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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Best GUI VM software (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

41 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I'd like some recommendations as a beginner in the virtualization space for good GUI software for running vms for both experimentation and server use.

I've used virtualbox on Windows before but are there any better alternatives on Linux? I hear a lot of praise of QEMU but this seems to be only terminal based like what you do with containers.

VMware workstation is free but again, I'd like to know your thoughts on other good beginner options.

Thank you advance and have a good day/afternoon/night

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

VMware Player is the best by far in terms of GUI and ease of use. With that said:

It breaks once in a while due to kernel module / kernel mismatches that sometimes require manual patching. This is rare but it happens once every couple of years
It may become paid given Broadcom's corporate history

Virt-manager is pretty decent and it will not break on a stable distro but:

Some of it workflows are far from intuitive
Virtualization via virt-manager (really KVM) doesn't currently have any 3D acceleration for Windows VMs
Windows driver/guest tools installation and integration isn't nearly as trivial as it is with VMware

Personally, I'd try using virt-manager because it will work "forever." If you can't get something to work and feel overwhelmed, go to VMware for now but long term you'll likely have to get used to virt-manager.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 months ago

Stop suggesting people use vmware

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I would avoid VMware with a ten foot pole. Also I personally think virtual manager is easier to use.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

It objectively takes fewer mouse clicks and keyboard keystrokes to install a Windows VM with drivers and full integration (3D, shared folders, etc.) on VMware Player than virt-manager. I could count them for you but I have better things to do. Setting up an equivalent VM with virt-manager is significantly more work. Just a trivial example - getting the VirtIO drivers. On virt-manager you have to search the web, find multiple sources, figure out which to use, figure out which version to download, download it. On VMware, you click the top menu, then Install VM tools, the end. With that said I'm not complaining, because I don't have the time to write the patches needed for virt-manager to work the same, but the difference is there.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There is only one source of the drivers and it is the Fedora Project.

https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/quick-docs/creating-windows-virtual-machines-using-virtio-drivers/

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Are you sure? Cause KVM's doc lists two: https://www.linux-kvm.org/page/WindowsGuestDrivers/Download_Drivers and the first one ain't Fedora. The language used doesn't suggest that one is a canonical source either. Now imagine that I'm a noob or otherwise using KVM for the first time. I have to figure out what the difference is and which one to get because I don't want to make a mistake and end up with a broken install. Mind you I have ended up with bad graphics depending on which driver and what version I've installed.