I’m a newbie as far as installing Linux is concerned. I’m running WMware Workstation from Windows XP x64 (host). I’m planning on installing SUSE 11.1 x64 on physical partitions rather than a virtual disk. Therefore, partitions are created, hard disks in Virtual Machine configured as physical ones. Now, I’m wondering if SUSE will install any boot loader. Where will it go? To MBR of my hard drive (I don’t like this idea), or first sectors of Linux partitions? Will this partition will become bootable by default, or my current Windows partition will boot as it always does?
I’m not that familiar with VMWare (I use VirtualBox), but speaking in general:
If you’re installing Suse (or any operating system) inside a virtual box, that’s all it sees. It has no idea that it’s running in a VM; it thinks it’s on a separate machine with its own processor, hard drive and RAM. Unless you specifically allow it to see the host machine (and that varies from one VM manager to the next – with some, it’s virtually impossible), it’ll never even know it’s there.
This is one of the key points to virtualization, in fact. Some virus and malware researchers set up test machines under virtualization, allow the viruses to run amok, and then simply delete the VM when they’re done. The host system never knows or cares.
Ergo, and therefore, Suse should install the boot loader on its own virtualized drive, and NOT on the main boot partition of the Windows system. In other words, it will think that it’s installing on a blank hard drive and take the entire drive for itself, installing the boot loader on that drive.
Will this partition will become bootable by default, or my current Windows partition will boot as it always does?
See above. Again, I’m not that familiar with VMWare – perhaps there’s a setting in it that would allow the VM to “see” the host system? (If so, I’d turn that off immediately!) But speaking in general, the Windows host system should remain separate and intact.
Yes, but it’s got yet another option that is ticked by default which says it’ll write to MBA a code that will start anything from an Active partition. Do I really need it? Windows already starts from an Active partition so some form of code redirecting from MBA to an active partition already exists there.
Plus, there is an option to boot from extended partition. My both linux partitions are created within extended space. Gosh, I really don’t want to blow my current OSes due to experiments
The whole point is I allowed it to use physical hard drives to get faster file handling. Therefore, it actually sees all partitions on my hard drive according to my wish.
That’s the vmware fs so after (or before) in the settings options
you can create a share name and a link to a directory on the host system
For example I create one called data and mount in the guest system with;
mkdir /oscar
mount -t vmhgfs .host:/ /oscar
I then have access to a folder called /oscar/data
But why not use a vm drive rather than the hosts phsyical partition
on the hosts system?
If you do use a vm drive there will be no impact with the host
system physical drive?
If you had a real machine and installing having a /home helps with
upgrades or if you wish to re-install you then can install without
formatting the /home and retain your data. I don’t as I use the above
an keep my vm’s drives small.
Copy/past works fine for me on a linux hosts and vm’s but I must admit
never tried with the win7 RC as I don’t use it much.
–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 11.2 (i586) Kernel 2.6.31.5-0.1-desktop
up 9:38, 2 users, load average: 0.84, 0.74, 0.52
ASUS eeePC 1000HE ATOM N280 1.66GHz | GPU Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME
Hi
Most people here run things the opposite way around, linux host,
windows vm’s
In vmware workstation, where in the adding a new machine does it let
you configure to access the physical disk in the wizard, or do you
need to tweak the vmx file? I’m trying to duplicate here, so am
wondering how you are doing it
Also here is some output from a VM and the host system with respect to
disk read access as an indicator;
VM
1120-rc2-vm:~ # hdparm -Tt /dev/sda
/dev/sda:
Timing cached reads: 1724 MB in 2.00 seconds = 862.75 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 402 MB in 3.01 seconds = 133.74 MB/sec
HOST
oscar-sled:~ # hdparm -Tt /dev/sdc
/dev/sdc:
Timing cached reads: 1994 MB in 2.00 seconds = 997.06 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 304 MB in 3.01 seconds = 100.87 MB/sec
sdc is the physical drive, sda is the vm disk on sdc.
Yeah, I use the VM wizard to select access to linux partitions without any manual tweaking involved. Well, right now am running an installation from VM drive anyway.
Erm, your host/vm drive findings are interesting. I’m not sure if this is true if vm drive runs of NTFS windows partition, though it may be still quite adequate.
Anyhoo, I’m glad I’ve managed to configure Video Codecs on Suse, lol. Shame though, xvid and other stuff doesn’t run not even nearly as fast in guest (suse) as in the host (xp x64)
All my vm’s mount my data partition, but it’s setup after…
