virtualization

[Harrison]

We have talked before a while back about virtual machines.

In the past I've used VMware and Microsoft Virtual PC for virtualization so I can run different OSs within Windows. And also PearPC to run Mac OS X. And most of us will have tried DOSBox at some point to try and run older games.

On this months PCPro magazine they have included a copy of Virtualbox which is another similar product, and on looking at its specification it looks like it could be more advanced that Virtual PC, with more control over the hardware emulated on the virtual machine. Has anyone used Virtualbox?

And have you tried any other virtulization software? Which do you think is currently the best?

I found this comparison of available virtual machine software here.

[Tiago]

I have VMware player with is FANTASTIC !!!!!!!

With this software, i was able to:
create a file with +/- 4 GB of virtual system (to store in a dvd).

when you start the program, it will work as a 4GB empty HD.
so it will prompt you for insert a bootable disk or cdrom, just like your normal boot.
So, you can put your winxp cd or linux cd and install it to that 4GB (or more) file.
It will work 99% as a new system.

Advantages:
- new system with internet (linux other)
- i have a version of winxp, with antiviirus, office, and other software all in 1 file
- if you get a virus it will not effect your "real computer" just the virtual.
- you can take your virtual file in a dvd to other computer, it try it with my father computer it worked fine, just need to install the vmplayer on his computer and copy the virtual file, and it worked!
- if something happend, virus, or if you install a bad softare, anything, just need to copy the virtual file again, and it's working again
- excellent when you want to try a new software, just install it in virtual, if you dont like, just delete the virtual file and copy the backup.


I try it with XP and Linux, and it worket fine!

the major problem is speed, my system went to 75% of his normal speed.

[Harrison]

Yes, a virtual machine is great for testing things without worrying about your main system being messed up. Also I use Virtual PC to run Windows 98 so I can get older games and software to work that are no longer compatible with XP as they need DOS. It is more compatible and easier to setup games that way that DOSBox.

I'm going to try VirtualBox today and see how it compares to VMware and Virtual PC.

[Submeg]

Wow that is cool. Let me know how it goes...running games on DosBox sure is a pain

[Harrison]

If you want to try it out, Microsoft Virtual PC is completely free. Mad I know but Microsoft actually purchased this product and then made it freeware!

So you can download it for free officially and then try it out. Virtual PC is very easy to use. Just install it, then you can setup a new virtual machine. During the setup you setup a virtual harddrive. Think of this like the HDF files in WinUAE. They are one big file on you HD that acts as a virtual HD for the virtual machine. And a great thing about these is that they expand as needed, you could tell Virtual PC to make a 10GB virtual HD file, but it won't actually use 10GB on your HD, but expand as needed. So if you installed Windows 98 on to it and it only needed 300MB then that is all the size of the virtual HD file would be.

Once you have the virtual machine setup with the virtual HD file in place you then just start it. Then everything else is just like a real PC. Insert the OS install CD and install your chosen OS to the virtual HD. I use Virtual PC with Windows 98 and it works perfectly. Give it a try.

You can download Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 from here.

[Demon Cleaner]

I never tried that out, but as I'm still having a copy of Win98 lurking around somewhere, I might test it and install it on my barebone PC.