VirtualBox is an impressive VM contender
By
Scott Dunn
My
Mar. 27
lead story described Microsoft's Virtual PC and VMWare's VMWare Player as virtual-machine software that PC users should consider — but there's a great alternative to both.
A few readers recommended VirtualBox, and my tests show that this open-source upstart includes the best features of both of its competitors.
Innotek provides a worthy virtual-machine option
Reader Dominic Sim was one of our subscribers who thinks there's a superior way to run XP under Vista using a virtual machine:
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"I have tried both VMware and Microsoft VPC, but for overall compatibility with XP, Vista, and Linux OSes, I would recommend VirtualBox.
"It works out of the box, and it's (equally) free. Perhaps you could give it a try."
Based on my trial, VirtualBox seems to me to offer the best features of both Microsoft's Virtual PC and VMware Player.
Like VMware Player, VirtualBox supports access to USB devices (which Microsoft's software does not). VirtualBox is, however, much easier to install and set up than VMWare Player. As with Virtual PC, you need to install some support programs (Innotek calls them "Guest Additions") to get the full value that VirtualBox offers.
Note: The normal install procedure, pulling down VirtualBox's Device menu and selecting the Install Guest Additions option, failed for me. I was, however, able to install the additions by accessing the VBoxGuestAdditions.iso file as a virtual CD drive. The installer puts the .iso file alongside the program in the same folder as VirtualBox. You don't need to download anything separately.
VirtualBox has a few nifty features. One is the ability to change the resolution of the virtual machine, on the fly, as you resize its window.
Although I haven't been able to spend enough time with VirtualBox to give you a complete review, my test drive with the product so far has been very promising.
You need more than virtual security for a VM
Fran Parker reminds us of a security issue in Virtual PC:
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"(It) might be good to mention the potential for vulnerability of things crossing the guest/host barrier."
Avoid this serious problem by making users of the XP virtual machine log in to that VM as users without administrator rights.
Reader Victor Sacco points out another practical necessity for VM systems.
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"With regard to your article about Virtual Machines, I agree they are useful, however, I don't think you talked enough about their limitations. For instance... the guest OS in a VM is vulnerable to malware just like the host OS, so it needs its own security software installed if it will be connected to the Internet."
Finally, on the topic of security, it should be mentioned that the "shared folders" feature of any virtual machine poses known security risks. Shared folders allow the VM and the host machine to share files and other data — a doorway through which more than just files can move.
Users need to balance these risk against the potential usefulness of the technique when they consider running virtual-machine software.
I'd like to credit the many readers who sent in suggestions to run Windows XP in a virtual machine within Vista. Their comments were in response to my Feb. 14 story on how to set up a dual-boot machine to run both Vista and XP.
David Gustafson was the first reader to recommend the VM approach, which is the concept that became the subject of my Mar. 27 article on virtual machines. Gustafson received a gift certificate for sending the comment that resulted in the article.
Run Virtual PC on XP Home and Vista Home Premium
A handful of readers pointed out that Microsoft's Virtual PC download page makes no mention that the program will run under XP Home Edition or Vista Home Premium. Many readers assumed, therefore, that the program wouldn't run under either OS.
I should have reminded readers of a previous article reporting that Virtual PC works just fine on XP Home and Vista Home Premium. That secret from readers appeared in an article on Aug. 2, 2007.
Running Virtual PC on either OS, however, goes against the terms of Microsoft's license. To repeat a caution from the earlier article, if you run Virtual PC outside of the license terms, don't expect any support from Microsoft.
Readers Sim, Parker, and Sacco will each receive a gift certificate for a book, CD, or DVD of their choice for sending tips we printed. Send us your tips via the Windows Secrets contact page.
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