[Discuss] Virtual Worlds

[John Blomfield]

I am not new to virtual operating systems as I once had a passing 
interest in QNX http://www.qnx.com/ a real time operating system 
designed for the real time control of process hardware (chemical and 
nuclear plants, military hardware) where OS induced delays between 
hardware events and software action are unacceptable.  Many OS's 
schedule responses to hardware demands depending how they feel at the 
time which does not work too well during a chemical or military 
emergency!  However, that aside QNX is a Unix like system with tools 
like gcc compiler etc and can be installed on a Windows box as a virtual 
OS and can be accessed like any other Windows application.

The Linux SIG on Saturday was a far ranging introduction to Linux for 
newbies and mention was made of using a virtual OS as a means of 
retaining access to a Windows OS without the inherent delays of having 
to shutdown Linux and boot Windows as you would it you installed a dual 
boot system using Grub or Lilo.  I have always personally used the dual 
boot approach for the 5% of the time I need to run Legacy Windows 
programs.  Hence, I thought I would check out the use of virtual OS's as 
an alternative to dual booting. 

The other use, mentioned at the SIG, for virtual OS's was as an easy way 
to check out a different Linux OS's, as an alternative to using Live 
CD's and installing on a partition and again dual booting.  This may be 
attractive to all types of Linux users.

Having Windows on a "virtual window" on the Linux desktop was for me the 
most attractive benefit of this technology so I decided I had better 
check it out since the Linux SIG newbies were likely to have lots of 
questions about it at the next meeting.  The application VMware Server 
http://www.vmware.com/products/server/ was the "free" software mentioned 
to I downloaded it and attempted to install on my main Linux box a 
AMDx64 running Fedora 8.  Several attempts failed to build the necessary 
kernel module due to numerous compile errors in the C files 
(redefinitions of variables and the like).  VMware site provides a 
package for checking that your CPU is one that is compatible and that 
checked out fine.  However, research yielded the fact that VMware 
reports many unsupported distributions and kernels.  I tried it on my 
laptop, same problems.

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!

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.

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