your Linux ISO file.

10. Begin installing Linux.

11. Skip media test to start installation.

12. This is the initial page for Oracle Linux 6 install.

13. Specify your language.

14. Specify your keyboard type.

15. Select "Basic Storage Devices".

16. There should not be any data in your in newly created VM storage, so it's okay to click "Yes, discard any data". Select the other option  if you happen to have data.

17. Specify the hostname of your VM. When you have Linux installed, put this in the "/etc/hosts" file.

18. Specify your time zone.

18. Enter the password for your root user.

19. Select your installation type.

20. Go to disk.

21. Select Desktop.

22. Installation might take a while.

23. Successful install.

24. Post-configuration.

25. Click Forward.

26. You can setup Software updates later if you want to.

27. Create a regular user.

28.  Specify date and time.

29. Specify if you would like Kdump.