Virtual machines What are they, what are they for and what are the best programs to create one?

Have you ever heard about virtual machines?. It is a term that is very interesting and of which you probably do not have enough knowledge if you are not a fan of computers or technology in general.

Broadly speaking, it can be said that It is a software that allows the person to emulate the operation of an operating system within another, making believe that it is another computer. That is, it works as if there were a computer inside another. This is possible through a series of very interesting processes that can be achieved by anyone interested.

If it catches your attention and you want to know much more about it, throughout this post we will explain it to you. what are virtual machineswhat is its function, the best programs that exist to create one and all kinds of aspects related to the subject.

What is a virtual machine and what is it for in computing?

Its own name refers to its definition, this means that a virtual machine is a virtual environment created by a user in which it is possible to install an operating system on the main system of a computer. In simpler words, it is as if there was a computer inside another. But it is important to clarify at this point that the whole procedure is emulatedas everything will actually continue to run directly inside your PC.

Actually, the operating system of the virtual machine is a program that also runs inside your computer.. In this sense, There are two types of virtual machines that are differentiated by their functionality. On one side are the system ones and on the other the process ones. However, most of the times you hear about this topic, they will possibly be referring to the system ones.

system virtual machines they emulate a complete computer, that is, it is software that can actually pass itself off as a PC. It contains its own hard drive, memory, graphics card, and other components, even though they are all virtual. In this way, in this type everything works as if it were running on a normal computer. On the other hand, there are compute virtual machines which are a much less ambitious version.

Instead of emulating a full PC, is responsible for executing a specific process, such as an application. It is very useful when you want to develop apps for various platforms. Thus, instead of programming specifically for each type of system, the environment (virtual machine) It is the one that will be in charge of dealing with the operating system. They are ideal to enjoy Applications that behave the same way on different platforms, whether Mac,Windows either Linux.

What are virtual machines for?

When we ask ourselves this question, the answer is very broad, because virtual machines have many uses. One of the common ones is for try different operating systems, configurations or programs with total security for your real computer, since if something goes wrong in the virtual machine, it will not affect the computer that runs it.

Apart from that, there are other very beneficial utilities regarding the use of virtual machines. Some of them are:

• Run old programs: If, for example, you want to enjoy a game that has stopped working on modern hardware or software, you can perfectly run it in virtual machines.
• Test an application on different systems: If you are a programmer, it is essential to check that the systems you design or the applications you create are compatible or work correctly in the largest number of operating systems or versions of each of them. With virtual machines you don’t need to test on different computers, just create virtual machines for each version.
• Use programs or applications available for other systems: This is another of the great uses of machines of this type. If you want to use an application available only for Linux, but you have Windows, with this method you will have a solution to this problem.
• Take advantage of the dynamism they offer: They are ideal when you require extreme dynamism, which is why they are perfect, for example, for companies with web servers that store a multitude of machines with their clients’ web pages.

Without a doubt, they have many positive aspects to contribute. But you must not forget that it involves an additional effort on the part of your main team, so there may be consequences at the performance level. By this we mean that emulating a system requires extra effort on the part of the PCwhich may cause the speed to decrease somewhat.

However, with the passage of time applications have been designed to create virtual machines that have improved in terms of efficiencyother than that they are specialized in allowing the hardware to be more powerful.

What are the requirements to create a virtual machine on my computer?

Although a virtual machine is emulated, it is necessary that the equipment in which it is going to be created complies with a series of minimum requirements. Thus, everything works correctly and in a more fluid way.

Let’s see what they are:

• Processor: must have a relatively powerful processor and must support virtualization technology. In the case of Intel processors, this function is known as Intel TV x. in those of amd appears as AMD-v. In addition to that, it must be enabled in the BIOS (or UEFI) of the computer.
• RAM: It will depend on the operating system running on the computer. and on the virtual machine. For example, to run a Windows XP virtual machine on a Windows 10 computer, 6 GB is enough. But that amount may not be enough if you want to run a virtual machine with macOS Sierra on a PC running Windows 10.
• Hard drive space: virtual machines use a series of files that function as a container in which they run. These files typically take up the same space on your hard drive that you are allocated when you set up your machine. This means that if you configure a virtual machine to have a 20 GB virtual hard drive, the container file will occupy that same space on your PC’s hard drive. then you must have ample space to be able to host files of that magnitude:

• Graphic card: an excellent recommendation is to have a dedicated graphics card. This component is vital, since the real system of your computer will have to generate graphics of its own interface, apart from those of the virtual machine system. In this sense, for everything to flow in a better way, you have to have a graphics chip capable of offering you good performance.

Nevertheless, keep in mind that the requirements may vary depending on the program you are going to use to create your virtual machine.

How is a computer different from a virtual machine?

One of the main differences that can be seen between a virtual machine and a common computer is the operation of both. Because virtual machines are emulated software, they cannot offer the same level of performance as a regular physical machine.

Nevertheless, it is possible to create machines of this type that offer a very smooth and decent operation. It is only enough to have the necessary components to proceed with its elaboration and that’s it. In addition to that, the processes are executed differently between a virtual machine and a normal computer. In the case of a virtual machine, the processes that are carried out are limited according to the resources provided to them.

Finally, it could also be said that thanks to the use of a virtual machine it is possible to test and run different operating systems than those already installed on your PC. In this way, you can for example test a system Linux in your team macOS without the need to unconfigure the primary operating system.

What are the best operating systems to create virtual machines?

There are a wide variety of operating systems that support the creation of virtual machines. However, some are better than others, as well as safer. The idea is that you use the most reliable operating systems to avoid problems in the process.

Therefore, we share a list with the most recommended for this topic:

• Windows
• Linux
• FreeBSD
• YOU X
• OpenBSD
• OS/2 Warp
• Solaris
• MS-DOS

It should be noted that these are limited by the virtualization software’s own support that you are going to use.

List of the best tools to create a virtual machine on Linux, Windows or MacOS

An important point to consider when choosing a tool to create a virtual machine is that they don’t all work the same way.

Therefore, we share a list with the best and safest tools:

VirtualBox

The first tool we mention on this list is VirtualBox, one of the most used and perhaps the most recommended to start. It’s a free and free software with which you can install a large number of systems on Linux, Solaris, Windows Y Macintosh. One of the reasons why it has become so popular is because of how easy it is to download. Simply enter its website and you can already have access to it.

Has a large number of features and customizable parameters, which means that it adjusts to the needs of the user. Added to that, it is not necessary to have a current equipment, because it works very well on computers with slightly older hardware. In addition, it has the ability to recognize most USB devices and offer a interesting library of guest additions for free.

Download VirtualBox Windows

Parallels Desktop

When it comes to a excellent tool for macOSwithout a doubt one of the most exceptional is Parallels Desktop. It has excellent performance and with it you can create virtual machines to run Windows systems. Another of its most interesting features is that with it you can optimize system and hardware resourceswith the aim of offering a more efficient experience.

Download Parallels Desktop macOS

VMWare Workstation

Last but not least, there is one of the options that represents a authentic reference in the area. Is about VMWare Workstation, which has been on the market for almost 20 years. It covers a wide range of needs that make life easier for users, since it not only allows the creation of virtual machines.

With the help of this tool, you can cover other types of fields that go beyond virtualization. For example, you will be able to configure and manage complex virtual networks, run different operating systems in parallel, and even virtualize your own system.

Download VMWare Workstation Windows