Linux and Windows Dual run

[zFox]

Is it possible to have Linux and Windows running at same time on one machine using 2 drives, one for each os, or any other ways? To be able to switch between the 2 super easily and rapidly.

 

Or to be able to switch between Linux and Windows quickly and efficiently  by putting one to sleep?

[desertcomputer]

Yes but you won't able to switch though, you can have look at window KVM pass through if you want to game on linux.

[Master Disaster]

Yes, it's called dual booting, technically it doesn't really need 2 separate drives though that is advisable.

[zFox]

4 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

Yes, it's called dual booting, technically it doesn't really need 2 separate drives though that is advisable.

So if I am dual booting can I have Windows running with a few programs opened where I am doing something specific, then boot into Linux and do whatever I need there, and 30 minutes later boot back into Windows and everything will be there and open just how I left it?

[Master Disaster]

13 minutes ago, zFox said:

So if I am dual booting can I have Windows running with a few programs opened where I am doing something specific, then boot into Linux and do whatever I need there, and 30 minutes later boot back into Windows and everything will be there and open just how I left it?

No, that would require something much more specialised, difficult to set up and certainly wouldn't be free.

 

You could use VMs to achieve something like that but you'd be very limited in what you could actually do with it, 3D support in virtual machines is still almost none existent.

 

Assuming you don't want to play games or do any graphical tasks look into Oracle Virtual Box, using that you can run Linux in a window over the top of Windows.

 

If you want full hardware support in both systems you would need a hypervisor, something like Unraid or ESXi/Vsphere but again, neither is free and both require very good knowledge to set up. You would also need 2 GPUs and a KVM as well as a high core CPU and LOTs of RAM.

[Bananasplit_00]

sure, you will need something to divide everything into two machines though, this isnt dual booting really as you want to run both at the same time, its more of a virtualisation thing. Probably going to be better to just have two drives of OSs like i do and shut down and boot the other one when you need it, i run Linux as my main OS with a windows image on another SSD that i can boot too if i want to play some game that needs EAC

[Sauron]

1 hour ago, zFox said:

Is it possible to have Linux and Windows running at same time on one machine using 2 drives, one for each os, or any other ways? To be able to switch between the 2 super easily and rapidly.

 

Or to be able to switch between Linux and Windows quickly and efficiently  by putting one to sleep?

Only with virtual machines.

26 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

If you want full hardware support in both systems you would need a hypervisor, something like Unraid or ESXi/Vsphere but again, neither is free and both require very good knowledge to set up. You would also need 2 GPUs and a KVM as well as a high core CPU and LOTs of RAM.

ESXi has a free version that offers enough features if all he needs are a couple of local VMs, it's also not that hard to setup (there are good tutorials on youtube).

 

 

The need for a second GPU isn't a problem if he has a CPU with integrated graphics - chances are he doesn't plan on running a lot of games on Linux, in which case even emulated graphics are fine and the discrete GPU can be dedicated to the Windows VM. He could also buy a cheap used card just for the Linux VM and the hypervisor.

 

Many CPU cores are also not necessary if he only uses one VM at a time, he can hibernate them when he switches to save horsepower (on idle they don't tax the cpu a lot anyway). Any modern mid-high end CPU will do.

 

RAM is more of a concern but with 16GB (~7-8GB per VM) he should already be fine, though I'd recommend having at least 20GB for some headroom.

[SydneySideSteveSomewheres]

14 hours ago, zFox said:

So if I am dual booting can I have Windows running with a few programs opened where I am doing something specific, then boot into Linux and do whatever I need there, and 30 minutes later boot back into Windows and everything will be there and open just how I left it?

 

If you enable Windows hibernation, then after selecting hibernate from the start menu and when the computer shuts down, use the power reset button instead of the power button. Upon initialisation go to the motherboard's BIOS or boot override and select the drive with the installation of Linux. Then a simple reboot on Linux to exit, if you have the Windows drive set to be the default, will bring you back to everything as you left it.

 

Note; there may be some settings in your BIOS that control how the computer wakes, for example, wake on LAN and these would need to be set to, do not wake the machine.

 

Link:

"...disable and re-enable hibernation on ... Windows..."

 

hope this helps