# Run Linux in a terminal?



## drhowarddrfine (Jan 29, 2011)

I've never had or wanted to use a virtual machine before so I'm a bit confused as to how they can be used. I run FreeBSD with everything but now have a need for CentOS Linux to compile some programs. It would be convenient if I could run it in a terminal on my FreeBSD box but I don't know how to do that and I thought I once read it can be done using a VM. It would be nice if they shared a directory so I could get the files transferred for compiling through that.

As far as VMs go, my impression was that you could only run one installed OS at a time, totally switching between one and another which would mean I can't run Linux in that terminal but, as I said, I thought I once read it can be done. 

I obviously don't know what I'm talking about. Can you set me straight?


----------



## wblock@ (Jan 29, 2011)

drhowarddrfine said:
			
		

> I've never had or wanted to use a virtual machine before so I'm a bit confused as to how they can be used. I run FreeBSD with everything but now have a need for CentOS Linux to compile some programs. It would be convenient if I could run it in a terminal on my FreeBSD box but I don't know how to do that and I thought I once read it can be done using a VM. It would be nice if they shared a directory so I could get the files transferred for compiling through that.



emulators/virtualbox-ose is easy to set up.  It runs VMs either in a separate window on your X screen, or "headless", where you have to connect to them with ssh or VNC, but can't see them directly.  There's a shared directory feature, but I've never tried it.  scp(1) and net/rsync can also be used to copy files from the VM to the host.

emulators/qemu used to be able to also run in text mode.  Haven't tried it lately.



> As far as VMs go, my impression was that you could only run one installed OS at a time, totally switching between one and another which would mean I can't run Linux in that terminal but, as I said, I thought I once read it can be done.



You can run multiple VMs at the same time.  The main limit is RAM, since each running VM will allocate the RAM that's been assigned to it.


----------



## drhowarddrfine (Jan 29, 2011)

Thanks, Warren. I was aware of both of those VMs but didn't know if I could run the OSes at the same time with the virtual one in a separate Window. I had installed VirtualBox on my wife's Windows computer but never got to install another OS to try that.



> or "headless", where you have to connect to them with ssh or VNC, but can't see them directly.


Do you mean in the case where you aren't running X? Or you only using the VM in a terminal?


----------



## wblock@ (Jan 29, 2011)

drhowarddrfine said:
			
		

> Do you mean in the case where you aren't running X? Or you only using the VM in a terminal?



Headless is the same as a normal VM except the VM doesn't have a monitor or keyboard, so you have to interact with it some other way, typically a network connection like ssh or VNC.


----------



## vermaden (Jan 29, 2011)

@drhowarddrfine

This seems to be solution for Your case:
http://wiki.freebsd.org/Image/Linux/CentOS55


----------



## drhowarddrfine (Jan 29, 2011)

I'm out of town but installed VirtualBox with CentOS and it was all a piece of cake on my wife's Windows laptop. I can only assume it will be as easy on FreeBSD. 

@vermaden - That's very interesting and I'll be looking into it more later. Thanks!


----------



## vermaden (Jan 30, 2011)

drhowarddrfine said:
			
		

> I'm out of town but installed VirtualBox with CentOS and it was all a piece of cake on my wife's Windows laptop. I can only assume it will be as easy on FreeBSD.


Yes, You can now even take the *.vdi image from Windows to FreeBSD and use it here (without reinstalling).



			
				drhowarddrfine said:
			
		

> @vermaden - That's very interesting and I'll be looking into it more later. Thanks!


Welcome mate.


----------

