CrunchBang Linux

txbahai

#! CrunchBanger

From: Forney, TX

Registered: 2013-02-05

Posts: 150

Virtual Machines - Qemu or Virtualbox

I am looking to run xp or windows 7 in a virtual machine so I can run connectwise client. I am familiar with openbox, but was wondering if qemu is a better option. Qemu sounds like it's built more for a nix system... any opinions? or other options?

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Kindest Regards,
Tim A

KrunchTime

#! Die Hard

From: East Coast, USA

Registered: 2012-03-02

Posts: 743

Re: Virtual Machines - Qemu or Virtualbox

Based on what I've read in the past, Qemu can be more difficult to set up than Virtualbox.  However, I've never really used Qemu, so I can't speak from experience.  I've pretty much always used Virtualbox and it has always worked for me.

Have you tried Googling "QEMU vs Virtualbox"?

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"The Western system in its present state of spiritual exhaustion does not look attractive...the human soul longs for things higher, warmer, and purer." -- Alexander Solzhenitsyn

txbahai

#! CrunchBanger

From: Forney, TX

Registered: 2013-02-05

Posts: 150

Re: Virtual Machines - Qemu or Virtualbox

Have you tried Googling "QEMU vs Virtualbox"?

No I have not, but I will.  Thanks for the input.

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Kindest Regards,
Tim A

schwim

#! Die Hard

From: Interweb's #1 Devotee

Registered: 2012-10-11

Posts: 512

Website

Re: Virtual Machines - Qemu or Virtualbox

I also have no experience with QEMU, but use VBox everyday in both directions between linux and Win and can say it would be tough to beat it's performance and ease of setup.  Once you're familiar with it's workings, you can have a guest installed with additions in under 10 minutes.  As for stability, my main work OS is #! inside a VM on a Win 8 machine.  Absolutely no hiccups related to the VM.

hinto

#! Die Hard

From: Cary, NC

Registered: 2010-12-08

Posts: 1,066

Re: Virtual Machines - Qemu or Virtualbox

the performance of vmplayer is hard to beat.
http://www.vmware.com/products/player/
-Hinto

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"Sometimes I wish I hadn't taken the red pill" -Me

el_koraco

#!/loony/bun

From: inside Ed

Registered: 2011-07-25

Posts: 4,643

Re: Virtual Machines - Qemu or Virtualbox

I am looking to run xp or windows 7 in a virtual machine so I can run connectwise client. I am familiar with openbox, but was wondering if qemu is a better option. Qemu sounds like it's built more for a nix system... any opinions? or other options?

You don't need QEMU, you need qemu-kvm. QEMU itself is a virtualization packege, the real deal is KVM (kernel-based virtual machine), the built-in kernel hypervisor. You manage it with virt-manager (qemu-kvm is a dependency), a GUI or CLI frontend. This is assuming you have virtual extensions in your CPU, otherwise you will be using QEMU's software virtualization, which I hear is not very good compared to VB.

Software or hardware virtualization, VirtualBox is much easier to administer for users not accustomed to reading a stack of documentation. KVM has somewhat better performance, but this is not really an issue on desktops, any modern CPU can virtualize another one with very little trouble. KVM is much cooler, of course, and gives you sweet street cred.

Last edited by el_koraco (2013-02-19 21:27:37)

txbahai

#! CrunchBanger

From: Forney, TX

Registered: 2013-02-05

Posts: 150

Re: Virtual Machines - Qemu or Virtualbox

KVM is much cooler, of course, and gives you sweet street cred.

Went with Virtualbox, now I'm disappointed I lost my street cred.

Last edited by txbahai (2013-02-19 21:59:04)

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Kindest Regards,
Tim A

gutterslob

#! Resident Bum

Registered: 2009-11-03

Posts: 2,636

Re: Virtual Machines - Qemu or Virtualbox

What el_k said. Qemu's useless unless you add "accel=kvm" to the start command.

For me, it's like this at this moment in time.
KVM/qemu/virt-manager (Linux) / Parallels (OS X) > VMware Fusion/Workstation > VirtualBox.

Though all are pretty mature these days, and even Vbox should prove more than enough if it's just one virtual machine at a time. They each have their own set of quirks and idiosyncrasies, but you'll only be aware of those through actual usage.

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Point & Squirt

Vegetarian Spelling Unit

#! Member

Registered: 2011-08-27

Posts: 85

Re: Virtual Machines - Qemu or Virtualbox

Vmplayer is pretty damn good for basic use. Frankly I steer away from anything Oracle touches,

hinto

#! Die Hard

From: Cary, NC

Registered: 2010-12-08

Posts: 1,066

Re: Virtual Machines - Qemu or Virtualbox

^ +1 for vmplayer
-H

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"Sometimes I wish I hadn't taken the red pill" -Me