What software would you use to virtualize Windows 7 on RedHat Linux?

Spooter · 15 Jan 2015 at 10:56

What software would you use to virtualize Windows 7 on RedHat Linux?

Vmware, VirtualBox.

Is there a native way of doing it? Red Hat Hypervisor

OhEsEcks · 15 Jan 2015 at 15:47

I use Virtualbox when I need it. Though Fedora comes with Gnome-Boxes, I haven't used it myself. Not sure if you have to download virtualbox to act as a backend or if it's just a front-end for LXC (and I'm not sure LXC would virtualise Windows [I think it's just linux on linux]).

Sp00n · 15 Jan 2015 at 16:09

I have Windows boxes running in Qemu, works fine. Virtualbox would also be fine if this was for a desktop installation.

Bigsy · 17 Jan 2015 at 15:19

As much was I would prefer not to use it vmware will feel much better, its generally got better performance then virtualbox and the 2d hardware acceleration will make the desktop experience feel much snappier.

A.N.Other · 18 Jan 2015 at 10:57

Can't get on with VMware myself in comparison to virtualbox. Never noticed any particular difference in the speed of the emulations between the two, but I haven't measured.

Pvt_Ryan · 11 Feb 2015 at 08:54

Redhat has KVM which works fine.
Virtualbox is easier to use however.

If you are trying to setup a VM to act as a more or less permanently running server / starts with system use KVM.

If you are wanting an adhoc windows box that you spin up and down as needed use Virtualbox

Methanoid · 8 Nov 2015 at 22:08

Are any of you guys using KVM? Virtualbox and VMware Workstation (Win) don't pass through graphics. I need to be able to game. I am thinking to have 2 graphics cards (each connected to own mouse, KB & monitor) so theoretically have two Windows gaming sessions running but also be able to put AROS, Linux or Mac OSX on them. The third monitor would be for the "host" OS which would likely be Ubuntu as it has KVM support and that would be "powered" by Intel IGP.

lamboman · 9 Nov 2015 at 12:51

Virtual Machine Manager is the desktop GUI for KVM. KVM is as easy to use as any other hypervisor to be honest. RHEL should already have a default storage pool in place so it will just work in my experience, so your images will be stored in /var/lib/libvirt/images.

I have no experience in actually running a Windows install from scratch in KVM (haven't had the need to), however it should be as simple as installing the OS then installing the libvirt drivers, as you would on any other hypervisor.

Methanoid · 9 Nov 2015 at 13:18

@spoon, you're using QEMU so I assume are using KVM? I'm wanting to use KVM under Ubuntu but to pass some (Windows sourced NTFS) HDDs to a Windows VM. Is that easy? SATA ports are all Intel S3 (from Z97) and Asmedia 1061 S3.

Sp00n · 9 Nov 2015 at 14:06

Not something I've tried but I think you can just add the physical disc to the storage pool and use VirtIO to mount it to the VM, that's what I'm reading anyway.

Yea this was KVM/Qemu on Centos.