Parallels and Arch Linux

boondox · 2009-02-09 20:51:34

I am running windows xp on my laptop. Its a work laptop so i am sorta stuck with xp. It has parallels on it. Can i run Arch Linux successfully under parallels? I kow its not on the approved guest os list, but then again, the only ones they list are the "for noobs" distros. I dont see why it wouldn't work but i just thought i would check it out before going through the install and being disappointed. I wish my company would just go linux already and stop all the evil!

tim · 2009-02-09 22:34:13

Just download virtualbox. It will run arch just fine as a guest (any linux distro for that matter) and its FREE! It's very easy to install; regular one click installer for windoze, and setting up a new guest is trivial.

http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Last edited by tim (2009-02-09 22:37:19)

Cosay · 2009-02-10 00:20:29

Virtual PC is also free, although I don't know how it does compared to other options. I have run OpenBSD, NetBSD, and Crux Linux from within it.

aglarond · 2009-02-10 00:29:46

I tried Virtual PC a couple of years ago and performance was abismal. It may have improved since, but it was aweful then. Stick with VirtualBox.

Can't speak for Parallels.

-mS

Last edited by aglarond (2009-02-10 00:30:16)

deadrabbit · 2009-02-10 01:23:58

VMWare Server is free (as in beer), and it works very well in Windows - I used to use that at work, to run Linux on top of XP. I recently switched to using Linux as my main OS, and running Windows only apps in VirtualBox. If you are allowed to do that, I'd strongly recommend it.

jelly · 2009-02-10 11:33:38

virtualbox guest additions are nice, you can have windows apps in seamless mode in Arch, works fine

cinan · 2009-02-10 13:57:24

boondox wrote:

I am running windows xp on my laptop. Its a work laptop so i am sorta stuck with xp. It has parallels on it. Can i run Arch Linux successfully under parallels? I kow its not on the approved guest os list, but then again, the only ones they list are the "for noobs" distros. I dont see why it wouldn't work but i just thought i would check it out before going through the install and being disappointed. I wish my company would just go linux already and stop all the evil!

I want to install parallels, too. I found this howto: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1018159 but I didn't try it (maybe in next weekend).

kensai · 2009-02-10 15:00:50

I have been setting up arch linux for a University friend, on parallel desktops, it looks great and all but, the parallel tools, does not want to install, they give an error, saying xorg was not found. Anyways, I just told him to download virtualbox, or vmware, because Arch Installs beautifully there. Hah, he was impressed by my kde4 setup on my laptop, and now wants Arch.

tim · 2009-02-11 13:51:13

Following the wise words of the good people over on this thread:

http://bbs.archlinux.org:80/viewtopic.php?id=65114

who think that I (and all the others who suggested using virtualbox) are complete .... lets say ... dorks, I will repost with what I hope you (the op) might consider a more helpful (and they, a more acceptable) response. So here it is, my revised response.

I have absolutely no idea if it will work. I've never tried installing arch with parallels, But I have tried installing quite a few dozen other flavours of linux on parallels and never had a problem getting them to install. Despite the fact that there is no explicit mention of arch on the 'approved guest os list', I imagine it would work just fine like all the other linux distros that ARE explicitly mentioned.

If you do decide to put your cd/dvd in the drive and try and install arch under parallels, then please post back here so that the next person that asks the same question can be given an explicit yes or no answer.

@Allan (Forum Moderator from the unhappy thread) Please don't ban me for my unacceptable original response. I promise I wont ever say anything ever again.

Last edited by tim (2009-02-11 14:01:46)

Sakurina · 2009-02-11 21:17:46

I have Arch installed in Parallels (for OS X) just fine, and I've been running it as an experimental system for about 4 months now. It works perfectly. Just use "Other Linux 2.6 kernel" when building your VM.

bwh1969 · 2009-02-11 23:56:07

I highly suggest VirtualBox. You'll be pleased with it. Just make sure you install virtualbox additions so that you get the best it has to offer (you'll have to install Arch as a guest os, then "mount" the VBoxGuestAdditions.iso that comes with the install of virtualbox - it is found in /opt/VirtualBox-2.1.2/additions/) IT will mount like a CD drive in the guest Arch. There is a readme on the "mounted cd" how to install it in a linux distro (very easy, it is something like

$sudo /WhateverPathOfCD_inGuest/VBoxGuestAdditions.run or something close to this. Read.

When you reboot your guest:

This gives you a better "driver" than vesa for your guest display so that you can resize the entire window of the guest OS.
It allows you to have mouse integration so that you don't have to capture your mouse in the guest OS. It also implements a 2 way clipboard so you can copy/paste from the guest to the host or vice versa

Arch Linux

#1 2009-02-09 20:51:34

Parallels and Arch Linux

#2 2009-02-09 22:34:13

Re: Parallels and Arch Linux

#3 2009-02-10 00:20:29

Re: Parallels and Arch Linux

#4 2009-02-10 00:29:46

Re: Parallels and Arch Linux

#5 2009-02-10 01:23:58

Re: Parallels and Arch Linux

#6 2009-02-10 11:33:38

Re: Parallels and Arch Linux

#7 2009-02-10 13:57:24

Re: Parallels and Arch Linux

#8 2009-02-10 15:00:50

Re: Parallels and Arch Linux

#9 2009-02-11 13:51:13

Re: Parallels and Arch Linux

#10 2009-02-11 21:17:46

Re: Parallels and Arch Linux

#11 2009-02-11 23:56:07

Re: Parallels and Arch Linux

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