[opensuse] Virtualbox question
The BLU runs Linux installfests periodically. One of the things we are
considering is rather than set up dual boot, especially with Vista where
SP1 causes some problems, we were considering installing Virtualbox in
Windows and installing Linux as a guest OS. Rather than do the time
consuming install SUSE or other distros, I was considering just keeping
a couple of VDIs on a USB drive. I have mixed feelings from this because
the installation does tend to teach them stuff, but todays installers
are mostly boring. I'd like some feedback on whether this might be a
good or bad idea. Personally I'd like to wipe out Windows, but most
clients want to keep what they might be comfortable with. Windows resize
procedure is time consuming because you first need to do a defrag, then
use either the Windows native resize or something like GParted. I always
reboot Windows immediately after any resize operation as a sanity check.
With this approach, there is no resizing, and no instalation. Just
installing Virtual Box (or VMWare), importing the VDI. I've never
install Virtualbox on Windows just on Linux.
--
Jerry Feldman
I don't understand your question. You can use whatever you like as the host OS. I can tell you a little secret: I learned Linux on virtualizer. Only later I decided to install it on real hardware. -- -Alexey Eromenko "Technologov" -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Alexey Eremenko wrote:
I don't understand your question.
You can use whatever you like as the host OS.
I can tell you a little secret: I learned Linux on virtualizer.
Only later I decided to install it on real hardware.
The question is: "Can I copy an already installed Linux VDI and import
it into Virtualbox on Linux, or do I need to create a VM, and install
Linux in that VM".
--
Jerry Feldman
Jerry Feldman wrote:
Alexey Eremenko wrote:
I don't understand your question.
You can use whatever you like as the host OS.
I can tell you a little secret: I learned Linux on virtualizer.
Only later I decided to install it on real hardware.
The question is: "Can I copy an already installed Linux VDI and import it into Virtualbox on Linux, or do I need to create a VM, and install Linux in that VM".
From my experience with VirtualBox on a Mac, the VDI and the VM are two separate things. I believe that you may copy the VDI to wherever you wish, but you must then create the virtual machine on the host to use the VDI wherever it is, either on a second drive, the same drive, or wherever. When you create the VM, it will ask you for the location of the VDI. -- Tony Alfrey tonyalfrey@earthlink.net "I'd Rather Be Sailing" -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Tony Alfrey wrote:
Jerry Feldman wrote:
Alexey Eremenko wrote:
I don't understand your question.
You can use whatever you like as the host OS.
I can tell you a little secret: I learned Linux on virtualizer.
Only later I decided to install it on real hardware.
The question is: "Can I copy an already installed Linux VDI and import it into Virtualbox on Linux, or do I need to create a VM, and install Linux in that VM".
From my experience with VirtualBox on a Mac, the VDI and the VM are two separate things. I believe that you may copy the VDI to wherever you wish, but you must then create the virtual machine on the host to use the VDI wherever it is, either on a second drive, the same drive, or wherever. When you create the VM, it will ask you for the location of the VDI.
So to elaborate, I'm guessing that the answer is that a) copy the VDI b) create the VM as a Linux guest. Linux should already be on the VDI. Point to the Linux VDI when you create the VM and start the VM. Linux should boot. -- Tony Alfrey tonyalfrey@earthlink.net "I'd Rather Be Sailing" -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Sat, Aug 16, 2008 at 4:43 PM, Jerry Feldman
Windows resize procedure is time consuming because you first need to do a defrag, then use either the Windows native resize or something like GParted. I always reboot Windows immediately after any resize operation as a sanity check. With this approach, there is no resizing, and no instalation. Just installing Virtual Box (or VMWare), importing the VDI. I've never install Virtualbox on Windows just on Linux.
No you don't. You can use a program called "Partition Magic" it will reboot the system and run whatever needed operation in one step during the boot-up process. No need to manually run different things. Of course any files which located outside the boundaries of the new partition size will need to be moved but I think PM does it in a way that's optimized for speed (and the Windows defrag progam tends to always leave a chunk of data towards the end of the disk) -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Andrew Joakimsen wrote:
On Sat, Aug 16, 2008 at 4:43 PM, Jerry Feldman
wrote: Windows resize procedure is time consuming because you first need to do a defrag, then use either the Windows native resize or something like GParted. I always reboot Windows immediately after any resize operation as a sanity check. With this approach, there is no resizing, and no instalation. Just installing Virtual Box (or VMWare), importing the VDI. I've never install Virtualbox on Windows just on Linux.
No you don't. You can use a program called "Partition Magic" it will reboot the system and run whatever needed operation in one step during the boot-up process. No need to manually run different things.
Of course any files which located outside the boundaries of the new partition size will need to be moved but I think PM does it in a way that's optimized for speed (and the Windows defrag progam tends to always leave a chunk of data towards the end of the disk)
GParted and QTParted actually do a better job that Partition Magic. All
3 handle NTFS partitions. In my experience with Partion Magic, it did
not defrag the Windows partition. In any case I prefer to use Open
Source partitioners. Different defrag programs do things differently.
Norton Speed Disk used to have a number of ways you could control this.
But, no matter how you look at it, you need to perform the defrag and
resize operations whether the partitioner does it all or whether Windows
does it, so regardless of the tool, there is the wasted time normally
spent by a Linux volunteer who really does not want to work on Windows.
Certainly the volunteer does not have to sit and wait, and can attend to
another client, but the client has to wait.
By installing VirtualBox, or VMWare Player in Windows, and simply
importing the VDI, you save not only the defrag and resize steps you
save the time it takes to install Linux and you get the client up and
running sooner. The thing that I was not 100% sure of is could I copy a
VirtualBox VDI containing SuSE 11.0 to media, and then copy it to
Virtualbox on Windows.
--
Jerry Feldman
participants (4)
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Alexey Eremenko
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Andrew Joakimsen
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Jerry Feldman
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Tony Alfrey