For testing server -side solutions with VirtualBox, I highly recommend to use Vagrant (http://www.vagrantup.com/). Works perfectly on testing purposes, the environment is set up by entering following at the terminal prompt:

$ vagrant box add base http://files.vagrantup.com/lucid32.box

$ vagrant init

$ vagrant up

That initialises, fetches and starts up one Ubuntu Lucid Lynx -server. To connect to connect to the server after this:

$ vagrant ssh

After working for awhile you can either halt, suspend or just plain exit from the server and then get back to it by writing ‘vagrant ssh’ again. The most genius part is that you can re-set the server back to defaults after everything is done. That’s just plain perfect for testing 😀

To re-set the Vagrant -server:

$ vagrant destroy

Of course there is drawbacks, as always, but to be honest, it’s a neat tool.

In order to get to see even more usable Vagrant Boxes, browse to: http://www.vagrantbox.es/