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VirtualBox Questions


esulcer
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Hi, I've just tried out for the first time today this virtualization stuff, as it says in the topic, I am using VirtualBox, I got it set up and working fine, I installed XP PRO :unsure: (just seeing if I can run my Tax software) , it's working fine and all, what I would like to know is, do you have to worry about defraging and viruses. I'm thinking that it may be possible to get a virus within the virtual XP, but it wouldn't effect anything on my Mandriva install, the need to defrag from within the Virtual XP, hmmm, I'm not sure, the whole concept has sought of blown my little mind, and I'm trying not to think to hard about it.

 

Thanks.

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Virtual box at the moment runs a HD image only so windows cannot escape out on to the linux enviroment but.

 

If you set up sharing and other things then the virus or windows could attack the share.

 

Yes Windows will still get the viruses on the VBox.

 

I just use it as a dedicated box for one function like you doing your taxes.

 

I have one set up for my daughter for her Disney CD's

 

But i dont share between any of these "boxes" at the moment.

 

I also have 5 Other Distro's running in boxes for testing and checking things.

 

Hows Townsville nice and HOT, last time i was there was in 1990-1991, nice place.

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Thank you for your reply, it's not so hot here just yet, give it another month or 2 :) Yes, I really only want to use XP for that one purpose, Tax time, so a virtual machine is ideal. I wouldn't be doing much sharing from the XP VM, it would really only get used once a year, not much more.

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Have been using XP within Virtual Box for some time now... works great, except I don't have sound and it's very slow... and I don't like XP much. Have needed it for my business database, which I'm working to transport to SugarCRM... getting there. Sounds like you are sorted, but one graet feature of Virtual Box (if you ever decide to do anything more than your tax) is saving the system as a 'snapshot'. THis is literally what it sayd, you can take a snap of XP at any time, and if you get a virus restore it exactly to where it was prior. Anyway....

 

Has anyone worked out how to get sound within Virtual Box? I haven't looked that hard, but so far I haven't found out how to get around the default permissions. Thanks!

 

~Mitchell

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Hi, my sound just worked, you have to enable it in the settings for you XP VM, but to do this after you have it running, I think you must select it, then Discard it, to be able to access the settings for it. Then it was just a case of enabling the sound, and selecting either alsa or oss. That's how it worked for me anyway.

 

 

and it's very slow

 

XP runs very fast for me under VirtualBox

Edited by esulcer
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Sound worked for me straight off, no playing around with any settings.

 

I have 1GB and only use it for single application not a memory hog, so speed is fine.

 

Much Quicker that rebooting into windows then doing the work then rebooting to linux and having no ability to run your linux apps whilst in windows.

 

And music can play in amarok all the time no interruptions.

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XP are running close to native speed here (Core 2 Duo 6600- VirtualBox assigns just one CPU to the VM- 2 GB RAM with one assigned to the VM, and plenty of HD.

If your system has 512 MB total, you shouldn't expect too much from VirtualBox, or any other emulator.

 

Lol. I agree with you there... Have been looking at getting more RAM, but it might be a little while. Hard to convince my wife we need it, especially as I dislike windows to begin with.... ah well, a few more bits of hardware to buy... perhaps I can just add it to my list. In any event I'm not planning on needing to use Windows XP for much longer. Sound is working fine now. Thanks for your help people!

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  • 9 months later...

I am using Ubuntu, but this question is really VirtualBox related, so here is my experience....

 

I found VBox to be really choppy after I got the VBox windows drivers installed and audio enabled, so I changed my audio driver from ALSA to OSS and it seemed to resolve the issue.

 

Cheers,

bobb

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  • 1 month later...

I got a quad core with 8GB and it's sweeeeeeeeeeet :)

 

Using xen though for virtualisation and only Linux systems, but maybe I'll change this at some point to kvm to have a mixed Windows/Linux environment. VMware ESXi is also fast and free but not all hardware is capable to run with it - just check and test, and try something else if not. My disk controller was main sticking point for me not using this. But it'll go on a server when I buy it.

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I think VirtualBox is equal to VMWare, at least the non-corporate/enterprise editions. Originally wanted to use this box for Windows Server 2008 Hyper-X actually, but it just wouldn't work with my AMD processor. :(

 

Anywho, RAM is CHEAP right now. Mwave has Kingston 4GB dual channel kits (2 X 2GB DDR2-1066) for $66! With shipping and everything that's 8GB for about $150! Amazing! http://www.mwave.com/mwave/SkuSearch_v2.as...riteria=ba25532

 

I'm thinking of waiting for AM3 sockets with DDR3 support for my Phenom X4 build though. Not sure yet...

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I think VirtualBox is equal to VMWare, at least the non-corporate/enterprise editions.

I don't agree. While I'm mostly using VirtualBox right now, the truth is that it's considerably less powerful and feature-rich than VMware Workstation. It's simply that the latter isn't free (not even cheap).

But, since the Sun acquisition, it's improving in a very fast pace- so, the gap is getting narrower.

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