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VirtualBox
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Gnomie apwellings writes:
Have you checked out VirtualBox? It’s an OPEN SOURCE (yay!) program that allows you to take a certain space on your hard drive and treat as a whole different computer — meaning you can install a whole new operating system on just that part of the computer if you want to.
I’ve been using it over the past few days and it works pretty well. It is a bit slow on my computer as my computer sucks (504 MB of RAM ftw)! I used it to install Ubuntu and explore Linux for the first time. I’m kind of a young geek so I am still exploring geek nature. If you haven’t checked it out already I do recommend it!
Check it out; there’s nothing like running Vista and OS X on the same computer, really, is there?
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2 Comments
leftystrat
May 11th, 2009
at 9:34pm
I have had better luck with VMplayer.
As for testing out linux, most distributions come in a live version, which will allow you to boot to cd and check it out without bothering your existing OS.
Or create a vm that will run under VMplayer. It’s free also.
Leon
May 12th, 2009
at 5:00am
My experience is that VirtualBox is far superior to VMWare (in all it’s variations) on a desktop workstation. I use VMWare workstation, server, and ESX in a professional setting (as well as in my home lab for testing)
But on my home desktop (AMD 3Ghz with 4Gb RAM running ubuntu 8.10 as the base OS) VirtualBox runs MUCH faster and was much easier to install and configure. I mostly use it to get to devices my host OS can’t use (like a visioneer 7100 scanner, or to get good color printing from my Canon ip4500); or to do things that Ubuntu still doesn’t do gracefully or well (like back up my kids’ DVD’s).
Leftystrat is right, for really kicking the tires on a Linux OS, the live CD’s are a great way to go. But if you are running a virtual guest on a crappy PC in the first place, I’m assuming you don’t have a lot of spare hardware. VirtualBox lets you test the OS and still drop out to the main OS to search for answers, hints and tips.
VirtualBox was listed as one of the top 10 must-have downloads for ubuntu by LifeHacker http://lifehacker.com/5227309/top-10-ubu…). I gotta agree.
- Leon