Running Ubuntu under Windows/running a Windows app under Ubuntu

[Derek Broughton]

Chanchao wrote:

> On a somewhat related note, I'm having a lot of success running Windows
> in a window under Ubuntu without the need to install any virtualization
> server (such as VMWare) first.
> 
> It's called VirtualBox.  (www.virtualbox.org).

OK, maybe I didn't understand virtualbox, but how is that not installing
virtualization software?  As far as I can see, it's exactly the same sort
of thing as vmware. I tried it a couple of days ago, and after it
segafulted, decided to go with vmware-player.

> There's a package for Ubuntu, you just install it. So you don't have to
> make any changes to your Ubuntu installation.  It just opens up as an
> application.

Same with vmware-player.
> 
> Then you can easily create virtual disks (disk-files, which can be
> located anywhere) and install Windows (any kind) on it.

OK, that's a little harder since you need qemu (or vmware-workstation) to do
it, though I think easyVMX might create it if you ask.

> VirtualBox is now open source (part of it) but also the version with the
> cool RDP features is free (free with a small 'f') :)

>From your description, it doesn't do anything vmware-player doesn't do.

How about hardware identification?  The problem with vmware is that my Dell
OEM XP key isn't valid for the virtual machine.  Would virtualbox be
different?
-- 
derek