Dual boot Win 10 and Linux

mikefamig

Senior Member
I haven't configured a PC in years and will have to re-learn a lot of stuff but I'm thinking about setting up a dual boot on my Win10 laptop to add a Linux OS.
 
I installed Ubuntu years ago alongside windows 7 and remember that the GUI was similar to windows but only used the GUI and never looked at command-line commands. I was very proficient with DOS when I worked as a programmer in the 90's but remember very little.
 
So from a HA/security/hobbyist point of view I'd like to hear from you guys which Linux operating system you are using and what would you recommend to a newbie? This will be installed on my laptop as a learning base to get my feet wet with Linux.
 
Mike.
 
 
 
If you just want to learn, you might just want to install VMWare Player or if you are running Win10Pro maybe turn on HyperV in Programs/Windows Features.   Then install an Ubuntu VM to play with.  Then you don't need to reboot to switch between them.   Assuming you have enough resources to do that.  2-4GB ram for the VM.
 
The Ubuntu distro has been reasonably complete, as far as packaging of the things that make for a good desktop.  It's based on Debian, which is also great but doesn't put as much emphasis on the desktop experience.  You can do a decent desktop on Debian, it's just a little more fiddly to get there. 
 
Eventually it all boils down to packaging of software add-ons.  Some distros have done a worse job than others.  Eventually all the pieces need to knit together and package inconsistency and dependencies is a rat hole into which FAR TOO MUCH TIME will get wasted.  
 
As for dual-booting... why?  Just run a virtual machine for the linux machine inside Win10.  You'd only need/want Linux on the bare metal because of direct device access.  But unless you're going to be really pushing the limits of a graphics display card or something, it's a lot less tedious to use a VM instead of dual-booting.
 
which Linux operating system
 
Currently utilizing Ubuntu 16.04 server and desktop on many boxes.  Also still have a few boxes running Windows Server and embedded MS (automation).
 
There are some RPi Wheezy boxes and RPi Jessie boxes.  Went to Ubuntu 16.04 64 bit server on the Pine64/2Gb box and changed my mini HS3 build over to a mini dual core AMD versus the RPi2.
 
 
+ + it's a lot less tedious to use a VM instead of dual-booting.
 
Here just run an MS Oracle VBs on my Ubuntu 16.04 laptop.  I also run Wine here on the laptop for a few Windows applications. 

 
For Homeseer touchscreen designer utilize Windows server and RDP to the box from Linux.  Main Homeseer 3 box is running in Ubuntu 16.04 with MS VB's doing Microsoft SAPI, Kinect and Alexa applications.
 
I'm sold on setting up a VM. I have installed Vmware in windows 7 in the past, is that still a good choice in Win10?
 
Vmplayer or Virtualbox. Depends on the features you need and if paid or free is desired and if you're going to grab snapshots or not.
 
I've got both on a W7 corporate machine and a W10 surface pro. Good enough for what I need.
 
Only consideration is what the VM is being used for and whether or not you pass through certain things to the host or not.
 
DELInstallations said:
Vmplayer or Virtualbox. Depends on the features you need and if paid or free is desired and if you're going to grab snapshots or not.
 
I've got both on a W7 corporate machine and a W10 surface pro. Good enough for what I need.
 
Only consideration is what the VM is being used for and whether or not you pass through certain things to the host or not.
 
It seems a no-brainer to start with the free version and learn it's limitations. What are the major differences between Vmplayer and Virtualbox?
 
I'm wondering too how do you guys like Win10? This whole idea idea stems from the fact that I don't like what MSoft has done with Win10.
 
>I don't like that they set it up so that you log into a windows store account every time you start windows.
    I corrected this by signing  in as a local user and ignore the Windows store altogether but this shouldn't be necessary.
>I don't like any auto backing to cloud drives so I turned onedrive off with gpedit
>I don't want to talk to cortana and turned that off.
 
Basically I made it run like win7 as much as possible. I'm hoping to do most of my daily stuff in Ubuntu if it works out for me.
 
Mike.
 
Here is a comparison between VMWare and Virtual Box from 2009 with some benchmarks.
 
VMware vs. VirtualBox Part 2
 
Here made a thin build of W10 for my touchscreens.  It worked OK except that Cortana would keep installing itself back.
 
I am testing a stock W10 build on another touchscreen interface.  It's been tweaked a bit but much of the time it is off unless I am testing.
 
Trying a new thinner W10 build today running it off a USB stick image file with VB.
 
I haven't had too much time to sit down and really go through the two on my corporate machine, but Virtualbox seems to have a lot more options out of the gate compared to the free VMware solution. From my playing with both side by side, VMware seems to be more "get it running with no interaction" and Virtualbox seems to require more tweaking and experience to get running well. YMMV
 
pete_c said:
Here is a comparison between VMWare and Virtual Box from 2009 with some benchmarks.
 
VMware vs. VirtualBox Part 2
 
Here made a thin build of W10 for my touchscreens.  It worked OK except that Cortana would keep installing itself back.
 
I am testing a stock W10 build on another touchscreen interface.  It's been tweaked a bit but much of the time it is off unless I am testing.
 
Trying a new thinner W10 build today running it off a USB stick image file with VB.
 
I looked at the benchmarks in the link that you provided and there was a mention in one of the comments that vmware requires you to open a web browser to use it? Or did I read that wrong?
 
Mike.
 
This may be a dumb question but what exactly does it mean that you can't take snapshots with VB? What exactly does "snapshot" mean?
 
Mike.
 
Correction/.,......you can not take snapshots with Vmware (not VB)
 
The web gui is just a VMWare management gui.
 
The snapshot is just a currently running image of whatever OS.  I do this when testing using different VB's.
 
I thought you could do the same with VMWare.  It is just called a backup. 
 
Here having some issues with Ubuntu 16.04 / Oracle VBs on my Laptop.  The issues relate to seeing the USB ports in Windows.
 
Wierd cuz I have a similiar set up on my HS3 box and have no issues.
 
Personally I would just play with the stuff; you cannot break anything and you can shut it off when you are done.
 
All you need is the DVD ROM or just an ISO image.  Personally here utilize an ISO image when building VBs.
 
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