I'm contemplating diving deeper into Linux and I'm torn between setting up a dual-boot with my existing Windows system or just using a virtual machine. My goal is to gain a solid, hands-on understanding of Linux, but I'm also weighing the convenience and safety aspects. On one hand, dual-booting seems like it could offer a more authentic experience with direct hardware access, but on the other, a VM appears safer and more flexible. Could you share your experiences on whether dual-booting is truly worth it compared to running Linux in a VM? Thank you!
If your machine has enough RAM (16GB and above) I would recommend starting with a Virtual Machine. You can still virtualize with 8GB RAM but you will be straining one system (probably the host OS). So it will most likely start lagging and hanging.
Dual-booting is a more advanced option - starting from installation.
If you have less RAM (this is your only option).
But if RAM is not a problem - start with virtualization, once you have tested several Linux distributions (there are so many) you can now dual bot with the distribution of your choice.
@tonny-gidraph I understand your point. My system is new, with 32GB of RAM and a powerful graphics card. Therefore, I don't think system resources will be an issue when installing Linux on a virtual machine. I agree with your idea that using a VM is the better option, since I'm just test driving it. Thank you for your suggestion! I noticed that there are two commonly used options: VirtualBox and VMware Player Free. Is there a reason to choose one over the other?
Both VirtualBox and VMware Player Free are excellent choices for creating and managing VMs, especially for test-driving Linux distributions. However, there are some differences that might influence your choice depending on your specific needs and preferences:
- VirtualBox: Open-source, free for both personal and commercial use, good performance, and has a solid feature set suitable for most users. Offers great community support.
- VMware Player Free: Proprietary, free for personal use, generally offers better performance, especially for graphics, and has more advanced features. Strong documentation and community forums.
Bottom line: If you prefer open-source and need a straightforward solution, go with VirtualBox. If you're looking for slightly better performance and more features, and don't mind proprietary software for personal use, choose VMware Player Free.
@cyberscribe Thanks!