KWSN Orbiting Fortress

[Bullocks]

In less the 1000 words, none technical and preferably less than 7 letters per word, for we of the thicker head variety, please explain any benefits of using the Virtual box to the average home user, if any?

Like what is it in layman's terms(think of explaining to a 3 year old for safety's sake)?

Does it require any typed commands(forbidding stuff for many of us)?

Will it do the washing any quicker?

Would I have issues because I share with my son and we have separate profiles(bludger wont run Boinc, on his profile, for me because he's a gamer.

And I do know this is the home of KWSN but surely someone among us must be a little bit more clued up than the average filth wallowing computing peasant(me).

I really do think Boinc should consider some "idiots guide to" sections. better for us lazy sods as well.
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[Grizzly]

Ni + Hi Sir Crabby !!

First off your box needs a Minimum of ~ 2Meg of ram , the more the better cos the virtual box will remove the ram that you allocate to it (ARRRrr) from your main OS . I.e , if you have 4 Meg , and allocte 1 meg to VB , main OS only has 3 to play with . (Only when the VB is runnung of course )

Next , you need to place an OS on the Virtual Box (Any flavour) so you will need the validation key if Windows , none for Linux , oh and a CD/DVD drive and OS disk .

Install the VB (New Boinc instalation with VB does this automatically) .
Open the VB (double left click on desktop icon created by the VB installation) , and on the window that opens select NEW (top left of window) and follow the destructions (make sure you have the OS CD in the drive) .
If you manage to install an OS (say windows) , the VB screen works almost exactly the same as you would expect from any Windows instalation on any box ( some networking work on the LAN may be necesary is the almost bit ) .
Remember that your box when running two OS's effectivly cuts down on the performane of the main OS , since it will have less memory and cpu allocation is shared . That said , VB is GREAT , you can run multiple apps that normally require only one instance of a program to run on a box (MJ12 for example) , this is how the Linux gurus get around program limitations .
Next point , you can set up as many VB's as you want (bearing in mind memory availability and disk space , each VB requires a diferent partition , but VB installation does this automatically to your choisey - each VB needs ~ 8 meg ram to run at all , 1 Gig is recomended for most apps) . The PLUS point to VB's is the fact you can run virtually (pun intended) ANY OS you want to play/try/experiment with on your box , without compromising your main OS , if the play/try/experiment does not work and say crashes the VB , just delete it (ARRRrrr) and no harm done to your main OS .
Also the VB allows you to clone a new VB OS without going through the frankly tedious OS instalation for a new VB instance (You still need to "Validate" each instance if Windows ) .
So for a "Gameing" Box , VB is perfect , as it(ARRrrr again) does not screw with the main OS setup .

Hope this helps , but any probs , post here .

Regds Grizz .
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Oh Bugger Forgot again - or is it Oh Father Reboot again ?

Ps Grizz in his second childhood - but not his last !

Edihtor of the KoKC (excused spel;l checher'er)

AND NI !!! Tophat 10e

[img]http://www.katrinashome.com/grizzly_counter.php[/[url=http://www.katrinashome.com/] ][/url]

[lvanst]

Oracle VirtualBox is my favorite!

I use it to manage multiple OS installations, and to participate in LHC's Test4Theory project.

It makes testing a new OS simple, by virtualizing the hardware down to the basics. In other words, you're never going to see hardware incompatibilities.

I play with Linux distros a lot, including oddities like Chrome and Droid OS ( yes, my cell phone has a 30" HD display ).

OVB always seems to have solutions to whatever hardware challenges exist in the OS of the day. This let's me focus on evaluating the OS, without being troubled by hardware driver issues.

This approach also makes provisioning a breeze. Feel free to ramp up, or down, CPU, Mem, Disk... in minutes.

It also makes nice disk/OS images for backup, so I can easily fall-back after some mod or test goes horribly wrong!

I also like VMWare, but avoid Microsoft's virtualization products like the plague!
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[Bullocks]

Thank you very much Grizz and Ivanst much clearer

I don't think I will play with it until my eldest is over again(he' can read and write) and knows more about teck-no-lodge-E and all sorts of modern wonders like light bulbs and mobile phones. That and he is an IT support worker.

I doubt I would bother to learn any new OS, though you never know, but I do have an idea about creating a VB retro gaming option mwhahaha)


So once again thank you both very muchly
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