On 26.05.2025 23:23, Lee wrote:
For those of you that still use Windows, do you have a dual boot
system where you select linux or windows at boot time or do you boot
into linux and run windows as a vm?
Both. Each of my laptops and a PC I use for work have dual-boot Windows
7 or 10 and Debian. I need them like that, mostly to have backup, to be
always prepared to do my job which could require to run some proprietary
Windows-only software. On PC and on my most recent laptop I have almost
every Windows OS as VM guests with Debian being a host. For
virtualization I use KVM\QEMU+libvirt and it works great. Using USB
passthrough, I can run a programming software inside Windows VM to flash
or manage physical hardware (PBX, printers, tablets, handhelds, etc)
connected to host via USB port. File exchange between host and guests is
done by SMB (SAMBA). Virtual graphic display works noticeable slower on
a VM, so I use RDP connection to work with Windows VMs which is much
more responsive.
My wife is trying to decide if she wants to keep windows on her laptop
or no. Obviously, it's easier not to decide & keep her options open..
but I don't know if dual boot or running windows in a vm would be
better, or what the tradeoffs would be.
Anyone care to say which is the better option, tradeoffs, pitfalls, etc?
If she is not a Linux techie\enthusiast and is not at least comfortable
with Linux already, I wouldn't recommend to force Linux on her.
There are tasks you can't accomplish with Windows VM, for an example to
play games with heavy graphics and\or some DRMs, or if she is an artist
and draws using Windows-only software she used to,
it will be difficult and uncomfortable to draw within VM.
And on Linux it will be a huge pain to re-learn everything (UI,
shortcuts, filters, etc) while migrating to software like Krita or GIMP.
I can't think of another good example, all of them require to re-learn
how to use new software effectively which could be difficult and very
time consuming task.
IMO dual-boot is the way to experience Linux. It is not difficult to
install Debian along side with Windows. If your hardware is recent UEFI
makes it even easier.
Using native Windows tools you can shrink NTFS partition live and
install Debian into new partition from USB drive. No need to reinstall
Windows and loose current setup.
Maybe in time she will like peaceful environment of Linux more and won't
come back to Windows.
If you go dual-boot route, always backup your data before any actions
with disks\partitions\volumes.
--
With kindest regards, Alexander.
Debian - The universal operating system
https://www.debian.org
