Ceci est une ancienne révision du document !
When it comes time for testing Linux OS variants, my go-to virtualization machine software (VMS) for over a decade has been Oracle’s (formerly Sun Microsystems) VirtualBox. I rarely encountered any major problems; however, in the past few months, I’ve had kernel compilation errors where none exist, and have discovered file fragments from operating systems long deleted. Part of the issue may be an update issued by Oracle in October, 2024. Online forums were no help because Oracle claims once you delete the secondary OS, or VM (virtual machine), it should leave no fragments which, unfortunately, and obviously, it does. Time to find a new VMS. In researching I found alternatives: Linux KVM (Kernel Virtual Manager), aka Virtual (or Virt) Manager, aka QEMU/KVM. Once components are added properly, (see https://ipv6.rs/tutorial/Linux_Mint_Latest/KVM/ for info on that), you can run virtual machines as if they were actually installed on your pc as the main OS (which allows them to run faster than other VMs). However, in use it’s a bit more complicated than some may desire (more on that later); however, there is no denying it does the job admirably.
Broadcom’s VM WorkStation Pro, not to be confused with VMWare Fusion Pro (the former is for Windows and Linux, the latter for Macs). Originally a proprietary VMS, it went free for personal use earlier this year, or so Broadcom states. However, the website (vmware.com) makes no mention of the product (they prioritize cloud solutions now), and other sites redirect a sign-in for a Broadcom account. Don’t have one? Go ahead, sign up - I dare ya. You’ll succeed in getting plenty of junk emails and a “404 Page Not Found” notification every time you attempt a download. That’s why you won’t see a screenshot here - I couldn’t get it to download! The worst part is… at one time it was a decent, if proprietary, VMS. Gnome-Boxes, often seen as Boxes in many software managers. Of these three, it has an easy-to-use interface and is nearly impossible to goof up. But there is something of a weird past for Boxes. Released in 2011 by Red Hat in conjunction with Gnome, the last copyright on it is dated 2018. In 2019 IBM took over Red Hat and Boxes has been maintained for Gnome by Felipe Borges of Czechia with the last update being issued in September, 2024. That results in a bit of confusion seeing that the most recent version of Boxes from 2024 carries a copyright date that ends in 2018 only because Red Hat became an IBM subsidiary (see screenshot below, dated December, 2024). To the unaware, it looks like the app is outdated by 6 or so years, but it’s actually up-to-date, it just doesn’t say so. Of the three, it’s clear Boxes and KVM are the only two worthy of further consideration, so it’s off “a testing” I go.
Installation Boxes: While all major software centers and package managers carry Boxes, you’re better off using sudo apt install gnome-boxes in the terminal. Seems that some other versions may be outdated or missing components. And what about going to the Gnome website (https://apps.gnome.org/Boxes/) and getting a copy there? It’s a buggy Flatpak version that throws kernel errors. Avoid it! Download is roughly 60 MB and expands to 360 MB once installed. Virtual Machine Manager: Installation is just as uncomplicated if you opt to go through your software manager and use the Flatpak version; however, I’ve seen some reports stating that that version is problematic. It might be better to follow the link I posted above (https://ipv6.rs/tutorial/Linux_Mint_Latest/KVM/) and follow the outlined terminal command and installation method. If you follow the procedure, you’ll have a new menu entry titled Virtual Machine Manager (don’t bother looking for QEMU, KVM or any combination thereof - it won’t show). Download size is about 25 MB and expands to approximately 75 MB, a substantially smaller footprint than Boxes. This is due to it being treated as part of your main Linux kernel system instead of an addition to it. In a sense, it’s not an app, it’s an extension.
Finding Your First VM Boxes: It gives users the choice of using their own ISO image or they offer to download an image from a built-in catalog of Linux variations. By default, Boxes highlights Ubuntu versions 20.04 and 24.04 (what they call “Express Installation”) plus there’s a dropdown box that offers several other Linux variations. Click if you dare, because the use of “express” is greatly exaggerated. What might take a minute or two on a high speed connection can take 30 minutes or more using what they offer. Believe me, just download your own iso image and save the frustration. Virtual Machine Manager: It requires you to bring your own image to the game. Both: And where should you park your image once you have it? While Virtual Machine Manager prefers you put it in their designated file, it doesn’t matter. When it comes time for installation, you can point it in the general direction, even to an SD card, and it’ll find it. Boxes doesn’t care. Park the ISO image in files, on your desktop, or an SD card. Mouse-click the file and it’ll find it.
ISO Installation Now comes a real test - installation of an ISO image which I assume you’ve downloaded. Boxes: It requires you click on the upper left X at which point you’ll see this: There must be an Ubuntu connection somewhere, because those are the first two offerings you’ll see, but you’ll want to click on the third choice, “Create a virtual machine from file”. After finding the ISO, Boxes sets RAM at 2 GB minimum and HDD space up to 25 GB; however, both figures are adjustable. But there's a kicker, Boxes has a tendency to misread an OS title at which point it assumes it’s Ubuntu 24.04 or 20.04 (definite Ubuntu bias); however, click on either one to start the loading process and it’ll figure out what the actual OS is. Goofy but true. I tried Edubuntu in Boxes and it didn’t initially recognize it as an Ubuntu derivative. Really? Did it not see “ubuntu” after Ed? I merely clicked on Ubuntu 24.04 and within a few seconds it figured everything out. From there on, the ISO will load and you should have a running test OS.
Virtual Machine Manager: I wish it was the same as Boxes, but its process is a bit trickier and a lot messier, to wit: • Click File and New. • Browse for ISO image. • Designate Linux by unclicking, “Automatically detect….” and typing Linux in that area. For some reason it can’t detect Linux iso images, even if Linux is in the title. • Chances are, it will still misread everything at which point you’ll have to use the dropdown box and choose Generic Linux 2022 (clear down at the bottom of the listing). Believe me, make life simple and go this way. Should you choose the wrong Linux title in between it could get messy. • Pick RAM and number of CPUs to use. Unsure? Just pick what it offers. • Create Virtual Hard Drive (it starts at 25 GB). Using a live version and don’t care about drive space? Pick 25 GB anyway. It won’t do anything unless you physically install the OS as a VM. If all goes well, your ISO will load but you just wasted several minutes going through the routines above. Fortunately, once you’ve done it, future attempts will be less cumbersome.
Allocation of Resources Just want to peek under the hood of a new OS without having to install it and wasting limited drive space? Don’t install the OS - create a VM using a live version. Live systems operate out of RAM and, therefore, disappear once the session is over; however, you must still download an iso image and that’ll probably be around 2 to 6 GB in many cases. If you’re wondering, most Linux offerings I’ve tested use live versions. The only disadvantage here is that they vanish after every session and nothing is saved of your progress. If you’re just looking around, it makes no difference anyway. However, if you desire to install an OS, keep in mind it will take a sizable chunk out of your hard drive.
If you’re seriously strapped for drive space but still want to do VM testing, consider parking your test OS on an external drive. Both Virtual Machine Manager and Boxes can run off external drives. Does that help? Yes, it does save your drive space by putting VMs on an external device; however, it also rates a negative in that running VMs off an external drive through a VMS is, as you might say, sluggish. Inadequate RAM can be problematic . If your PC is pushing 1 to 4 GB RAM and that’s the best you can muster, avoid doing anything with VMs. Just not enough horsepower. The VM might work, but it’ll stress both you and your computer. Why? When running a VM, it must borrow RAM for that secondary OS to run properly. Take too much and it could cause your main OS to lock up (I’ve done that). Don’t have enough and neither OS will run properly.
Interface Boxes: It’s from the school of minimalistic aesthetics. It’s black-and-white, with a dot of blue in the upper right corner. Boring, but functional. If you look at the example above, you’ll see two boxes occupied by my test operating systems (Zorin and bodhi). If those weren’t there you’d just see an empty black box with an instruction banner to click on the + to add a new box and OS. Another icon is for search, while the lines to the right of that changes your VMs from boxes to a standard title listing. The triple lines bring up a menu for Keyboard Shortcuts, Help, and About Boxes. Worth noting, users can opt for a vertical listing if they don’t like the look of squares or boxes. Virtual Machine Manager: It’s stark but functional with just enough icons and headings so that the casual user can figure it out. So stark, I had to change the color to black because it’s mainly white-with-a-dash-of-color and the white part disappeared into the background. Look at my first image for a true representation. Otherwise, the menu is straightforward without much drama, and the included CPU meter is handy for telling you when an OS is getting a bit too ornery.
Need Instructions? Boxes: It has an online manual at https://help.gnome.org/users/gnome-boxes/3.26/, and is nicely organized and not quite as complex as VirtualBox (which has a nearly 400 page online help document that is longer than most textbooks on Linux I’ve read). Still a lot to digest, but easy to navigate and most of the instructional chapters don’t seem to occupy more than a couple pages. Virtual Machine Manager: You can go to https://virt-manager.org/ whereby you’ll be greeted by, well, nothing much. Or you can go to https://ubuntu.com/server/docs/virtual-machine-manager where you’ll see, well, not much more. I find online forums to be especially helpful.
VMS Issues Whether you use Virtual Machine Manager or Boxes, you can expect the following: Decreased speeds. Any OS running in a VM will be slower than it is in realtime on a physical computer. You’re running off borrowed resources. Want to check out the software center on your chosen OS? Have fun. Might not even open or give you the time of day. You’ll probably notice a lack of a wireless (or wired) signal icon when running your VM. The VM is piggybacking off your computer’s resources - not using its own. And, in some cases, it may show you using a wired connection when you might be using wireless. For example, Deepin showed I was running off a wired connection when, in fact, I was running a wireless connection. And SparkyLinux didn’t even show a wireless or wired icon at all, but yet I could use its browser while in VM mode.
It’s not where you think it is. Just because you have pictures on your computer doesn’t mean your VM OS will be able to find them. In fact, I can pretty much guarantee it. There is a workaround to this, but it often requires you install the VM and not use live mode. In this scenario, you can possibly share files between the VM and your main OS. Somewhere down the line, things will get wonky. Both Boxes and Virtual Machine Manager showed a nasty tendency to bog down the longer I used any OS. In one case, Deepin attempted to do an update and that spiked CPU usage so high it locked up the VMS, Deepin and even killed my computer's WiFi connection. And don’t be surprised to hear your computer fan running at double speed. Lots of CPU stress in some cases.
Shutting Down/Ending the Session Boxes: It requires you shut down the OS in the VM at which point the box goes blank, like you saw in the previous screenshot. What if you decide to shortcut and just click the X to terminate Boxes and not the VM first? Bad human! Now the VM is running in the background sucking up your RAM and CPU resources. Instead of a blank, black, box, you get one that’s animated. In the screenshot below, although it’s not obvious, that OS (SparkyLinux) is running in the background even though I don’t have the VM open. Shut down the running VM OS first, then shut down Boxes. Virtual Machine Manager: It never (and I mean never) accepted a shutdown command. It would just ignore my command and keep chugging away. It got to the point I just used the force quit command. Never did find out why.
Getting Rid of a VM Eventually, you’ll be up a catalog of VMs you no longer want to tinker with. Fortunately, getting rid of them in either VMS is no problem. Click the box in Boxes (or the three side dots if you opt for the list) and click delete. In Virtual Machine Manager, right-click the heading and do the same. Voila! Gone.
The End Analysis For my testing I tried SparkyLinux GameOver Edition (3.7 GB). Chock full of games and assorted gizmos, it can be resource heavy. I also tried Deepin OS, 5.4 GB and it, too, is resource heavy and a bear to load, even in live versions. Allegedly, it also has a lot of outgoing traffic (some claim it’s China, the creator, spying on users). Virtual Machine Manager loaded both up quickly, but could have been quicker if it wasn’t for the elongated question and answer period beforehand. Boxes was, essentially, a two or three mouse click affair until I was up and running with either OS. Definitely quicker and without the fuss. However, Deepin killed both in short order. Virtual Machine Manager choked while picking a desktop design (required upon loading for the first time, or every instance in live versions), and Boxes gave up the fight after I attempted to open the app store. SparkyLinux, even heavy with games, just chugged along in either one. Which should you choose? My advice is to try both and keep one. In my case, I chose Boxes only because it’s so bog simple it’s really hard to screw it up.