Virtual Machine

[AncientBoi]

Hi guys,

I've been pondering on using this Virtual Machine, But am afraid of actually doing it. Yes I've seen videos on the subject, but it's still a mystery to moi. First, I would like the Pros and Cons on USING this type of computering. What I want to do is to be able to do things on my Windows 11 Pro [PC], and then switch over to using my LinuxMint [Cinanamon flavor], without having to plug-in another HD in for this. Then of course, Would you be willing to walk me through the steps of setting it up.

 

[PityOnU]

I did something like this for a while. Maybe like 8 years ago? So all of this is circa that time frame. May have changed since.

The best thing to do is to have a dedicated drive for each OS on your system. So, one drive for Windows, one drive for Linux. Install them separately (NOT multiboot). Then you can switch between them by choosing your boot disk in the BIOS at boot if you want to boot either of them bare metal.

In Windows, you can then enable Hyper-V. You can point Hyper-V at your physical Linux drive and boot your Linux system as a virtual machine while Windows is running. You can also install an ext3/4 (or whatever) filesystem driver in Windows and access the Linux filesystem without booting the virtual machine.

If I recall correctly, there are some limitations on the resolution of the virtual machine in Hyper-V. What I actually did was install an X server in Windows, which allows you to create a reverse ssh tunnel to the virtual machine with X forwarding. Then you can launch Linux GUI apps on your Windows desktop pretty seemlessly.

This may all be outdated advice at this point. Not sure if Linux even uses ext3/4 anymore, or X.

But the downside is that things are way more needlessly complicated. You're better off just sticking with your 2 drives. At least, IMHO.

 

[Necron]

I usually used Virtualbox or Qemu+KVM to run VMs on my system, but since the above post mentioned Hyper-V, it's a way better alternative for windows. I don't know if Hyper-V has the function, but with Virtualbox I can save the machine state and then open it that way (basically hybernation mode and then pickup from where I was).

These days things are pretty straightforward, so just google Hyper-V and you should have easy tutorials (I just did and google gave me a set of steps to install it). Also don't forget to enable virtualization on your bios settings first, since it won't work otherwise.

A question a bit besides the point, what do you need the VM for?

This may all be outdated advice at this point. Not sure if Linux even uses ext3/4 anymore, or X.

Linux uses ext4 by default, ext3 is kinda outdated at this point. X server is on its way out in favor of Wayland, but stuff like XWayland still exists.

 

[tech3475]

What do you want to do and what is your host hardware?

I ask because the main downside to VMs is performance and depending on your use case it can help determine the best way to succeed.

I did something like this for a while. Maybe like 8 years ago? So all of this is circa that time frame. May have changed since.

The best thing to do is to have a dedicated drive for each OS on your system. So, one drive for Windows, one drive for Linux. Install them separately (NOT multiboot). Then you can switch between them by choosing your boot disk in the BIOS at boot if you want to boot either of them bare metal.

In Windows, you can then enable Hyper-V. You can point Hyper-V at your physical Linux drive and boot your Linux system as a virtual machine while Windows is running. You can also install an ext3/4 (or whatever) filesystem driver in Windows and access the Linux filesystem without booting the virtual machine.

If I recall correctly, there are some limitations on the resolution of the virtual machine in Hyper-V. What I actually did was install an X server in Windows, which allows you to create a reverse ssh tunnel to the virtual machine with X forwarding. Then you can launch Linux GUI apps on your Windows desktop pretty seemlessly.

This may all be outdated advice at this point. Not sure if Linux even uses ext3/4 anymore, or X.

But the downside is that things are way more needlessly complicated. You're better off just sticking with your 2 drives. At least, IMHO.

Personally I do dual boot and don't consider it TOO difficult, except the Windows recovery partition is easy to break, but for someone completely new this is probably a better course of action if you need bare metal if possible.

IIRC Hyper-V isn't good for things like USB pass through, personally I tend to use Virtualbox, vmware workstation or WSL although none of these are perfect from my experience.

Linux is slowly transitioning from X11 to Wayland, although I believe Cinnamon is currently still X11 based.

I'm also be weary of third party drivers, instead I tend to use a VM as a proxy.

 

[Ryccardo]

What I want to do is to be able to do things on my Windows 11 Pro [PC], and then switch over to using my LinuxMint [Cinanamon flavor], without having to plug-in another HD in for this.

Yeah, you don't really need a VM for this when you can resize partitions and dual boot, but it's certainly possible

As hinted above VM means various things (the motherboard is emulated, the CPU isn't by definition, traditionally everything else is and that's still the default but support for directly assigning real hardware that you're not using on the host OS is more and more common), if you simply want to have a "secondary" OS in a fairly hassle free and easily removable way feel free to ignore this capability and use a standard disk image and simulated keyboard/pen-tablet/graphics/sound/network setup, in fact I would say the ability to use a real disk is relatively hidden on many pieces of VM software...

The best thing to do is to have a dedicated drive for each OS on your system. So, one drive for Windows, one drive for Linux. Install them separately (NOT multiboot). Then you can switch between them by choosing your boot disk in the BIOS at boot if you want to boot either of them bare metal.

In a BIOS system (where multibooting has its limitations, especially when you're not using the first HDD, whatever your firmware considers it to be) that's a good advice, but in an EFI system there ought to be only one EFI partition (not that most implementations don't let you get away with multiple) and all the bootloaders placed there, regardless of how many disks you spread the other stuff on

If I recall correctly, there are some limitations on the resolution of the virtual machine in Hyper-V. What I actually did was install an X server in Windows, which allows you to create a reverse ssh tunnel to the virtual machine with X forwarding. Then you can launch Linux GUI apps on your Windows desktop pretty seemlessly.

Never tried it but I think WSL does automatically (another alternative, even though it's a rather original implementation of a VM!)

Not sure if Linux even uses ext3/4 anymore, or X.

Sure, ext4 is still the most common Linux filesystem (and therefore the most real world tested), just like there are plenty of others with their pros and cons, X is also still a thing (although not the same as it was) for people like me who won't accept a half baked substitute that deliberately does less "for your security" and currently fails to solve the #1 criticism of X in the first place (fragmentation due to being a bunch of extensions to a now weak, citation needed, base standard)

 

[tech3475]

In a BIOS system (where multibooting has its limitations, especially when you're not using the first HDD, whatever your firmware considers it to be) that's a good advice, but in an EFI system there ought to be only one EFI partition (not that most implementations don't let you get away with multiple) and all the bootloaders placed there, regardless of how many disks you spread the other stuff on

Fun fact: Some distros like POP OS! put their kernel in the ESP, so having multiple ESPs is likely to be the easiest option for adding it to a drive with an existing install of a different OS as at least the Windows default is too small.

Although Mint will fit in the Windows ESP.

 

[a_username_that_is_cool]

I use VirtualBox or VM ware ( I recommend VirtualBox; VM ware has some hoops to jump through) and also you don't usually use a hard drive, you use a hard disk file that contains your install

 

[PityOnU]

I think the range of responses above supports my original assertion that the main con with this stuff is just general complication. If you can avoid it by just swapping drives, that's probably what you should do.

If, however, you have the time to burn and want an excuse to endlessly tinker, then you have many options. But there's not one set way of doing things, and any solution will typically involve cobbling together more than a few other software packages. In that case, buckle up and enjoy the ride! It's definitely fun to mess with.

 

[Necron]

I think the range of responses above supports my original assertion that the main con with this stuff is just general complication. If you can avoid it by just swapping drives, that's probably what you should do.

If, however, you have the time to burn and want an excuse to endlessly tinker, then you have many options. But there's not one set way of doing things, and any solution will typically involve cobbling together more than a few other software packages. In that case, buckle up and enjoy the ride! It's definitely fun to mess with.

Not quite. It's basically install VM program -> boot up new VM with linux distro -> install. Not complicated at all.

 

[AncientBoi]

Thanks Guys for the wonderful responses. Now I'm off to consider the options in this case, though I'm tending to go in the direction of what @PityOnU has suggested.

Again, Thank You For your responses.

 

[eyeliner]

Thanks Guys for the wonderful responses. Now I'm off to consider the options in this case, though I'm tending to go in the direction of what @PityOnU has suggested.

Again, Thank You For your responses.

Get Virtual Box, making sure you respond yes to the prompt (some drivers are needed).

After that, install the distro of your choice.

The wizard even sets up the recommended settings for the distro you input as the name.

Make sure you make a dynamic disk (default setting), and create the disk in an easy to find directory in case you want to save it/reuse it.

Read the prompts, specially about the mouse capture!

Its easy, friend.

 

[RandomUser]

Proxmox is not an option then.

 

[chrisrlink]

funny thing is kvm+ qemu is the best free solution for linux I used to use vmware player (until it was subwalled by broadcom a few months back greedy mofos and people wonder why software piracy exist?)

 

[RandomUser]

funny thing is kvm+ qemu is the best free solution for linux I used to use vmware player (until it was subwalled by broadcom a few months back greedy mofos and people wonder why software piracy exist?)

I thought that VMware Workstation is now free for personal use?

 

[chrisrlink]

I thought that VMware Workstation is now free for personal use?

it technicly "is" (the program is) but broadcom locked it behind a paywall

 

[RandomUser]

it technicly "is" (the program is) but broadcom locked it behind a paywall

Hot dang. That really bites, especially for Linux users. For Windows users can usually find it on third party site.
https://www.techpowerup.com/download/vmware-workstation-pro/

For proxmox though, requires you to turn your machine into a dedicated virtual machine center. Then to use it, one needs another computer to access it via browser. I think it uses Linux OS to run the virtual machine center.

 

[SylverReZ]

Proxmox is not an option then.

Proxmox is only for when you want to host a server (say NAS storage for all your media). Not useful for virtual machines in my eyes, unless for mounting a virtual drive, but you can already do the same on your host.

Fun fact: Some distros like POP OS! put their kernel in the ESP, so having multiple ESPs is likely to be the easiest option for adding it to a drive with an existing install of a different OS as at least the Windows default is too small.

Although Mint will fit in the Windows ESP.

Both Pop!_OS and Mint are based on Ubuntu LTS which is also derived from Debian.

I thought that VMware Workstation is now free for personal use?

They already made it available for free as of last year and stopped selling licenses. You can use VMware for an unlimited time without an expiry date set.

 

[RandomUser]

Proxmox is only for when you want to host a server (say NAS storage for all your media). Not useful for virtual machines in my eyes, unless for mounting a virtual drive, but you can already do the same on your host.

Huh, I thought I have used it like a virtual machine before, my memory seems to be hazy. But yes the way you described, that maybe better use case scenario.

They already made it available for free as of last year and stopped selling licenses. You can use VMware for an unlimited time without an expiry date set.

So my assumption is half correct even free for commercial uses as well, or was my assumption completely correct (personal use only)? It just that it is locked behind a paywall (Broadcom's paywall) according to @chrisrlink.

 

[SylverReZ]

So my assumption is actually correct, it just that it is locked behind a paywall (Broadcom's paywall) according to @chrisrlink.

It's only the case for enterprise model/commercial software. For home and/or personal use, it is made freely available or as a trial. You cannot use a personal-use license in a commercial environment, commercial users will need to pay whatever fee to use it.

 

[RandomUser]

It's only the case for enterprise model/commercial software. For home and/or personal use, it is made freely available or as a trial. You cannot use a personal-use license in a commercial environment, commercial users will need to pay whatever fee to use it.

Thank you for clearing that up and confirming my original assumption.