<commit_before>---
layout: getting_started
title: Getting Started
---
# Getting Started with Vagrant

Vagrant uses [Oracle's VirtualBox](http://www.virtualbox.org)
to build configurable, lightweight, and portable virtual machines dynamically.
The first couple pages serve to introduce you to Vagrant and what it has
to offer while the rest of the guide is a technical walkthrough for building a
fully functional Ruby on Rails development environment. The getting started
guide concludes by explaining how to package the newly created vagrant environment
so other developers can get up and running in just a couple commands.

## Get VirtualBox

Vagrant depends on [Oracle's VirtualBox](http://www.virtualbox.org) to create all of
it's virtual environments. VirtualBox is a general-purpose full virtualizer for
x86 hardware. Targeted at server, desktop and embedded use, it is now the only
professional-quality virtualization solution that is also Open Source Software.
VirtualBox runs on **Windows**, **Mac OS X**, **Linux**, and **Solaris**.

Here is a link directly to the [download page](http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads).

<div class="info">
  <h3>Version 3.1 or Higher!</h3>
  <p>
    Vagrant requires at least version 3.1 of VirtualBox. If your package manager is still
    stuck on version 3.0 or lower, then download the 3.1 installation package from the official VirtualBox
    <a href="http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads">download page</a>.
  </p>
</div>

## Setting up Ruby and RubyGems

Although Vagrant is written in Ruby, web developers from many different languages
come to use it (Python, Java, Clojure, etc.). Therefore, if you've never setup Ruby
or RubyGems before, please check out our basic guides, written for different
popular operating systems listed below:

* [Windows](/docs/getting-started/setup/windows.html)
* [Mac OS X](/docs/getting-started/setup/mac.html)
* [Ubuntu](/docs/getting-started/setup/ubuntu.html)

Is your OS not listed above? Feel free ask for help via our [support channels](/support.html).
Or if you figure it out on your own, let us know how and we'll gladly update the
website.

## Install Vagrant

Vagrant is packaged as a [RubyGem](http://rubygems.org/). Since Vagrant is written
in Ruby and RubyGems is a standard part of most Ruby installations, RubyGems is the
quickest and easiest way to distribute Vagrant to the masses, and it can be installed
just as easily:

{% highlight bash %}
$ gem install vagrant
{% endhighlight %}<commit_msg>More specific about 3.1.x requirement. [closes GH-85]<commit_after>---
layout: getting_started
title: Getting Started
---
# Getting Started with Vagrant

Vagrant uses [Oracle's VirtualBox](http://www.virtualbox.org)
to build configurable, lightweight, and portable virtual machines dynamically.
The first couple pages serve to introduce you to Vagrant and what it has
to offer while the rest of the guide is a technical walkthrough for building a
fully functional Ruby on Rails development environment. The getting started
guide concludes by explaining how to package the newly created vagrant environment
so other developers can get up and running in just a couple commands.

## Get VirtualBox

Vagrant depends on [Oracle's VirtualBox](http://www.virtualbox.org) to create all of
it's virtual environments. VirtualBox is a general-purpose full virtualizer for
x86 hardware. Targeted at server, desktop and embedded use, it is now the only
professional-quality virtualization solution that is also Open Source Software.
VirtualBox runs on **Windows**, **Mac OS X**, **Linux**, and **Solaris**.

Here is a link directly to the [download page](http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads).

<div class="info">
  <h3>Version 3.1.x!</h3>
  <p>
    Vagrant requires a version in the 3.1 series of VirtualBox (3.1.0 through 3.1.8). If your package manager is still stuck on a lower version or maybe is even on the 3.2 series already, then download the 3.1 installation pcakage from the official <a href="http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads">download page</a>.
  </p>
  <p>
    VirtualBox 3.2.x support is coming with the next release of Vagrant, in the coming weeks.
  </p>
</div>

## Setting up Ruby and RubyGems

Although Vagrant is written in Ruby, web developers from many different languages
come to use it (Python, Java, Clojure, etc.). Therefore, if you've never setup Ruby
or RubyGems before, please check out our basic guides, written for different
popular operating systems listed below:

* [Windows](/docs/getting-started/setup/windows.html)
* [Mac OS X](/docs/getting-started/setup/mac.html)
* [Ubuntu](/docs/getting-started/setup/ubuntu.html)

Is your OS not listed above? Feel free ask for help via our [support channels](/support.html).
Or if you figure it out on your own, let us know how and we'll gladly update the
website.

## Install Vagrant

Vagrant is packaged as a [RubyGem](http://rubygems.org/). Since Vagrant is written
in Ruby and RubyGems is a standard part of most Ruby installations, RubyGems is the
quickest and easiest way to distribute Vagrant to the masses, and it can be installed
just as easily:

{% highlight bash %}
$ gem install vagrant
{% endhighlight %}
{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.08241864047756596, 'fraction_numerical': 0.006932409012131715, 'mean_word_length': 4.519659936238044, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 21, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 21, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 8, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 10, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
{'dir': 'git-commits-cleaned', 'id': '3283181', 'n_tokens_mistral': 1502, 'n_tokens_neox': 1402, 'n_words': 693}