# Virtualization options

## h2sammo

What method do you advise for installing windows and other linux distros as guests on Gentoo host?

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## NeddySeagoon

h2sammo,

I like virtualbox. Thats faster then vmware-server. I not used other systems.

Both of those are free (as in beer). Virtualbox also has an open source version

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## Hu

If you have hardware support, app-emulation/qemu-kvm works well in my opinion.

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## Etal

I use KVM right now, but what I like about VirtualBox is that it provides its own specialized drivers, and that let you resize the VM window and have Windows adjust itself to fit it.

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## h2sammo

are there advantages to using virtual servers with special kernels like openvz or linux-vserver as opposed to virtualization packages i can just emerge from portage?

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## idella4

 *h2sammo wrote:*   

> are there advantages to using virtual servers with special kernels like openvz or linux-vserver as opposed to virtualization packages i can just emerge from portage?

 

I haven't used these, but if I'm not mistaken you have to adjust your gentoo system more to accommodate these.  You adjust the underlying profile and then you need update system & world.   I have used all the above, concentrated most on xen, because it took the most  learning effort to get on top of.

virtualbox should work out of the box and is easiest.  xen is the more laborious to setup because you need to know how to compile a host xen kernel.  Then if you were prepared to make a gentoo kernel for these virtual server options xen offers no fear.

qemu-kvm will bolt it in.  Install virtinst and follow the man instruction on how to install.  It's easy,  "virt-install --prompt"  and follow the prompts.  Remember to ensure a vnc package is installed so as to get a vnc console to run the install.

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## Scorpion265

If interested in xen, just use xen-sources. If you can compile a linux kernel, you can compile a xen kernel. Just have to activate it. The gentoo-wiki article on xen will show you what to turn on. It's a very nice way to virtualize servers.

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