Arch Linux

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 19,802

Virtualization Environment at Login [solved]

I had an interesting thought this afternoon.

What are the chances of starting X straight into Virtualbox without a real WM?

I'm thinking of a situation in which someone could log into a machine from Slim, gdm, or even using startx from a prompt and enter directly into a Virtual machine.  Those around me who have no interest in even hearing the work Linux would not need to dual boot my machine.  I feel much safer not giving that other OS access to my machine outside of a sandbox and this would ease the Linux anxiety of my spouse.

I've never heard of this being done.  Has anyone else?

Last edited by ewaller (2010-10-19 02:18:13)

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Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
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ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,356

Re: Virtualization Environment at Login [solved]

I think there's no reason it won't be possible. The first time she presses the right control key will be disorientating though.

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karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: Virtualization Environment at Login [solved]

You could be running some hypervisor and pick one of the guest OSes from Slim / gdm etc.

hurleyef

Member

Registered: 2010-06-22

Posts: 72

Re: Virtualization Environment at Login [solved]

I use slim and have a line in my xinitrc for my debian-mint vm.  Configure slim.conf accordingly and it works great.

My .xinitrc:

DEFAULT_SESSION=awesome
case $1 in
  awesome) exec ck-launch-session dbus-launch awesome ;;
  urxvt) exec urxvt -geometry 179x52 ;;
  mintvm) exec `VirtualBox --startvm 'Linux Mint'` ;;
  *) exec ck-launch-session dbus-launch $DEFAULT_SESSION ;;
esac

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 19,802

Re: Virtualization Environment at Login [solved]

I use slim and have a line in my xinitrc for my debian-mint vm.  Configure slim.conf accordingly and it works great.

My .xinitrc:

DEFAULT_SESSION=awesome
case $1 in
  awesome) exec ck-launch-session dbus-launch awesome ;;
  urxvt) exec urxvt -geometry 179x52 ;;
  mintvm) exec `VirtualBox --startvm 'Linux Mint'` ;;
  *) exec ck-launch-session dbus-launch $DEFAULT_SESSION ;;
esac

That is exactly what I had in mind.  I just needed some help with the incantation :-)

You could be running some hypervisor and pick one of the guest OSes from Slim / gdm etc.

Hypervisor.  There is a serious hole in my knowledge.  I'm aware of it, I know it would help in my $DAYJOB, and I've promised myself to learn about it -- someday.  Maybe that someday is here.

I think there's no reason it won't be possible. The first time she presses the right control key will be disorientating though.

Good point!  Maybe I should make the host key a bit more obscure. 

Thanks Guys.

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Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
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How to Ask Questions the Smart Way