this post was submitted on 28 Sep 2024
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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There are sane people with this many VMs on a personal machine, right? RIGHT? (startrek.website)
submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by data1701d@startrek.website to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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Half of these exist because I was bored once.

The Windows 10 and MacOS ones are GPU passthrough enabled and what I occasionally use if I have to use a Windows or Mac application. Windows 7 is also GPU enabled, but is more a nostalgia thing than anything.

I think my PopOS VM was originally installed for fun, but I used it along with my Arch Linux, Debian 12 and Testing (I run Testing on host, but I wanted a fresh environment and was too lazy to spin up a Docker or chroot), Ubuntu 23.10 and Fedora to test various software builds and bugs, as I don't like touching normal Ubuntu unless I must.

The Windows Server 2022 one is one I recently spun up to mess with Windows Docker Containers (I have to port an app to Windows, and was looking at that for CI). That all become moot when I found out Github's CI doesn't support Windows Docker containers despite supporting Windows runners (The organization I'm doing it for uses Github, so I have to use it).

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[–] nezach@discuss.tchncs.de 49 points 10 months ago (3 children)

1000167081

[–] tuck182@lemmy.world 13 points 10 months ago

*sane

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 3 points 10 months ago

*some

[–] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 3 points 10 months ago

*lame

[–] fl42v@lemmy.ml 32 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I guess you should use proxmox at this point 🤣

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Honestly they really should

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[–] Draegur@lemm.ee 24 points 10 months ago

There are many many many insane people who are running no virtual machines at all.

[–] Gallardo994@sh.itjust.works 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Mutahar please log in to your main account

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[–] tdawg@lemmy.world 17 points 10 months ago (1 children)

linux users are sane?

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Users are sane?

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[–] QuazarOmega@lemy.lol 17 points 10 months ago

With that many Windows (gasp) ones, no... I'm afraid you are not

[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 10 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (11 children)

I have about twice this many VMs and about this many running at any given time.

I use Qubes btw

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[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 9 points 10 months ago

Yes, but usually they'd have a more robust VM management system to stay sane for long.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 9 points 10 months ago

Is this like opening tons of browser tabs?

[–] BlueEther@no.lastname.nz 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I think you have a problem, there needs to be more to be normal.

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[–] lnxtx@feddit.nl 9 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Hell to update them regularly 👀

[–] Dagamant@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Nah, most of the windows ones don’t get updates any more and the Linux ones can get a script that updates on boot. Takes longer to start up but handles the job itself.

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[–] thingsiplay@beehaw.org 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The biggest reason why I don't want maintain so many Vms is, because all the maintenance and updates that involve doing so.

[–] data1701d@startrek.website 3 points 10 months ago

And that's why there's a "-2" on the end of that arch vm - there was one before that I borked while trying to update it because I hadn't used it in so long.

[–] teawrecks@sopuli.xyz 6 points 10 months ago

It's only insane if you have them all running at once.

[–] Damage@feddit.it 6 points 10 months ago

I mean, people collect all sorts of weird shit

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Interesting enough, there is a project that I've found that runs Windows in a Docker container as a VM.

https://github.com/dockur/windows

I run a Windows 10 LTSC that way to run things like Blue Iris for my security cameras, and some stuff to track my solar installation.

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[–] KazuchijouNo@lemy.lol 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

How much disk space have you got??

[–] data1701d@startrek.website 11 points 10 months ago

It's a terabyte SSD. I've currently got 136 GB left on it. I think part of it might be they're auto-expanding qcow2 images, so they don't actually take up the full space provisioned for them.

[–] veroxii@aussie.zone 5 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Not VMs but I have way more docker containers. I run most things as containers which keeps the base OS nice and clean and free from dependency hell.

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[–] cinnamon_tea@programming.dev 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

I have probably a couple of more Linux/BSD VMs than here (with some with GPU passthrough and one or two for ARM crossbuilding and so on) but only 2 Windows VMs - the only 2 I have legitimate licenses for.

But am I normal? Most would disagree. 😅

[–] data1701d@startrek.website 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

10, plain 11, 7, and funny enough, Server 2022 are all legit licenses (I can get a key for server through my university). Actually, I'm pretty sure the 11 one, I upgraded a Windows 7 VM to 10, then to 11.

Every other Windows version that needs it (11 LTSC, 8.1, and Vista), I just temporarily host a phony KMS server whenever it needs to be reactivated.

I apologize for talking so much about Windows on a Linux sub. May Stallman break into my house and give me 10 lashes as I slumber.

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[–] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

MacOS 15 on proxmox ? How do you make the iso exactly ?

[–] data1701d@startrek.website 2 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I think this VM is still on Sonoma, actually. I still need to upgrade.

I can't remember exactly what I did to get an installer image, but there's a million shell scripts online for downloading macOS installer images. For booting it, I use this premade OpenCore for KVM/Proxmox. I have to check if I made other modifications (I run on an AMD CPU), but I think I mainly just had to set the serial and model - I personally used a 2019 Mac Pro.

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[–] IsusRamzy@lemmy.ml 3 points 9 months ago

You can say: "I use Arch, Fedora, Windows, MacOS, Gentoo, LFS, Debian, PopOS, and more, btw."

[–] Flyberius@hexbear.net 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I've had physical esx servers running this many VMS simultaneously, and I can totally see why a hobbiest or dev would have a need for this many VMs on standby. You are sane, yes

[–] ASDraptor@lemmy.autism.place 3 points 10 months ago

I do have as many too at work.

I use one VM for each iteration of my automation software. Our factory has machines ranging from the 90s to present day, and they use different software environments to be programmed. In order to minimize the risk of data loss, we have one virtual machine with every software environment, that way if one gets corrupted, the damage is contained. It also makes them easier to export to new computers when we need to replace ours.

[–] ColdWater@lemmy.ca 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I always remove any virtual machines every time I'm done with it and reinstall if I need to use it again

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[–] Auster@lemm.ee 3 points 10 months ago

On the joke, define "sane". 😬

On a serious note, I think there are valid reasons to have several VMs other than "I was bored". In my case, for example, I have a total of 7 VMs, where 2 are miscellaneous systems to test things out, 2 are for stuff that I can't normally run on Linux, 2 are offline VMs for language dictionaries, and 1 is a BlissOS VM with Google programs in case I can't/don't want to use my phone.

[–] merthyr1831@lemmy.ml 3 points 10 months ago

not even sure distro tube has this many lmao

[–] InverseParallax@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Yeah.

My home server runs that many, but it's a monster dual xeon.

The freebsd instances have a ton of jails, the Linux vms have a ton of lxc and docker containers.

It's how you run many services without losing your mind.

[–] cousinofjah@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Yes but most of them are off lol

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