What do you use VirtualBox for?

[MPerz]

I'm not sure which sub-forum this kind of topic should be in, so mods, please move it if and as you feel necessary. I'm just curious what others are using VirtualBox for. It's already well known that VirtualBox is a phenomenal tool for getting around software compatibility issues, learning about different operating systems and sysadmin tasks and whatnot, but I would like to hear about some other interesting practical uses. For example, I've created an Linux guest within my WHS 2011 host to run an Openfire chat server which allows us to instant message within our home without ever leaving the LAN. This obviously isn't any sort of mission critical application and was incredibly simple to set up, but it was mainly done out of curiosity and for fun and learning. That said, what are you using it for?

[socratis]

I started with VirtualBox when I needed to cross-compile an open source project (cfitsio) to be able to include it in another cross-platform project as a library. I needed several versions of the library: PowerPC and Intel for OSX (yes, it was a long time ago), 386 and x64 for Windows, and 32- and 64-bit for several Linux distros. VirtualBox to the rescue!

(plus TombRaider 4 which wouldn't play on my Mac, but don't let my wife know, she thinks I was fixing compilation errors )

[BillG]

I started using virtual machines to test network configurations without needing a roomful of equipment. I started with Microsoft Virtual PC but soon switched to VirtualBox.

[Mike Lightning]

I use Virtualbox because it helps my legacy Windows XP hardware and apps run better than they ever have. Old Windows XP computers are slow Virtual XP is fast

[scottgus1]

I started using Virtualbox because our IT guy at work had moved on and though still friends with the boss he had forgotten how to restore our SBS2003 office server from the not-so-stable backups. I took over and sold the boss on virtualizing the SBS, since it would allow complete system image backups if the server was shut down. The hypervisor of choice was Virtualbox since it was free, and I have never thought of switching. My migration story: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=37835 Since then I have learned how to use NTbackup, but I still take weekly copies of the SBS guest's folder and rsync them to computers on my and my boss's houses, as well as two strong PCs in the office, which could run the server if its hardware died. I run NTbackup half-hourly throughout the workday, taking diference backups of all the data we edit during the day, and the difference backups go to the remote PCs, as well as into an XP guest on my PC, so they're already wrapped up in a vdi for restoring if such becomes necessary.

Later on we upgraded the physical hardware the virtualized SBS was running on, not a single glitch to switch the guest to the new host. We also run other guests for anti-spam, LOB application databases, and a couple workstation environments for the guys downstairs and for backup if a workstation goes down. (Our new guy is using the backup workstation guest right now while his new PC is on the way.) We need to update the SBS now - yes, we needed to do that at least two years ago, but we got busy - and we're using Virtualbox for testing the migration process using copies of the backup system image vdi's as destroyable testbeds, no need to flub up the working server. Once the SBS gets migrated, it's staying in Virtualbox, no matter what the hyper-v guys say...

[rliegh]

Originally I used it for novelty; to try linux on windows, or have access to windows on linux.

Then I had a linux server environment that I had exported to ova and discovered how useful it was to be able to import instead of reinstalling/reconfiguring/restoring from backups.

Now I'm using it to tinker with netbsd/pkgsrc/openindiana with as well as playing with home networking ideas.

[Sandshark]

I am a senior test engineer for one division of a Fortune 500 corporation, and we have test equipment based on real MS-DOS, NT4, Win2000, XP, and Win7. We've finally gotten rid of all of the Win3.1, 95, and 98 stuff. There is lots of paranoia about losing functionality if the OS is upgraded (production line down is not acceptable), some drivers for ancient equipment just aren't available for newer OS.s, and asking for capital money to replace "perfectly good test sets" (in corporate headquarters mindset) needs to be on a "pick your fights" basis. So we stick with the old stuff as long as we can. I use VM's to troubleshoot issues on and process improvements for the test PC's and to work out migration plans to move to newer computers/OS's when the old one is no longer a viable solution. That allows me to do much of it at my desk and not tie up the actual equipment except when I actually need to talk to a card in the computer and/or the attached device.

Our desktop/laptop systems are about to be migrated to Win10, so I'm using a Win10 VM on my Win7 machine to see what tools we use there will need to be updated.

We are corporate licensed for everything from DOS to Win10, so I'm fully legal. The real PITA, though, is when they decide I need a new computer (every three years) at my desk and I have to migrate the VM's. Not being in IT, they won't let me run them on a server, which would be the better solution.

[lettie]

I use it to save PDFs (coupons) normally we can print 2 per computer but with the help of VMs I can now save more
I'm now trying to figure out if I can save them automatically

[TomCr]

I initially started with it last year while studying for the CompTia A+ exam. It let me install a trial version of Windows Server 2008 and the tech preview of Windows 10; I was able to get them running to where I could set up accounts on the server to login with on win10. (This isn't on the A+ test, but it was fun to play with. )

Since then I've mainly used VB to try out different versions of Linux to decide which one(s) I wanted to install. I'm kind of moving toward Linux for a "safer" online experience, but I don't want to completely give up Windows (both for possible site compatibility and just because I like using Windows - though my XP box is probably just a "malware infection waiting to happen").

On my laptop I'm running Win7 in a VM under Linux Mint. On the desktop, I just installed winXP in a VM under L/M; with as little as 2G RAM, it seems to run almost as well in a VM as it does natively.