OK Guys,
I have my computer:

Lenovo Desktop:
Intel Core i5-8400, 8GB DDR4 Mem, 1TB HD 7200 rpm,
WIFI (next generation), Windows 10 Home,

I will be adding OpenSuse Leap 42.3 and mainly using it on this computer.

Should I install OpenSusue as a dual boot system or should I Install it as a VM? This will be running business programs, so I want it solid and as secure as possible.

Any Thoughts,
Thanks,
Tom

It's really up to you whether or not you setup a dual-boot system or install it into a VM. I'm not sure that's going to make it any more or less "secure".

If you setup a dual-boot system and you're using Windows, make sure you install Windows FIRST (if it isn't installed already).

Another thought would be that you would want to encrypt at least your "home" partition. Also use strong passwords.

2 members found this post helpful.

Not answering your question (sorry), but if you choose dual boot, first create an image backup of the entire hard drive, in case anything goes seriously wrong, for example, incorrect re-partitioning of the hard drive. This also leaves you the option of reverting to the original single-boot if you change your mind and want to use VM. I use Clonezilla (on live CD or USB flash drive) for disk images, but there are alternatives.

1 members found this post helpful.

Why install an old version of Leap? Current is 15.
jsbjsb001 gave some good advice about standard security. You don't say what 'business programs' are going to be running, but if they're Windows based, you have inherent security problems out of the gate. Further, if your business programs don't run on Linux...what's the point in loading Linux at all? May as well just keep Windows and use it as your business system.

2 members found this post helpful.

Hello and thanks for the thoughts.

I am coming from a SCO Unix V5 computer and running FilePro as my database where our custom programs are developed.

According to FpTeck, the makers of Filepro, my database and programing should have upward mobility and the data and programing should transfer with very little changes or updating when moved from unix to Linux Filepro.

Everything that we generally run is in Unix/Linux.

I hope this helps with your ability to offer some help.44

Thanks
Tom

Hi Tom,

I'll chime in with my two cents ...

Any time I see a statement like "run business programs", I tend to recommend natively-installed operating systems instead of VMs. I like VMs for occasional needs - like running a Windows-only program on a system where my primary OS is linux ... I also like VMs for trying stuff out before doing anything more permanent.

But for any regular, permanent needs, I always go native. So my short answer to your question would be to dual boot, or get rid of the Windows installation altogether (after backing it up) if you never intend to use it.

Cheers !

2 members found this post helpful.

I would install any Linux OS you are comfortable with, based on your level of experience, then sandbox Windows by running it in a VM for those Windows only programs. Of course make solid backups first of all personal data.

https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...ro-4175623119/
https://www.tecmint.com/windows-alternatives-for-linux/
https://www.datamation.com/open-sour...cations-1.html

I wouldn't want to run my business VM on a crippled host OS version labeled "home". I don't pretend to know the difference between "home" and "professional" Windows versions, but I have to think there's potential for a booby trap and grief in such a configuration. I'd make openSUSE 15.0 the host and limit the "home" OS to a VM if going the VM route, but I've been a multibooter (who hasn't installed Windows "first" since last century)more than 2.5 decades, and do not see stopping in my future.

it's a toss up, i'd say.

running on real hardware may be more reliable because some of the driver code is in the hardware which is "less buggy than software". but often software doesn't use hardware correctly or know it fully.

on the other hand if there are certain kinds of hardware problem (esp that hardware fails at), emulation is better, because there are no hardware failures

if i run Win95 i definitely want to emulate if i need reliability. win95 failed frequently but many failures were poor handling of hardware errors and faults that don't happen in an emulator.

if i run Slackware linux and can go several months without a reboot, i might not think switching to an emulator would improve things. virtualization also forced use of experimental "things" to do higher end graphics - and there's bugs in that surely (more bugs than in a pci graphics card that has PCI and VGA specification etched in silicon)

i dont' know if you can "secure suse" as opposed to SCO unix. for example: are you %100 on DBUS configuration? there are many config files very complex. if they are off by one option you may be allowing penetration from one app to another or possibly any app the whole system.

i don't know if you can secure "windows 10 home" without an IT team

1) i don't know for sure sure suse supports that box (video, sound, wifi, done)

if you use Windows 10 (or Apple, which is unix based), you'll have a very well maintained working PC (for better or worse they have this advantage), but you then have all the issues of telling your installed linux what virtualized drivers to use. it's easy to start an emulator. i'm unsure if configuring all the drivers (networking) you need is easy.

secure and reliable, within budget (timewise). these are taken with a grain of salt with so many issues that may effect them. it's too hard to answer the question

obviously try both. hope that your initial reaction to how each effects your situation suffices.

Ok, and you still don't say what these programs are. Written in what? You do realize that you can't just copy them to Linux from SCO and have them work, right? And why stick with Filepro to start with? Migrate to MySQL/MariaDB, which gives you an upgrade path to full-blown Oracle later, if needed.
There's still not a lot we can help with, since all we know is "custom programs" and a Filepro database. There are migration paths from Filepro to MySQL, but your custom programs are a far different matter.

And if you've been running Unix/Linux...why are you even considering dual-booting Windows and running Linux in a VM? Fairly pointless, and is using far more resources than are needed, and you're introducing the inherent insecurity in Windows to your environment. Load the latest version of CentOS (or Red Hat, if you want paid-for support; since this is business, it'll probably be worth it), and migrate your database. Your custom programs are a different matter.

1 members found this post helpful.

Dual Boot
- You get to use all of your CPU.
- Both your OS work independent of each other.
- Can do heavy duty tasks.
However
- You have to reboot if you want to switch OS.

VM
- Your CPU resources are shared by host and guest OS.
- Your host has the leverage over the guest and can fuck it up.
- Instantneous switching the OS.
- Work with two different Look and Feel at the same time will feel very disorienting.
However
- You cannot copy-paste between host and guest.
- Your computer becomes slow.
- Not for heavy duty tasks.

Wine
- Copy-paste between a Linux and Windows software works.
- Instantenous.
- Seamless integration.
However
- Support is spotty and not guaranteed to work.

If you want my opinion: Try to see if Wine supports your software and how good it runs. If Wine runs it, you will be better with Wine. Then go for dual boot and if nothing works for you use VM.

I have decided to install OpenSuse 42.3 and make it a dual boot system.

1. Mainly because I may need Windows 10 somewhere down the road for something other than my other Windows Boxes.
2. The Linux Computer will primarily be used for Linux only.
3. We will have other Windows Computers that will connect to the Linux box (& my database programs) through a Linux emulation program called IceTenPro. We have been using IceTen for the Unix connection to Windows machines for over 25 years and it works well.
4. I have made a Windows Restore DVD and also created a System Image Backup in case I screw something up.
5. My only issue now is when I install OpenSuse 42.3 is how to leave the Windows 10 Partitions unchanged except for creating plenty of partition space for all the Linux. I have a 1TB HDD, so I was thinking of allocating 600 GB for all the Linux areas.

Can someone help me determine how to create the correct partitions for the Lunix when I am installing ?

After that Step I think I am good to get all else taken care of. I installed Suse 10.1 about 12 years ago but remember so little about it, I'm scared of making a dumb mistake that screws the whole project up.

Thanks Everyone.

YaST (the openSUSE installation program and "control panel") should take care of both creating the needed partitions for you, as well as shrinking your Windows partition(s) if needed.

Thanks, I'll try that tonight.
If YAST should not take care of it, can I back out at that point and not screw anything up?
If YAST does it's thing, then I'm almost there.
Thanks again