Configuring VirtualBox Provider

1. Setting VM Name (vb.name)

Property	Value	Description
vb.name	`"my-vm"`	Sets the name of the VirtualBox VM

Example: Setting VM Name

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.provider :virtualbox do |vb|
    vb.name = "my-vm"
  end
end

2. Configuring Memory (vb.memory)

Option	Values	Description
vb.memory	`512` to `8192`	Amount of RAM (in MB) to allocate to the virtual machine

Example: Setting Memory to 2GB

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |vb|
    vb.memory = 2048
  end
end

3. Setting CPU Count (vb.cpus)

Option	Values	Description
vb.cpus	`1`, `2`, `4`, etc.	Number of virtual CPUs to allocate to the guest machine

Example: Setting CPU Count

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |vb|
    vb.cpus = 2
  end
end

4. Enabling GUI Mode (vb.gui)

Option	Values	Description
vb.gui	`true` / `false`	Enables or disables the VirtualBox GUI for the VM. Defaults to `false`.

Example: Enable GUI Mode

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |vb|
    vb.gui = true
  end
end

Note: Enabling GUI mode allows you to interact with the VM through VirtualBox's graphical interface, which can be useful for debugging or running GUI-based applications.

5. Customizing VM Settings (vb.customize)

The vb.customize directive allows you to execute VBoxManage commands directly on the VirtualBox VM. This is useful for advanced configuration that isn't exposed through Vagrant's standard provider options.

Setting	Description	Example
vb.customize	Executes a VBoxManage command on the VM. Can be used multiple times for different settings.	`vagrant.config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do \|vb\| vb.customize ["modifyvm", :id, "--natdnshostresolver1", "on"] end`

Example: Enable NAT DNS Host Resolver

vagrant.config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |vb|
  vb.customize ["modifyvm", :id, "--natdnshostresolver1", "on"]
end

Example: Set VM Memory to 2GB

vagrant.config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |vb|
  vb.customize ["modifyvm", :id, "--memory", "2048"]
end

Note: The :id placeholder refers to the VM's unique identifier assigned by VirtualBox. Vagrant handles this automatically.

6. Setting Linked Clone (vb.linked_clone)

Option	Values	Description
vb.linked_clone	`true` \| `false`	Enables or disables the use of linked clones for VirtualBox VMs. When set to `true`, Vagrant will attempt to create a linked clone of the base box, which can significantly reduce disk usage and improve performance.

Example: Enabling Linked Clone

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.box = "ubuntu/focal64"
  config.vm.provider :virtualbox do |vb|
    vb.linked_clone = true
  end
end

Note: Linked clones require a base box that supports this feature. Not all base boxes are compatible with linked clones.

7. Configuring Video Memory

Option	Values	Description
vb.customize	`"modifyvm", "--vram", "128"`	Sets the video memory size in MB

Example: Setting Video Memory

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.provider :virtualbox do |vb|
    vb.customize ["modifyvm", "--vram", "128"]
  end
end

Note: Video memory is used for 3D acceleration and graphics rendering in the VM. Increasing VRAM can improve performance for GUI applications or games running inside the VM.

8. Enabling 3D Acceleration

Option	Values	Notes
config.vm.provider	`"virtualbox"`	Specifies the VirtualBox provider
config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do \|vb\|	`...`	Block to configure VirtualBox-specific settings
vb.customize	`["modifyvm", :id, "--accelerate3d", "on"]`	Enables 3D acceleration for the VM

Example: Enabling 3D Acceleration in Vagrantfile

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.box = "ubuntu/focal64"

  config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |vb|
    vb.customize ["modifyvm", :id, "--accelerate3d", "on"]
  end
end

Note: 3D acceleration requires VirtualBox 6.1 or later and compatible guest additions.

9. Configuring Network Adapters

Adapter Type	Description	Default Value	Notes
private_network	Creates a private network interface for the VM	`false`	Can be configured with static IP or DHCP
public_network	Creates a public network interface for the VM	`false`	Allows access from host machine to VM
type	Specifies the type of network adapter (e.g., `dhcp`, `static`)	`dhcp`	Used in conjunction with `private_network` or `public_network`

Example: Configuring a Private Network with Static IP

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.network "private_network", ip: "192.168.56.10"
end

Example: Configuring a Public Network with DHCP

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.network "public_network", type: "dhcp"
end

Note: When using public_network, Vagrant will attempt to use the first available interface. You may need to specify a specific interface using bridge option.

Warning: Ensure that the IP address assigned to a private network does not conflict with other networks in your environment.

10. Setting Storage Controllers

Property	Values	Description
storage.controller	`"IDE"`, `"SATA"`, `"SCSI"`, `"SAS"`, `"NVMe"`	Specifies the type of storage controller to use for the VM.
storage.controller_name	`string`	Name of the storage controller (e.g., `"IDE Controller"`).
storage.controller_type	`"IDE"`, `"SATA"`, `"SCSI"`, `"SAS"`, `"NVMe"`	Specifies the type of storage controller to use for the VM.
storage.controller_port_count	`int`	Number of ports available on the storage controller (default: 1).
storage.controller_device_count	`int`	Number of devices that can be attached to the controller (default: 1).

Example: Configure Storage Controller

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |vb|
    vb.storage.controller = "SATA"
    vb.storage.controller_name = "SATA Controller"
    vb.storage.controller_port_count = 2
    vb.storage.controller_device_count = 3
  end
end

11. Enabling USB Support

Option	Values	Notes
config.vm.provider	`"virtualbox"`	Specify VirtualBox provider
config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do \|vb\|	`...`	VirtualBox-specific configuration block
vb.customize	`["modifyvm", :id, "--usb", "on"]`	Enable USB support for VM
vb.customize	`["modifyvm", :id, "--usbehci", "on"]`	Enable USB 2.0/3.0 support (EHCI)

Example: Enabling USB Support in Vagrantfile

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.box = "ubuntu/focal64"

  config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |vb|
    vb.customize ["modifyvm", :id, "--usb", "on"]
    vb.customize ["modifyvm", :id, "--usbehci", "on"]
  end
end

Note: USB support requires VirtualBox Extension Pack to be installed on the host machine.

12. Configuring Paravirtualization

Option	Values	Description
config.vm.provider	`"virtualbox"`	Specifies the VirtualBox provider for Vagrant
config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do \|vb\|	`block`	Configuration block for VirtualBox-specific settings
vb.customize	`array`	Allows direct VirtualBox command-line customization

Example: Enabling Paravirtualization

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.provider "virtualbox" do |vb|
    vb.customize ["setextradata", :id, "VBoxInternal/Devices/e1000/0/LUN/0/Config/Paravirt", "on"]
  end
end

Note: Paravirtualization can improve performance but is not supported on all guest operating systems. Ensure the guest OS supports it before enabling.