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Problem:
Some students would like to learn Linux, but cannot carry nor afford 2 separate computers.
What are the recommended approaches to be able to use both Windows or Linux on the same hardware ?
There are two main techniques - dual boot (where you can boot the machine up into either Windows or Linux) or virtual machine (where you set up a Linux virtual machine under Windows using e.g. VirtualBox).
Both have their advantages and disadvantages - a search through LQ and on the web will highlight these.
Just a note that unless you want inundated with spam, you should change your username from being an email address.
What age are the students?
Are the computers owned by the students, or property of the school?
Are they all the same make and model, or a mix of different hardware?
Is Windows already installed on them?
Is there a particular Linux distribution or "distro" that you are interested in?
Do you have a teacher at your school who is qualified to teach Linux?
Location: Montreal, Quebec and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia CANADA
Distribution: Arch, AntiX, ArtiX
Posts: 1,364
Rep:
Bonjour Étienne - Welcome to LQ.
There are essentially 2 different ways of using Windows and Linux on the same computer, and both are quite common.
1) Dual-booting. This involves shrinking the Windows partition, creating a new partition for linux, installing a native linux system in the new partition and finally configuring the boot loader to give you the choice between Windows and Linux at startup.
2) Use a hypervisor (virtual machine software) and set up a Linux system in a virtual machine. The 2 most common applications for Windows hosts are VMWare and Virtualbox.
Each of these 2 alternatives has its advantages and disadvantages and both ways of doing things are very well documented already here in multiple LQ threads. Which you choose depends on many factors (type and capacity of hardware, your IT knowledge, intended use of systems ... ). A cursory search here will turn up loads of information and advice.
If you would like more assistance with specific areas, let us know and give us a bit more background info on the objectives and setup.
Cheers !
____________________________________
EDIT: lol ... I see a few of us seem to have posted replies almost simultaneously ... ... Happily, we seem to be coherent .
Distribution: Currently: OpenMandriva. Previously: openSUSE, PCLinuxOS, CentOS, among others over the years.
Posts: 3,881
Rep:
If your students are going to be using Windows more, then install Linux into a virtual machine. Particularly if they are going to be relying on Windows software/using Windows software more than Linux/Linux software.
It depends on the hardware specifications and whether or not the student owns or is allowed to install software to their computer or have the capability to use a flash drive and change the boot order.
The typical methods are dual boot where the operating systems are installed to different partitions and you can select which to run using the boot loader. As a virtual machine using VirtualBox or other virtualization software. linux runs from within Windows and there are a few limitations but does not change how the computer boots. From a USB drive, neither the boot loader nor anything on the internal hard drive is changed but the student needs to be able to change the boot drive order.
If your students are going to be using Windows more, then install Linux into a virtual machine. Particularly if they are going to be relying on Windows software/using Windows software more than Linux/Linux software.
I agree with this, especially if the computers are the students' property and not the school's property. You have to think ahead to what happens at the end of the semester. A virtual machine install is much easier to put everything back the way it was.
teacher learns how to burn a Linux OS iso to a usb stick, he / she then teaches students how to create a usb stick with persistence.
teaches students the ability to think and do, and acquire the necessary methods to have to learn to show responsibility by not losing the usb stick. etc...
ages 9 to ....
yes I believe a nine year old can learn the basics in this if he or she is given the proper guiding instructions.
Distribution: Currently: OpenMandriva. Previously: openSUSE, PCLinuxOS, CentOS, among others over the years.
Posts: 3,881
Rep:
Quote:
Originally Posted by snowpine
I agree with this, especially if the computers are the students' property and not the school's property. You have to think ahead to what happens at the end of the semester. A virtual machine install is much easier to put everything back the way it was.
And they can backup the VM too, then if they break it, they can just restore it just as easily, and/or use snapshots depending on the VM software.
Last edited by jsbjsb001; 01-11-2019 at 08:53 AM.
Reason: spelling
bigger HDD's and over priced laptops (every bodies), must be rich kids school. Don't think about the ones that maybe limited to a laptop that has them 32GB makeshift microsd card hard drives. I'd love to see someone have windows on it and VBox and a full install of another OS. With the CPU kicking along like its no ones business.
Raspberry Pi. It was built for educational purposes. $35 US adafruit.com
Separate/protect hardware against inadvertent damage to the Windows machines while exploring.
The support hardware, ex. keyboard, monitor, and network connections, can be temporarily re-purposed from the Windows box, then returned after the students have finished their foray into linux. RPi has extensive add-on capability to explore hardware and software projects.
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