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2698

Preinstall linux and offer windows in virtual machine (vmware player or xen)

2698 points posted to Linux, Operating Systems by mahei 02/19/07

The first thing i always do is to kick the preinstalled windows of the hard disk, install my favorite flavor of linux and then reinstall windows in a virtual machine for the few tmes i really need it.

Offer that as install option named:
Linux installed with windows in virtual machine

=> this has the side effect for Dell that people order more RAM :)

gplgeek
02/20/07		 XEN will not run windows. Xen shares a link between the base-system's kernel and the virtual machine's kernel. XEN does not do CPU emulation required for another OS's support. You would have to use vmware, qemu, etc. Microsoft however hates virtual systems and will not support this in any way. Even in vista ultimate users have problems.

You are better off with a dual-boot system. Maybe dell systems should come with optional non-installed stock oem install cds for every selected os. This way the end-user can create a multi-boot system.
mahei
02/21/07		 Hello Gplgeek,
you are *not* correctly informed:
xen *WILL* run windows if you have a CPU that supports x86 virtualization, i.e. Intel CPUs with Vanderpool tech or AMD CPUs with Pacifica tech.
Have a quick look at the xen wiki to convince yourself at:
http://www.xensource.com/files/xen_install_windows.pdf
http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/SuSeSLES10withWindows2003
emoshunz
02/28/07		 Make it work, then ABSOLUTELY!
There are ways to make a VM 'installer' that makes you put in a verifiable OS CD and installs off of that...100% legal!
cyber_rigger
02/28/07		 Companies selling preinstalled Linux (unlike

http://lxer.com/module/forums/t/23168/
http://lxer.com/module/db/index.php?dbn=14
sigmax
03/12/07		 Sounds great! Except Microsoft has chosen to public [mis]interpret the VISTA EULA to state that you can't run Home editions on VM's. The EULA doesn't say anything like that, it just says you need a licensed copy of Windows for your VM, but it's what they're trying to

http://www.farbot.com/node/3288<
spm
05/06/07		 Linux Kernel Virtual Machine is another OS virtualisation app, which also runs Windows on recent Intel and AMD CPUs (which support hardware accelerated virtualisation). KVM is better than Xen or VMware for desktop users because it is much easier to maintain, due to the fact that it is part of the Linux kernel. Kernel upgrades are therefore easier to do without breaking it.

What is required is for Dell perloaded Ubuntu Linux to support KVM out of the box, with a script/GUI application and documentation to help users install their old copy of Windows (or other OS) as a virtual machine on Ubuntu Linux, as well as other things like how to make a backups of the virtual machine to allow instant recovery if the virtual Windows becomes afflicted with malware or viruses or if it becomes unstable (as Windows installations do).
phubert
08/10/07		 Virtualize Windows on Linux? Microsoft Says Servers First

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/virtualize_windows_on_linux_microsoft_says_n...< do enable both through our licenses, including our desktop operating systems. My statement in my presentation was that my lab was working on server virtualization interoperability and not on the desktop at this time.

Sam Ramji
Director, Open Source Software Lab
Microsoft Corporation
 
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