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Idea #19113: Make Creating A Windows Virtual Machine Seamless and Effortless

Written by zephyrcat the 9 Apr 09 at 03:18. Category: System. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
Virtualization is still a somewhat alien concept to the average PC user and, to the extent most people know about it, they think of it as something they buy in a box from VMWare or Parallels. (And, if you were on a Mac, that was the only reasonable place you could get virtualization software until recently.) VirtualBox, though, opens the opportunity to have easy-to-use virtualization built right in. It seems like a missed opportunity not to make installing a Windows VM seamless.

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Solution #1: One Click to Install Windows VM After Inserting Disc
Written by zephyrcat the 9 Apr 09 at 03:18.
Ubuntu, or any other distro, could set up a feature such that inserting a Windows install DVD would trigger a pop-up asking you if you would like to install it in a VM and explaining what that was. Then, if the user agreed, VirtualBox could be installed and Windows could be installed in to a VM with almost no user involvement beyond putting in the CD and pressing OK.

http://www.linuxloop.com/news/2009/04/08/why-virtualbox-should-be-included-in-u buntu/

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danielrmt wrote on the 9 Apr 09 at 14:44
Not by default. Virtualization and Wine are two traps.

Alecs Jonson wrote on the 9 Apr 09 at 19:35
Face the truth. Ubuntu and any other linux flavour do not have all applications one user needs. Be it Outlook 2007 or Visio (any version), or even SQL Management Studio 2005 (my case on business ubuntu notebook).

Users need these tools, so why should we make them harder to switch, by not letting them use apps they NEED by default?

Darwin Survivor wrote on the 9 Apr 09 at 20:07
Ubuntu already has some rudimentary support for auto-detecting media that has been inserted.

There should be an effort to come up with a list of as many different types of media conceivable and implement ways they can be used.

-packages: offer to install (already done)
-windows applications: offer to install in wine/crossover
-OS disk: offer to install software from it (if same OS) or to install into a new VritualBox/vmWare/xen container.

timnwells wrote on the 9 Apr 09 at 22:12
I think you will find that people that think they need to run apps such as SQL Management Studio either already know how to install virtualbox and install windows.

For the average joe user Ubuntu has the apps they want (with the possible exception of iTunes), web browsing, music/video players, office products.

For the smarter than average joe, like sql developers, or any developers installing virtualbox or any of the others like it should be a walk in the park.

If your work laptop is provided because your job is to work with Microsoft SQL then FFS just use windows or get your database moved to mysql.


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