Introduction

This guide will walk you through the process of establishing an SSH connection to your Ubuntu virtual machine running on VirtualBox within a Windows 11 environment. We’ll cover the necessary steps to configure port forwarding and initiate the SSH connection from your Windows host.

Steps:

1. Install OpenSSH Server on Ubuntu
2. Add a Port Forwarding Rule in VirtualBox
3. Connect via SSH from Windows

1. Install OpenSSH Server on Ubuntu

• Start your Ubuntu virtual machine
• Open a terminal and input:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install openssh-server

• Check the service status to make sure the OpenSSH server is running:

sudo systemctl status ssh

• If the service is not running, you can start it with:

sudo systemctl start ssh

2. Add a Port Forwarding Rule in VirtualBox

• In VirtualBox, select your Ubuntu virtual machine. (1)
• Go to Settings -> Network -> Adapter 1. (2-3)
• In the Attached to section, make sure NAT is selected. (4)
• Click on Port Forwarding. (5-6)
• Click the green plus icon to add a new rule. (7)
• In the new window (8):
  • Name: Enter SSH
  • Protocol: Select TCP
  • Host IP: Leave blank or enter 127.0.0.1
  • Host Port: Enter 3022 (or another port you prefer, as long as it’s not used by another application on your host machine)
  • Guest IP: Leav blank or the Ubuntu IP.
  • Guest Port: 22

3. Connect via SSH from Windows

3.1. Use PowerShell

• Open PowerShell or Command Prompt on Windows.
• Use the following command to connect (replace username with your Ubuntu username)

ssh -p 3022 username@127.0.0.1

• Input your password.

3.2. Use Visual Studio Code

3.2.1. Install Remote-SSH extension in Visual Studio Code

• Open Visual Studio Code.
• Click on the Extensions icon (four squares) in the left sidebar.
• Search for “Remote – SSH” and install the extension.

3.2.2. Configure the SSH connection

• Press Ctrl+Shift+P to open the Command Palette.
• Type “Remote-SSH: Add New SSH Host” and press Enter.
• Enter your SSH connection configuration, using the port forwarded in VirtualBox. (Replace username with your Ubuntu username and 3022 with the port you set up in VirtualBox.)

ssh -p 3022 username@127.0.0.1

• Choose a location to save the configuration file (usually .ssh/config in your user directory).

3.2.3. Connect to the virtual machine

• In the bottom left corner of Visual Studio Code, you’ll see a new icon (a computer with an arrow). Click on it.
• In the list of SSH hosts, select the host you just added.

• Enter your Ubuntu password when prompted.

3.2.4. Open a folder and start working

• After successfully connecting, Visual Studio Code will open a new window.

• Click “File” icon at the top-left -> click “Open Folder”.
• You’ll be prompted to select a folder on your Ubuntu virtual machine to open.

• Now you can edit files on your Ubuntu virtual machine directly from Visual Studio Code, use the integrated terminal to run commands, and more.