Wts the advantage of virtualization of linux in windows?

As far as I used it, it seems you can only log on as guest using Live CD. You also can't access system components like a proper boot into linux can do. So if there are hardware issues in windows, you cnat just pull up the more powerful linux, in windows, to fix a windows problem.

What is the advantage of virtualization? I agree its neat but seems it is more useful if it can facilitate on the fly linux capabilities in a windows envrionment, whenever windows decide not to play nice. This doesnt seem possible?

 

What you may be looking for is something more like portable ubuntu:
http://portableubuntu.demonccc.com.ar/

Screenshots: http://portableubuntu.demonccc.com.ar/en/media

 

Hi,
you're right. If host (in ur case windows host) has problems with some HW (e.g. driver for soundcard not present) then neither the guest OS (in your case linux) will not be able to play sound.
Understand, VB (or any other VM) is just 'middleware' that gives the guest OS access to HW resources through the hosts OS.
so:
hw<->host OS<->VB<->guest OS

Advantages:
1. save HW resources and electric power - today most HW on server platform is so powerfull (multicore CPUs, cheap ram, hdds...) that to run only one OS is not gonna utilize e.g. CPU time, so its convenient to install other - guest - OS.
2. you can have as many guest OS as you want installed (depends only on HDD space) and you can RUN simultaneously as many guest OS as you want - that depends mainly on amount of RAM, CPU power, VGA.
e.g Red Hat company says they testen new virtual machine called KVM (kernel virt. machine) and they successfully ran 52 windows XP professional guest OSes SIMULTANEOUSLY on only 16 GB RHEL 5.5 server!!! wow! .
3. on desktop/notebook - e.g. in my case, i use CentOS linux as HOST and then run VB and windows 7, fedora 12, windows xp, windows vista as GUEST OSes. I need it mostly to be able to support users with windows clients - very convenient to have all those OSes running simultaneously without rebooting, switching to other machines ....
4. backups - if you install your guest OS to "file" then after installation you backup this file somewhere and if anything goes wrong - you just copy that backup back - veeeery easy!! (great for testing new SW)

there is lots other advantages of virtualization (security ....), just read some faq, but these are important for me personally ...

 

I never tried that, nor read anything about it (lots other things more important) and i got Q.
In this scenario linux can supplement windows missing e.g. sound driver? So win=nosound and linux=full7.1surround?
I quite don't think so, but

 

No. The virtualized hardware relies on drivers on the host machine - it does NOT talk directly with the hardware, it is not a direct bridge between guest and host. Actually it's this very reason why VMs are so stable.

 

Oki, so portable ubuntu is somehow implementing virtualization ... ok. I thought it was something like some windows *.exe app ... just another obscenity ...
Hmm, well on the another thought ... even if it was app, it wouldn't work ... my Q was irrelevant (dumb). )

 

Do not confuse portable ubuntu with VMs, they are two different animals. Portable ubuntu uses colinux, which you can read about here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative_Linux

 

I guess you learn something new every day....

 

Mmm ring0 driver. That means it isn't all that portable since you need an administrator account to run it. Am i right?

 

Yes it is right there first or second item in their faq that admin priv is required. It also does not run on 64 bit windows so it does have limitations. I mentioned it because I think it's cool and it's undoubtedly a novel approach.