I have considered using a linux system in the past, but haven't had the nerve to try. Now I want to try. I have a windows 10 os hp laptop. I've installed the oracle vm program, and am ready to hit the new key.
My question is what would be the best way to start? I want to install it to a western digital 2 terrabyte external hard drive, and need to know if this will work? If it will work, will I need to partition part of it, or will the vm auto partition itself? Please help??

Do you mean VirtualBox ?. Last I looked it had an excellent user guide.
Allocate some space and RAM then requisite interfaces (screen, network), and off you go. Use the wizard.

As for Linux, most installers will do the partitioning for you - just attach and boot the iso from your vm. (works fine on Win7, haven't tried Win10).

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First of all, welcome to the forum. I do run windows guests on a linux host using V-box.

You did not say what type of connection this external drive is going to have to your laptop. My guess is USB, it would help if you told us more details.

Win 10 will be the host system, and your linux install will be the guest. The host system runs what ever drives you have, so install the external drive, and partition it as you like with windows tools, and put a windows file system on it.

I would not install a virtual machine on an external drive. The guest system is a file on your host system, not a separate partition somewhere. As such, no need to partition for the guest. You need free space on the host system. When you do an install of the guest, you can select a fixed size, or a install where the file is allowed to grow.

I would recommend you move files like music, pictures etc off onto the external drive if you need to make room for the guest.

Have a look at what you have now on your C drive, and how much free space you have.
Todays HD's are large, so you probably have enough space, or can move files to your external drive.

Have a read here -->https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch...hostossupport/
for more information.

Hope this helps.

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I would just create the virtual hard drive on your external hard drive. It isn't a standard way to use physical media like you are suggesting.

Virtual machines hold their virtual hard drives in file(s) so be sure your external is ntfs at least.

If you're going to use a USB drive, then I think you must have an extension pack installed to gain USB 2.0 access. But I'm not positive. You need the extension pack to use USB 2.0 peripherals in the virtual machine.

I have never tried to install a VM to an external USB, but I do know that, within VirtualBox, to see USB devices from within a VM, you need to install both Guest Additions and PUEL.

A web search for information about creating a VM on an external USB drive did not reveal promising results. I would suggest doing your intial tests on your local HDD and learning your way around VirtualBox, then trying to make the USB drive work. Then you can educate the rest of us!

If you want to fully test a Linux distro, giving it a dynamic hard drive of 40GB should be more than enough. Linux distros commonly require less than half the hard drive space that Windows requires for a full install. 40GB would give you lots of extra room to play with.

A virtual hard drive can exist anywhere the system can access. The speed it can access will mandate the top speed usually. A usb 2 slow drive could make the VM rather slow. A usb 3 ssd will be almost like any internal drive or better.

You don't need to add in virtual additions to use a usb for the host access.

Start Virtualbox and create a machine with a virtual hard drive. I like to install the OS in the default location which will be the windows user home(user name) directory.

Then I shut down the machine and move the entire machine config to the external drive. Then fix the location and go back running it from the usb. I do this for flash drives all time.

One additional idea, for easy pre-installed! Linux's for VBox: http://osboxes.org

Download a distro (comes via GoogleDrive as a .7z; note where you un-7z the vdi to)

In VBox, click New, take most defaults, EXCEPT: "use existing disk file" & select that .vdi

Best wishes jackm! (Let us know how it goes, whichever you try; ENJOY!)

Thanks everyone. I have a 285 gig hd with 154 g used. I think for my first attempt I will install virtualbox on my internal. As for backups I have a windows 10 system image with recovery disc. A Macrium reflect system image with recovery disc, Also The option to boot with Macrium. My connection is 2.0 for external hd ntfs 2 terrabyte. After I get used to linux I'll start playing with the most simple ideas. I definitely appreciate the quick, and helpful responses to my post..