Installing Vagrant — Complete Guide

A step-by-step guide to setting up a Linux virtual machine using Vagrant and VirtualBox on Windows, and connecting it to VS Code.

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Prerequisites

• A Windows PC
• Git Bash installed
• Internet connection

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Step 1 — Install Oracle VirtualBox

Download and install Oracle VirtualBox from the official site:

https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Run the installer and follow the on-screen steps.

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Step 2 — Install Vagrant

Download Vagrant from the official HashiCorp site:

https://developer.hashicorp.com/vagrant/install

Run the installer normally, then restart your computer before continuing.

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Step 3 — Download the Vagrant Files

Download the two configuration files from this repository:

https://github.com/harshit391/Linux-Vagrant-Files

Place both files (Vagrantfile and pg_config.sh) into a separate, dedicated folder on your machine.

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Step 4 — Start the Virtual Machine

1. Open the folder containing the Vagrant files in Git Bash
2. Run the following command:

vagrant up

This will take a while — the first run downloads the Linux box image. Be patient.

3. When VirtualBox prompts you with any network/firewall dialogs, allow everything.

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Step 5 — SSH into the VM

Once vagrant up finishes, connect to your Linux VM:

vagrant ssh

Your terminal prompt will change, confirming you are now inside the Linux VM.

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Step 6 — Install GCC (Optional)

To install the GCC compiler inside the VM:

sudo apt install gcc

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Step 7 — Exit and Stop the VM

To exit the SSH session:

exit

To shut down the VM:

vagrant halt

Note: Do not try to start or manage the VM directly from the VirtualBox GUI. Always use Vagrant commands from Git Bash.

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Step 8 — Connect Vagrant to VS Code

Vagrant automatically creates a shared folder that is accessible both from your Windows machine and from inside the VM.

How it works

Location	Path
Windows (your machine)	The folder where your Vagrantfile lives
Inside the VM	/vagrant

Access the shared folder in the VM

cd /vagrant
ls

Any file you see here is the same file in your Windows folder — edits are reflected instantly on both sides.

Open the shared folder in VS Code

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to File → Open Folder
3. Navigate to the folder containing your Vagrantfile
4. Open it

Now whatever you create or edit in VS Code is immediately accessible inside the VM at /vagrant. This is the recommended workflow for editing code.

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Quick Command Reference

Command	Description
vagrant up	Start (and provision) the VM
vagrant ssh	SSH into the running VM
vagrant halt	Shut down the VM
vagrant reload	Restart the VM
vagrant destroy	Delete the VM entirely
cd /vagrant	Access the shared folder (run inside VM)
exit	Exit the SSH session

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Troubleshooting

• vagrant up hangs or times out — Make sure VirtualBox is installed and your BIOS has virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V) enabled.
• Shared folder not mounting — Ensure VirtualBox Guest Additions are installed. Try vagrant reload --provision.
• SSH connection refused — Wait a moment and retry; the VM may still be booting.