Boxes

Boxes is an application that gives you access to local virtual machines. If you want to get access to a remote virtual machine or connect to the display of a remote computer, you can use another GNOME app called Connections.

Getting started

Get started with virtual machines — Hardware required to run a Boxes virtual machine.
Create a box — Click + to begin creating a box.
Search for a box — Quickly access a box by name.

Using Boxes

The Boxes interface — Get around the application.
3D Acceleration — Enable 3D Acceleration for your box.
Delete a box — Remove a box that you no longer need.
Force a box to shut down — Shut down a box that has stopped working.
Keyboard shortcuts — Operate Boxes using keyboard shortcuts.
Send a keystroke combination to a box — Keystroke combinations can be sent from the menu.
Shared Folders — Share folders between host and guest.
USB Redirection — Allow your box to access a USB device.

Preferences

Adjust the system requirements of a box — Specify RAM and maximum disk allocation.
Edit the Libvirt domain XML configuration of a box — Edit advanced configurations of your box.
View the troubleshooting log of a box — Diagnose problems with your box using the log file.

Snapshots

Create a snapshot — Save the state of a box for later use.
Delete a snapshot — Remove a snapshot that you no longer need.
Rename a snapshot — Give the snapshot a meaningful name.
Revert the state of a box — Change back to the state of a saved snapshot.

Questions

What is a virtual machine?
What is the technology used by Boxes?
Where does Boxes store disk images?
Why do I need a virtual machine?

Advanced topics

Back up or move a box — Write the configuration of a box to a file to back it up or move it.
Using processor hardware virtualization — Check the resources available to Boxes.