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Rebuilding computer tomorrow at work

 
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# 1  
Old 08-18-2015
Question Rebuilding computer tomorrow at work
I'm rebuilding my primary computer at work tomorrow. Currently, it has Windows 7. I would like to replace the main system with either Linux or Unix, although I would like to be able to run a fully operational Windows as a VM within that. Any recommendations on which Linux or Unix to go with?

I'm a big fan of Slackware and OpenBSD, although also like Solaris. Then again, the company uses Ubuntu for some of the servers, so there's the option of going with that or Debian. I'm in a systems administrator role, dealing mostly with networking topics, although am hoping to lean more toward the security side, or at least network-security.

Ultimately, I need to continue to be able to do things across the network, like with accessing and working with servers, which include Windows Servers 2003, 2008, 2012, and Ubuntu Servers.

I'm going to install Windows 7, 8, or 10 as a VM, I'd like to avoid multi-boot, but need to access the full Windows OS in case there's a proprietary need or if someone else needs to use the machine, they'll have something they're familiar with. In addition to thoughts on *nix choices, any suggestions for VM software?

Thanks! Smilie
# 2  
Old 08-19-2015
Obviously you're not asking a technical question here but asking for opinion and everyone's opinion may be different. However, to get the ball rolling here's my opinion..........

For VM software take a look at VirtualBox. It's free and comes from an extremely reputable source (Oracle). It's easy to install, learn and use.

For a Linux with GUI distro for users already trained on MS Windows take a look at Zorin. The project team built this to emulate Windows and, hopefully, avoid those users having to retrain.

Hope that helps.
# 3  
Old 08-19-2015
Quote:
Originally Posted by hicksd8
Obviously you're not asking a technical question here but asking for opinion and everyone's opinion may be different. However, to get the ball rolling here's my opinion..........
Moderator's Comments:
Mod Comment This is probably a question where opinion and technical facts border on one another. I am willing to give some leeway here, as long as this is not used to overstretch boundaries.



Quote:
Originally Posted by hicksd8
For VM software take a look at VirtualBox. It's free and comes from an extremely reputable source (Oracle). It's easy to install, learn and use.
This is a good choice, IMHO, as long as you use mainly one VM, like Sean_ said he plans to do. I used it some years ago and especially liked two features: the ability to route USB ports to the virtual machine (this way you can use USB-based keycards, "identity sticks" and the like in the guest system) and the ability to create an image from an existing installation. I imaged the normal Windows-installation and used the image to boot the VM after installing (Fedora-)-Linux. This way i avoided troubles with the user-helpdesk because they didn't recognize that they were looking at a virtual (instead of physical) machine.

I think KVM/Quemu or OpenVZ is better suited for managing many concurrent VMs but this seems not to be Sean_'s intended use.

bakunin
This User Gave Thanks to bakunin For This Post:
hicksd8
# 4  
Old 08-19-2015
Hi.

Our experience with VMWare and VirtualBox has been that we can easily run many OSs concurrently. For example, in these environments:
Code:
OS, ker|rel, machine: Linux, 3.2.0-4-amd64, x86_64
Distribution        : Debian 7.7 (wheezy, vm-server-ng) 
vboxmanage 4.1.18_Debianr78361

OS, ker|rel, machine: Linux, 2.6.26-2-amd64, x86_64
Distribution        : Debian 5.0 (lenny, vm-server) 
VMware Server 2.0.1 build-156745

We are currently running:
Code:
# Uptimes for available machines 2015.08.19:
up   8 days   5 users: CentOS 6.4 (Final) 
up  21 days   6 users: Debian 8.1 (jessie) 
up  10 days   6 users: FreeBSD, 9.2-RELEASE-p8, amd64 
up  21 days   5 users: Mint 17.1 (Rebecca) 
up 241 days   3 users: OpenSolaris 2009.06 snv_111b X86 
up  21 days   9 users: openSUSE 13.2 (ext4, "Harlequin") 
up  21 days   6 users: Slackware 14.1 
up 241 days   2 users: Solaris 10 10/08 s10x_u6wos_07b X86 
up  21 days   6 users: Ubuntu 14.04.2 (KDE, Trusty Tahr)

VMWare is running the sun/sun-like systems, vbox running the others.

Best wishes ... cheers, drl
# 5  
Old 08-19-2015
Quote:
Originally Posted by hicksd8
For VM software take a look at VirtualBox. It's free and comes from an extremely reputable source (Oracle). It's easy to install, learn and use.
Last I remember Oracle's VirtualBox was pretty good, definitely simple, but I think it may have had limitations. I forget. I'll try it again, but am going to go with QEMU for the moment and see how that goes.

Quote:
For a Linux with GUI distro for users already trained on MS Windows take a look at Zorin. The project team built this to emulate Windows and, hopefully, avoid those users having to retrain.
Interesting, I've never heard of Zorin. I'm a big fan of the more traditional unix environments, and building things up from minimal base installs, which is what I like about Slackware (as far as Linux options go). My favorite overall is probably OpenBSD, getting into personal preferences and all, but it also has limitations, despite the great benefits it provides. I really like Solaris (well, Oracle Solaris), zones and ZFS are favorites. A dream machine would be OpenBSD-like in stability/security, yet with ZFS, but also the versatility of Linux. Anyway, I digress... getting back on topic....

I might install a Zorin VM, see what I think of it, although I'd like to get away from the MS Windows-style *nix. I like to avoid desktop environments and just stick with window managers, big fan of fluxbox. I'm going with a Microsoft-esque Linux this time around, but might strip the GUI stuff down to only essentials.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bakunin
This is a good choice, IMHO, as long as you use mainly one VM, like Sean_ said he plans to do.
That is, I plan on running *nix primary with Windows (probably 10) as a VM, although I will also run additional VMs but only as test setups. I'll probably shut down the Windows VM to open those up. I'm running on a pretty typical CPU, not fancy, and with 8GB RAM. A small primary hard drive, only 80GB, but a 1TB secondary hard drive.

Quote:
I used it some years ago and especially liked two features: the ability to route USB ports to the virtual machine (this way you can use USB-based keycards, "identity sticks" and the like in the guest system) and the ability to create an image from an existing installation.
Interesting, I wonder if QEMU can do that.

Quote:
I imaged the normal Windows-installation and used the image to boot the VM after installing (Fedora-)-Linux. This way i avoided troubles with the user-helpdesk because they didn't recognize that they were looking at a virtual (instead of physical) machine.
What was the advantage to them not recognizing that they were virtual?

Quote:
I think KVM/Quemu or OpenVZ is better suited for managing many concurrent VMs but this seems not to be Sean_'s intended use.
I've never heard of OpenVZ, thanks for bringing that one up! I might check it out.

Quote:
Originally Posted by drl
Our experience with VMWare and VirtualBox has been that we can easily run many OSs concurrently.
With the the example you provided, what kind of hardware was running on the machine(s) hosting all of those VMs?

Thanks everybody for the input!
# 6  
Old 08-20-2015
Hi.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean_
Quote:
Originally Posted by drl
Our experience with VMWare and VirtualBox has been that we can easily run many OSs concurrently.
With the the example you provided, what kind of hardware was running on the machine(s) hosting all of those VMs?
For the sun/sun-like systems:
Code:
System:    Kernel: 2.6.26-2-amd64 x86_64 (64 bit) Console: tty 1
           Distro: Debian 5.0 (lenny vm-server)
Machine:   System: Dell product: PowerEdge SC1420
           Mobo: Dell model: 0T7495 Bios: Dell v: A02 date: 04/01/2005
CPU:       Single core Intel Xeon (-HT-) speed: 2792 MHz (max)
Graphics:  Card: ATI Rage XL
           Display Server: X.org 1.4.2 driver: FAILED: mach64
           tty size: 80x24 Advanced Data: N/A out of X
Network:   Card: Intel 82545GM Gigabit Ethernet Controller driver: e1000
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 1000.2GB (20.5% used)
RAID:      Devices: 1: /dev/md3 2: /dev/md2 3: /dev/md1 4: /dev/md0
Info:      Processes: 92 Uptime: 256 days Memory: 440.7/3399.3MB
           Init: SysVinit runlevel: 2 Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 2.2.19

and for the remainder:
Code:
System:    Kernel: 3.2.0-4-amd64 x86_64 (64 bit) Console: tty 5
           Distro: Debian 7.7 (wheezy vm-server-ng)
Machine:   System: Dell product: PowerEdge T110 II
           Mobo: Dell model: 015TH9 v: A02
           Bios: Dell v: 1.2.4 date: 09/19/2011
CPU:       Quad core Intel Xeon E31230 (-HT-MCP-) speed/max: 1600/3201 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Matrox Systems MGA G200eW WPCM450
           Display Server: X.org 1.12.4 drivers: mga (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           tty size: 80x24 Advanced Data: N/A out of X
Network:   Card: Broadcom NetXtreme BCM5722 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express
           driver: tg3
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 3000.6GB (21.3% used)
RAID:      Devices: 1: /dev/md1 2: /dev/md0
Info:      Processes: 217 Uptime: 31 days Memory: 11835.1/16077.9MB
           Init: SysVinit runlevel: 2 Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 2.2.19

Best wishes ... cheers, drl
# 7  
Old 08-20-2015
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean_
What was the advantage to them not recognizing that they were virtual?
Windows was "company policy". Because i still retained the original installation as a VM they didn't notice that i ran a real OS underneath.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean_
I've never heard of OpenVZ, thanks for bringing that one up! I might check it out.
It is aimed at mass-virtualisation and quite similar to what Sun called "zones" and IBM calls WPARs: a very, very manageable "chroot"-like environment. Because it is fully paravirtualised it has very little overhead, especially compared to fully virtualised environments like VMware or VirtualBox, on the other hand all the guest systems share a common kernel, so different guest systems are not possible.

I hope this helps.

bakunin
 
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