Configuring serial ports in Oracle virualbox virtual machine

General
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To enable a virtual machine (VM) to operate a serial port in Oracle VM VirtualBox on an Ubuntu platform, you’ll need to follow these steps:

  1. Install Oracle VM VirtualBox:

    • Ensure you have Oracle VM VirtualBox installed on your Ubuntu host system. You can download VirtualBox from the official website and follow the installation instructions.

  2. Create or Open a VM:

    • Either create a new virtual machine or open an existing VM that you want to configure to use a serial port.

  3. Configure Serial Port Settings:

    • With the VM selected in the VirtualBox Manager, go to the VM’s settings. You can do this by clicking “Settings” or right-clicking the VM and selecting “Settings.”

  4. Enable the Serial Port:

    • In the VM’s settings, navigate to the “Serial Ports” section. Here, you can enable the serial port by checking the “Enable Serial Port” box.

  5. Choose Port Mode:

    • Select the desired port mode. You have two options:
      • Host Pipe: This option allows communication between the VM and the host via a named pipe. It’s typically used for more advanced scenarios, like connecting the VM to external devices or applications on the host.
      • Serial Port File: Choose this option if you want to connect the VM’s serial port to a physical serial port on your host computer or to a file. To use a physical serial port, select it from the drop-down list. To use a file, enter the path to the file in the “Path/Address” field.

  6. Set Additional Serial Port Parameters (Optional):

    • You can configure additional parameters like the baud rate, data bits, stop bits, and parity. These settings should match the requirements of the device or application you plan to connect to the VM’s serial port.

  7. Start the VM:

    • Start the VM as you normally would. It will now have access to the configured serial port.

  8. Connect to the Serial Port from Within the VM:

    • To use the serial port from within the VM, you’ll need to use terminal emulation software or a program that can communicate with serial devices. In Ubuntu-based VMs, you can use terminal applications like minicom or screen to connect to and communicate with the serial port.

Here’s an example of how to use minicom to connect to a serial port within the Ubuntu-based VM:

# Install minicom if not already installed
sudo apt-get install minicom

# Start minicom and specify the serial port and settings
minicom -D /dev/ttyS0 -b 9600

Replace /dev/ttyS0 and 9600 with the appropriate serial port and baud rate settings for your specific use case.

By following these steps, you can configure and use a serial port within an Oracle VM VirtualBox VM running on an Ubuntu platform. This can be useful for tasks like connecting to network devices, embedded systems, or other hardware that communicate via serial ports.