Linux users through virtual machines

alaios · 02-28-2018, 07:51 AM

Hi all,
in a computer that I use I am not allowed to install as main operating system linux... We have only an installation of windows 10. I wanted to ask if there are any users that use windows just to launch a virtual machine to run their favorite linux machine.

if yes what virtualization technique do you use (software?) and how happy you have been of fully forgetting that you use windows?

Thanks
Alex

hydrurga · 02-28-2018, 08:49 AM

VirtualBox should work well in Windows 10. I haven't used it in a while (I've now moved over to Linux) but when I started out I used VirtualBox in Windows to test various Linux distros.

It is not the only solution though - see e.g. Hyper-V, VMware etc.

alaios · 02-28-2018, 08:59 AM

I am going to try. I want to use one that will give me the best illusion that I am running a real linux machine. Ideally I would like to forget completely that I work in windows 10

hydrurga · 02-28-2018, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alaios

I am going to try. I want to use one that will give me the best illusion that I am running a real linux machine. Ideally I would like to forget completely that I work in windows 10

Let us know how it goes.

michaelk · 02-28-2018, 09:38 AM

It depends on the hardware specifications of the host computer. Virtual machines require RAM and if your computer only has 2GB RAM you might find running linux as a guest slow unless you are using a light weight desktop/distribution.

jefro · 02-28-2018, 12:24 PM

If they don't allow you to run Linux then don't play with it.

Almost every VM needs admin rights to install properly so I'd think you don't have that either.

If this is your own personal computer then do what you want. If it belongs to others then ask them for a virtual machine install.

wpeckham · 02-28-2018, 12:37 PM

If it is not disabled, I would just boot Linux from a US drive and run in LIVE-CD mode until reboot into Windows. That, or forget the whole thing. After all, if it is not YOUR machine: how much right have you to subvert the decisions of the machine owner?

alaios · 02-28-2018, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefro

If they don't allow you to run Linux then don't play with it.

Almost every VM needs admin rights to install properly so I'd think you don't have that either.

If this is your own personal computer then do what you want. If it belongs to others then ask them for a virtual machine install.

they allow you to run linux through virtual machines but they offer no support on configuring services and such...the hardware of the laptop also supports advance virtualization and the laptop has indeed a lot of memory... My problem is how to remove all virtual machines gadgets that remind me that I am running a virtual machine.

Btw, what is the right hardware for emulating fast virtual machines?
Thanks

jefro · 02-28-2018, 05:00 PM

The best VM software integration with hardware tends to be in the higher end server models designed for VM use. That doesn't mean you can't run a vm on a 486 just that it will run slow.

I guess I don't get this. "My problem is how to remove all virtual machines gadgets that remind me that I am running a virtual machine."

Do you mean run in full screen and hide controls?

alaios · 03-01-2018, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefro

I guess I don't get this. "My problem is how to remove all virtual machines gadgets that remind me that I am running a virtual machine."

Do you mean run in full screen and hide controls?

Yes but also
-make as much as of the hotkeys to work.
-and also hide floating controls that auto-hide...

jefro · 03-01-2018, 01:17 PM

Maybe you want to run it in a VNC box?

mjolnir · 03-02-2018, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alaios

Yes but also
-make as much as of the hotkeys to work.
-and also hide floating controls that auto-hide...

I'm also not sure if this is what you are asking but I run an Ubuntu 16.04.3 VM using VirtualBox on a cheap Win 10 laptop all the time. I ran dual boots for close to 15 years but this install works so seamlessly that I haven't bothered to change. To expand to full view use Host (key) +f. The machine controls are almost completely hidden at the bottom and hovering will pop them up.

Habitual · 03-02-2018, 08:31 AM

Seamless mode removes all visible window decorations from the Vbox client

WFV · 03-04-2018, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjolnir

I'm also not sure if this is what you are asking but I run an Ubuntu 16.04.3 VM using VirtualBox on a cheap Win 10 laptop all the time.

same here - works great, actually copied the Ubuntu guest from a Linux desktop VirtualBox host into the Windows 10 laptop VirtualBox host without any issue