Can I run ubuntu server 64 bit in a VirtualBox on a macbook host?

Question

I have a macbook pro with Intel Core 2 Due (It's actually not Pro, but it's a January 2009 unibody macbook - when there were both a unibody macbook, and a unibody macbook pro).

I'm a php developer.
I just installed a new hard drive, and in an effort to create a better development environment, I decided I'll try to create a virtual machine running ubuntu server.

Since I need it to work fast (and since, well - it's just better, even if by a little) and I'll already have a delay due to the nature of the apache server being on a virtual host - I want to install a 64 bit version of ubuntu server.

Can VirtualBox handle it?

Is it s good idea to create such a development environment ?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Only if your COre 2 is a model that supports vmx (virtualization) extensions. Not all of them do. You'll have to check the feature matrix at the Intel site for your exact core 2 model.

Answer 2

Yes, 64-bit Ubuntu server will work fine in VirtualBox.

Just my personal preference, but I find OpenSUSE to be the fastest linux to configure thanks to YaST (it also works from the command line, so you may skip installing the X Window and save some of your host machine resources)