[Discuss] Virtual Worlds

[Jeremy Nickolet]

On Sun, Apr 6, 2008 at 11:25 AM, John Blomfield <jabfield at shaw.ca> wrote:
--snip--
>  Undaunted I googled and came up with VirtualBox http://virtualbox.org/ a
> product with similar claims to VMware.  This download and install went
> perfectly!  It automatically built the required kernel module without the
> string of questions that VMware had about where on my file system I kept
> everything.  So I fired it up and installed Windows 2000 into the virtual
> window and it ran just as it normally would but with one annoying and
> decisive exception.  The built-in video driver was limited to 800 x 600 and
> 16 colors which makes it practically useless.  I tried installing the video
> driver for my video card but I guess that's not how virtual OS's handle
> drives, it needs a special driver designed for the virtual OS.  VirtualBox
> state that their main focus of support is for Windows XP and not Windows
> 2000 or 98 and state that the 16 colors and 800 x 600 is all you get for the
> latter!
>

Did you try installing the OS Additions? Once you have the virtual pc
booted there is a menu entry to install the OS Additions into your
guest OS. I'm running XP but I believe the drivers work with 2000.
(The menu entry to auto install the Additions didn't work for me,
instead I used the option to mount an ISO file, which is where the
additions are kept. The ISO comes with the virtual box install - at
least it does with the DEB files provided by innotek.) The Guest
Additions provide a virtual video driver that allows you to set all
the monitor options as well as resize the resolution by simply
resizing the window along with some other useful features. (check the
PDF manual available on the website, it has pretty complete
instructions that answered any questions I had.)

>  So the bottom line for me is that I am no further forward in my quest for
> an easy switch between Linux and Windows (2000 that is).  So what about
> Windows XP?  This got me thinking about what this may lead to.  Unlike 2k
> every time you re-install XP you have to phone MicroSoft and get an
> installation code, a pain in itself, but also my XP is an upgrade that
> installed over 98, which means I have to first install 98 and then XP,
> another pain in the butt!  My next question was, what happens when I upgrade
> my kernel which happens quite often, at least once a month automatically
> with package updates.  Does this mean that I now have to re-install
> VirtualBox and have it build a new compatible module?  Ok you say no big
> deal but re-installing XP again is a big deal, not only do you have to phone
> MS again but you have to download all the service packs, security patches
> etc etc which takes hours!!!  Any Windows applications would also have to be
> re-installed.
>

I've upgraded the kernel with no ill effects (mind you it was a patch
release provided by the distribution, not a full kernel version
upgrade.) You won't have to reinstall your guest OS when the host does
an upgrade. (infact your can copy your guest OS and boot it on a
completely different pc running a different host OS.)

>  For now I'm sticking to my trusty dual-boot system!!!!!!!!!!  Unless
> someone can offer a simple solution to this, other than junking Windows all
> together that is, which I am working toward?
>
>  John Blomfield
>
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>

In the end I've been running virtual machines using the "headless"
mode feature, the virtual pc starts on system boot and I can connect
to it using an RDP client (or NX client when connecting to linux
servers.) This bit isn't automated during the install and requires a
bit of init.d script work which i pieced together from different
places on the interweb but it works well for me.

I was running Xen serves before but the lack off ACPI support in the
xen kernels at the time drove me crazy as I was running it from a
laptop.

All in all, I like Virtual Box and reading the PDF manuals answered
many of my questions.

Jeremy