Getting Started with QuantaBox

This chapter takes you from a fresh install to a running virtual machine. It uses the desktop app; the equivalent CLI commands are shown alongside so you can script the same steps later.

The QuantaBox Window #

When you open QuantaBox you see three areas:

• Sidebar (left): the list of your virtual machines, each with an OS icon and a status badge (Running, Paused, Stopped).
• Details panel (right): configuration, console, snapshots, logs, and SSH info for the selected VM, organized into tabs.
• Toolbar and menus (top): New, Settings, About, and the File / Machine / Help menus.

Get an Operating System #

A VM needs an OS to install. The fastest path is the built-in ISO Library:

1. Open the ISO Library (toolbar or menu).
2. Browse or search. For example, type ubuntu.
3. Click Download on an entry such as Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Desktop. Progress is shown live, and the file's checksum is verified automatically when the download completes.

CLI equivalent:

quantabox iso browse --category desktop
quantabox iso download ubuntu-2404-desktop

See The ISO Library for the full catalog and verification details.

Create Your First VM #

1. Click New. The Create Virtual Machine dialog opens.
2. Enter a Name (e.g. my-ubuntu).
3. Choose an Operating System (e.g. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS). QuantaBox fills in sensible Processors, Memory, and Hard Disk Size defaults for that OS. Adjust if you like.
4. For Installation Media (ISO), browse to the ISO you downloaded (optional, but needed to install an OS).
5. Leave PQC Disk Encryption enabled to encrypt the VM's disk (recommended). See Post-Quantum Encryption.
6. (Optional) Tick Unattended Installation and provide a username, password, and hostname to have the OS install itself automatically.
7. Click Create.

CLI equivalent:

quantabox create my-ubuntu --os ubuntu-2404-desktop --cpus 2 --memory 4096 --disk 25 --encrypted

Start the VM and Install the OS #

1. Select the VM in the sidebar and click Start (or right-click, then Start).
2. The Console tab connects automatically once the VM is running, showing the guest's display through the built-in VNC viewer.
3. Follow the OS installer in the console as you would on a physical machine. (If you enabled unattended installation, it proceeds on its own.)

CLI equivalent:

quantabox start my-ubuntu

Working with a Running VM #

While the VM runs, the details panel gives you:

• Console: the live screen, with Ctrl+Alt+Del and Fullscreen buttons.
• SSH: a ready-to-use SSH command and connection files once the guest's SSH port is forwarded. See Console and Remote Access.
• Snapshots: capture the current state before making changes. See Snapshots.
• Logs: the tail of the VM's engine log, handy for diagnosing boot problems.

Control the VM from the toolbar or right-click menu: Pause, Resume, Stop (graceful), or Reset.

CLI equivalents:

quantabox pause my-ubuntu
quantabox resume my-ubuntu
quantabox stop my-ubuntu          # graceful
quantabox stop my-ubuntu --force  # force kill
quantabox info my-ubuntu          # show configuration and state
quantabox list                    # list all VMs

A Complete CLI Walkthrough #

The entire flow above, end to end, from a terminal:

# 1. Find and download an OS image
quantabox iso browse --category desktop
quantabox iso download ubuntu-2404-desktop

# 2. Create an encrypted VM with sensible defaults
quantabox create my-ubuntu --os ubuntu-2404-desktop --encrypted

# 3. Start it (attach the ISO in the GUI, or via VM settings, to install)
quantabox start my-ubuntu

# 4. Check status and connection info
quantabox status
quantabox info my-ubuntu

# 5. Snapshot before changes, then stop when done
quantabox snapshot create my-ubuntu fresh-install
quantabox stop my-ubuntu

Next Steps #

You now have a working VM. To go deeper: