WEB WORKBENCH

I’ve started setting up the virtualisation environment for this project.

First thing I do is download VirtualBox onto the Windows machine and install it using the default settings. Once that’s done, I open it just to confirm it launches correctly before moving on.

Next, I install the VirtualBox Extension Pack.

This adds extra functionality later on like USB support and better hardware integration. It’s not essential right now, but I prefer to install it early so I don’t have to come back and patch things later.

For the operating system, I’ve chosen Ubuntu 24.04, since it’s compatible with Virtualmin production use and widely supported.

I start creating a new virtual machine in VirtualBox.

VM name: workbench-server
VM storage location: D: drive (second drive on the NUC) inside a folder called VM

(this keeps all virtual machines separated from system storage)

I then select the downloaded Ubuntu ISO image, and VirtualBox automatically detects it as a 64-bit Linux system.

I use the unattended install option so I can pre-configure:
Username
Password
Basic system setup

The domain field here is not critical at this stage, but I may align it later with a subdomain from Namecheap.

For DNS testing, I can point a subdomain to my current public IP (retrieved from speedtest.net or my router). This will be useful later when I move into dynamic DNS configuration.

My system is a NUC with:

48GB RAM
12 CPU threads

For the VM, I allocate:

8GB RAM
4 CPU cores
50GB virtual disk

This is more than enough for a base server while still leaving resources for Windows.

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After the base install, I go into VM settings and adjust networking:

Initially using NAT for installation
Later switching to a bridged adapter so the VM can sit on my local network

This will make it easier later when I start dealing with firewall rules, port forwarding, and external access.

When I start the VM again, a terminal login screen appears.
I log in using the username and password created during installation.
At this point, the Linux server is officially running inside VirtualBox and ready for the next stage of setup.

After that, I do a quick check:
Does it have an IP address?

Can it reach the internet?
Does DNS work?
If all of that works, I know the virtual network side is fine and I can move on.

By the end of this stage, I basically have:
VirtualBox installed and working
Extension Pack added
A Linux VM created
A working Linux system running inside it
Basic internet connectivity confirmed