Virtualization and Linux Terminal

[1clue]

If you're fixated on a console-like session, then you can start your VM and then start a second X session :1 and attach it to a console. That X session would need to attach itself to your VM. It would be a TCP-based console same as if you had a remote X-enabled system and a local headless X server to connect to it. I really can't think what that would get you, you could do the same thing with Xnest and have it be a window in your existing local session.

I don't particularly care for VNC, so I don't use it. For most of my Linux installs, it's command-line only. For the ones that aren't I usually ssh -X and run my app. For Windows VMs I use rdesktop.

[TheFu]

It is possible to automatically start virtualbox VMs on either Windows or Linux or other hosts. These can be with or without an active window being displayed. There is a CLI setting and using the normal Linux init methods for startup works. It is most common to point-n-click to start a VM, however.

Using the term "terminal" is confusing to us here and inaccurate to what will be the end result. Perhaps "window" is a better description? I dunno.

It is possible to access any VM over the network using any normal network access method (vnc, ssh, nx, whatever), assuming you setup the networking and run the service "INSIDE the client VM" correctly for that. Go with bridged networking and all is easy. The VMs appear just like any other install on the LAN. Until you play with the networking choices yourself, it won't be clear how they work.

I think something like this is what you intend:

hostOS (Linux)
    |____KDE-VM
    |____Win7-A
    |____Win7-B
    |____Win7-Z

[jdeca57]

Under virtualbox, setup the virtual machine hardware, then install whatever OS you like. There are many tutorials, youtube how-to videos and other helpful websites. I'm partial to this one with tips to get the best performance; I wrote it. Don't just go with the defaults. It will turn out badly.

Thanks for your blog info. It's amazing what difference in speed these changes from default Virtualbox settings make. Especially when they warn that Enable IO APIC will actually slow down the system... I thought AMD-v was the only critical thing. But then I was wrong.

[TheFu]

Thanks for your blog info. It's amazing what difference in speed these changes from default Virtualbox settings make. Especially when they warn that Enable IO APIC will actually slow down the system... I thought AMD-v was the only critical thing. But then I was wrong.

You are welcome. Glad it was helpful. IO APIC will slow down a system, but NOT having it seems to be worse when multiple VMs are running. Win-XP seems to be the most sensitive to this setting.