# Why would anyone want to run FreeBSD in a virtual machine?



## neilms (Aug 3, 2012)

From browsing the forum, it seems that a lot of people run their FreeBSD using Bochs, Virtualbox and similar software. I was just wondering why someone would want to do this, rather than install it on the 'bare metal'?

I would like to learn why people choose to do this.


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## graudeejs (Aug 3, 2012)

I don't believe anyone is running it in Bochs. It's the slowest Virtual Machine


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## joel@ (Aug 4, 2012)

Using VMware allows me to run several different (i386/amd64, 7/8/9/10) instances of FreeBSD on my Mac, which is what I primarily use for work. Using VMware also allows me to run a wide range of different operating systems at the same time on the same server, which is a much more efficient use of hardware resources. Not to mention all the great benefits you get with virtualization, like using templates for instant deployment of new servers, migration of running machines between physical servers without any downtime, high availability etc.


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## wblock@ (Aug 4, 2012)

Running FreeBSD in a VM on a notebook lets the native OS handle all the hardware and power management.  It also makes both systems accessible at the same time.


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## zhoopin (Aug 4, 2012)

It's better to ask "Why would anyone want to use virtual machine?"
The great concept from IBM CP-40(1967) till now. there's more resource out there on the web.
Personally, why I am using vms? Two thumbs up: *++(joel@)* & *++(wblock@)*


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## mwatkins (Aug 4, 2012)

wblock@ said:
			
		

> Running FreeBSD in a VM on a notebook lets the native OS handle all the hardware and power management.



+1. I'm considering going back to this arrangement myself on my notebook. Power management on Windows has, in my experience at least, been much better. I've also found that wireless performance has been more reliable on my X220 Thinkpad on Windows than with FreeBSD or Debian.

Another reason someone would run FreeBSD or Linux as a guest OS under Windows is to get access to a Unix-like operating environment without having to use something like cygwin. More to the point, some of the development tools I use only run on BSD/Linux/*nix operating systems, not on Windows - cygwin isn't an option in that case.


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## tingo (Aug 4, 2012)

In my case, it cuts down on the number of physical machines that I need to have around. I recently moved my Squeezebox server from a physical machine to a VirtualBox vm, and I have a few test machines also as VirtualBox vm's.
Of course, the VirtualBox host machine also runs FreeBSD. 
Some things are hard to test in virtual machines, that is why I still have a number of physical machines in my apartment.

One last thing: my main workstation is a physical desktop machine, running FreeBSD.


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## neilms (Aug 4, 2012)

tingo said:
			
		

> In my case, it cuts down on the number of physical machines that I need to have around. I recently moved my Squeezebox server from a physical machine to a VirtualBox vm, and I have a few test machines also as VirtualBox vm's.
> Of course, the VirtualBox host machine also runs FreeBSD.
> Some things are hard to test in virtual machines, that is why I still have a number of physical machines in my apartment.
> 
> One last thing: my main workstation is a physical desktop machine, running FreeBSD.



Is there a FreeBSD version of Squeezebox server? I thought linux and windows only were supported?


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## mwatkins (Aug 5, 2012)

Slimserver / Squeezebox server has been in ports for quite some time. The version there at present isn't completely up to date with Logitech Media Server but that may not matter to you. I have rarely kept pace with current, in recent years, and am not missing out on anything personally.

See audio/squeezeboxserver


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## kr651129 (Aug 5, 2012)

I run FreeBSD as my host OS and I also run FreeBSD in VirtualBox as a test bed when I try new things/tutorials that differ from person to person/shaky advice from unknown sources.


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## FIlIPy65 (Aug 6, 2012)

kr651129 said:
			
		

> I run FreeBSD as my host OS and I also run FreeBSD in VirtualBox as a test bed when I try new things/tutorials that differ from person to person/shaky advice from unknown sources.



I'm acquiring some disk space to do the same. =)


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## shitson (Aug 6, 2012)

No one mentioned snapshots yet? P


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## wblock@ (Aug 6, 2012)

And immutable disk images, and differencing images.


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## dalecosp (Aug 8, 2012)

neilms said:
			
		

> Why would anyone want to run FreeBSD in a virtual machine?


A: Can you think of something better to run on it? </rimshot>

A: What better use of Windows 7 than to run FreeBSD? </buckshot>

But, seriously ... they gave me a Windows box.  They don't want it reformatted.  What am I to do?


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## Pushrod (Aug 18, 2012)

Imaging and less physical hardware are probably the "best" reasons.


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## vermaden (Aug 18, 2012)

dalecosp said:
			
		

> But, seriously ... they gave me a Windows box.  They don't want it reformatted.  What am I to do?



Create image of that hard drive, wipe the Windows, install Your OS, do the work.

When You will be asked to return it, restore that image and give it back.

I can not think of a situation, when someone FORCES me to use other OS then I want.

I do not go to the CEO office and say, get rid of that Macbook, from now on You work on Windows and I require the same thing.


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## mwatkins (Aug 18, 2012)

vermaden said:
			
		

> I can not think of a situation, when someone FORCES me to use other OS then I want.



I can think of dozens of my clients where you'd be forced to use their choice, not your choice, of OS. Many, if not most, medium to large corporations dictate IT policy to a degree where the OS and application software an employee may use is simply not up for debate. There may be some exceptions made for specific job descriptions or the anointed few.

Some organizations exercise sufficient control over their Windows installations that employees may not even install software on their own, meaning no VirtualBox and no FreeBSD under these oppressive regimes. 

Free the computers!


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## vermaden (Aug 18, 2012)

mwatkins said:
			
		

> I can think of dozens of my clients where you'd be forced to use their choice, not your choice, of OS. Many, if not most, medium to large corporations dictate IT policy to a degree where the OS and application software an employee may use is simply not up for debate. There may be some exceptions made for specific job descriptions or the anointed few.
> 
> Some organizations exercise sufficient control over their Windows installations that employees may not even install software on their own, meaning no VirtualBox and no FreeBSD under these oppressive regimes.
> 
> Free the computers!



I currently work for a corporation that has a lot more then 20 000 employees (I do not want to go into details) and I agree that random John Doe can (and in some cases should be) forced to use a standardized platform, that corporation has chosen.

But this is not the case for administrators. We need to get sh!t done and its our responsibility for what and how we use. Of course most of the administrators use Windows with several OSX exceptions (I also tired to use OSX for a year but failed to find it more productive then FreeBSD), some use Linux (Ubuntu or Fedora mostly) and I use FreeBSD. Before I joined that coporopation, there also was an OpenBSD maniac, but surprisingly, he used OSX for workstation


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## mwatkins (Aug 18, 2012)

vermaden, it is good to be one of the anointed few, isn't it?


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## vermaden (Aug 18, 2012)

@mwatkins

What do You mean by that?


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## mwatkins (Aug 18, 2012)

vermaden, only that I'm glad your job puts you in the group of employees who get to circumvent rules made for most users. Freedom is nice. 

Or maybe I meant that it is good to be one of the anointed few who enjoy FreeBSD. 

Either way... dzieÅ„ dobry!

(Sorry that's close to my limit for Polish; my mother speaks the language but I didn't learn much more than pass-the-potatoes, I-like-beer, thank-you, good-bye, good-night and of course good day. Oh and some swear words from the Polish raised kids on our old farm.)


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## Pushrod (Aug 19, 2012)

I work at a company where people are free to use whatever software they wish. Much time is wasted by people using certain OSes (Linux primarily) and for some reason, it's tolerated.

I don't take issue with IT policies within organizations, when they are reasonable. Forcing the use of specific OSes falls within reason if you ask me. It simplifies supporting the systems, and keeps people using the same software when it counts (MS Word for example).


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## vermaden (Aug 19, 2012)

mwatkins said:
			
		

> vermaden, only that I'm glad your job puts you in the group of employees who get to circumvent rules made for most users. Freedom is nice.
> 
> Or maybe I meant that it is good to be one of the anointed few who enjoy FreeBSD.



Ok 

To be precise about FreeBSD, I am the only one who uses it. Others often confuse it with Linux which is very annoying, but I was charismatic enough to put several or more FreeBSD into the very important servers out there and they work great.



			
				mwatkins said:
			
		

> Either way... dzieÅ„ dobry!
> 
> (Sorry that's close to my limit for Polish; my mother speaks the language but I didn't learn much more than pass-the-potatoes, I-like-beer, thank-you, good-bye, good-night and of course good day. Oh and some swear words from the Polish raised kids on our old farm.)



Heh, _dzieÅ„ dobry _mwatkins 

Polish people often go to other countries (immigration) where life is not that fsckud up as in Poland or it is just more simple to do the living without being afraid that You run out of money for living. Good to know that Your mother found a new (for sure better) home.

Polish swears are great, I just them all the time and a lot of people here do, its one of our ways to cope with this fsckud up country 

Tell You mom: _Dobrze zrobilaÅ›, ze opusciÅ‚as ten chory kraj, nie wracaj tutaj, nie ma do czego, jak brakuje rodziny to po prostu jÄ… tam sciÄ…gnij._


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## drhowarddrfine (Aug 19, 2012)

vermaden said:
			
		

> But this is not the case for administrators. We need to get sh!t done and its our responsibility for what and how we use.


So, too, said Dennis Ritchie as to why he immediately installed cygwin, at least, on any Windows computer anyone would give him.


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## kr651129 (Aug 25, 2012)

mwatkins said:
			
		

> Slimserver / Squeezebox server has been in ports for quite some time. The version there at present isn't completely up to date with Logitech Media Server but that may not matter to you. I have rarely kept pace with current, in recent years, and am not missing out on anything personally.
> 
> See audio/squeezeboxserver





does this have an HTML5 front end?


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## tingo (Aug 26, 2012)

kr651129 said:
			
		

> does this have an HTML5 front end?



Excuse me?
It has a web interface, if that is what you are asking.


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## kr651129 (Aug 27, 2012)

tingo said:
			
		

> Excuse me?
> It has a web interface, if that is what you are asking.



Yes, that's what I'm asking about.  My home server has all of my media which I use to stream to my laptop via samba since I've got a 128GB SSD and don't want to keep all that data on it.  I've been trying to come up with a good solution to streaming that data to my wife's iPad and I think this seems to be the best one I've come accross.


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## mwatkins (Aug 27, 2012)

Slimserver is an audio-only media streamer; when streaming to a device that isn't emulating a Squeezebox basically you have access to a "consume only" stream at http://yourserver:9000/stream.mp3. You can control the stream using the web interface.

If you choose to run Java on the iPad (not being an iPad user I don't know if that is an option) you can probably install SoftSqueeze, a Java based Squeezebox emulator, which will give you both audio and a different, perhaps preferable, UI.


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## hedgehog (Aug 28, 2012)

I'm running several FreeBSD guests on VirtualBox under FreeBSD host  Mostly for testing web applications.

Maybe I should use jail instead of VBox


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## tingo (Aug 28, 2012)

kr651129 said:
			
		

> Yes, that's what I'm asking about.  My home server has all of my media which I use to stream to my laptop via samba since I've got a 128GB SSD and don't want to keep all that data on it.  I've been trying to come up with a good solution to streaming that data to my wife's iPad and I think this seems to be the best one I've come accross.



I haven't got any of those iDevices myself, but Googling is easy enough. Here is a few things I found:
http://bruchez.blogspot.no/2010/11/streaming-music-from-squeezebox-server.html
http://penguinlovesmusic.de/
http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?82702-How-to-listen-to-music-on-iPad
HTH


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