Cloudicio, the much-anticipated cloud service provider, has officially launched its first-product suite, marking a significant milestone in the cloud computing industry. Check it out here

For developers and system administrators operating on ARM64 architecture, particularly those using Apple Silicon Macs, managing virtual environments has been a challenge due to the lack of native support for ARM64 in common virtualization tools. However, Ubuntu Server boxes specifically designed for VirtualBox on ARM64 have emerged as a critical resource for those looking to harness Vagrant’s power within this ecosystem.

The ARM64 Challenge:

Historically, Vagrant, a powerful tool for managing virtual development environments, primarily catered to x86_64 architectures. The transition to ARM64 chips, especially with the advent of Apple’s M1 and M2 series, left a gap in support. VirtualBox, traditionally known for its x86_64 compatibility, was not immediately equipped to handle ARM64 environments out of the box. This meant that existing Vagrant boxes, which are pre-configured virtual machine images, did not work seamlessly on ARM64 hosts.

The Ubuntu Server ARM64 Solution:

Enter the Ubuntu Server boxes tailored for VirtualBox on ARM64. These boxes are specifically crafted to run on ARM64 machines, providing a solution for those who need to deploy virtual environments without the complications associated with cross-architecture emulation or compatibility issues.

• Native Performance: Unlike using emulation or compatibility layers, these boxes run natively on ARM64, offering better performance and resource efficiency.
• Simplified Setup: With these ARM64-compatible Ubuntu Server boxes, users can skip the complex setup of emulating x86 environments or dealing with QEMU for ARM support. The Vagrant configuration is straightforward, requiring minimal adjustments for those familiar with x86 setups.
• Community Support: These boxes are often community-driven, with contributions from developers who have faced similar challenges. This means ongoing support and updates are more likely.

How They Work with Vagrant:

To use these boxes, you would modify your Vagrantfile to specify the correct box:

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  config.vm.box = "cloudicio/ubuntu-server"
  config.vm.box_version = "24.04.1"
end