Joshua Penix wrote:
Ralph Shumaker wrote:
Can one take a single machine and run concurrently both full
virtualization and paravirtualization? If I wanted to run, say,
WhineDoze98 and FC, would I have to run both fully virtualized? Can one
run full alongside the other running para? With WhineDoze there is no
choice. Whereas FC could take advantage of the performance gains of
para, but can they coexist?
Yes, you sure can. Both kinds of VMs can coexist, though there are some
minor limitations relating whether your host OS (dom0) is 32 or 64 bit.
The first thing you need to verify is that your CPU supports
virtualization extensions. If you have an Intel chip, look for the 'vmx'
flag in /proc/cpuinfo. For AMD, check for the 'svm' flag.
/proc/cpuinfo will give me that bit on a *nix OS. Any idea how to check
for it in Vista? My friend recently purchased an HP laptop with Vista.
I suppose I could pop in Knoppix.
Note that you
may have to turn the virtualization extensions on in your BIOS - most
Intel machines I've seen have them off by default (Sparky III did).
Well, perhaps that is because of what you said about 90% of
virtualization being *not* full virtualization?
So assuming you have your extensions and Linux sees them, here are your
options of what can run simultaneously:
32 bit host
-----------
32 bit fully virtualized
32 bit paravirtualized
64 bit host
-----------
32 bit fully virtualized
64 bit fully virtualized
64 bit paravirtualized
The important thing to note is that paravirtualized guests must match the
host's bit count. And when I say "32 bit host" I mean the OS - you could
be running 32 bit Linux on 64-bit capable hardware (as many do) but you'd
still have to follow the 32 bit table.
I think I got it.
Layers:
1) hardware
2) host OS
3) guest OS
Hardware can be 32 bit:
1) supports 32 bit host OS
2) supports 32 bit regular OS
Hardware can be 64 bit:
1) supports 64 bit host OS
2) supports 64 bit regular OS
3) supports 32 bit host OS???
4) supports 32 bit regular OS???
Hardware has 'vmx|svm' extension (enabled):
1) must run a host OS???
2) host OS can have guests running para and/or full virt
Hardware has *no* 'vmx|svm' extension enabled:
1) cannot run full virt
2) can run guest OS directly
Host OS 32 bit:
1) can only run guests 32 bit
Host OS 64 bit:
1) can run guests 64 bit
2) can run guests 32 bit (if full virt)
Hope that helps! Let us know how your Windows virtualization project
goes. :)
I would like to set up a hard drive for my mother. She got a slight
introduction to Linux when she visited last summer. But at home, she's
on w98. I would like to set up not just a dual boot for her, because
the tendency will be to favor what's familiar. The thought of rebooting
to go to the other will reinforce that tendency. But, having both, and
being able to just switch back and forth? She's more likely to go for
that. I'm just going to have to get her box upgraded to something with
vmx|svm, although that may not happen soon.
I know I would be able to set up a hard drive (that I can later ship to
her) as a multi-boot. I know I could set it up to boot to either w98 or
Linux (default). But could it have a third option to boot a host OS
(given a later hardware upgrade) that would allow concurrent w98 and
Linux? (I realize that this option would not be useful until she has
the vmx|svm extension to support it.)
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