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I started programming for a while and the first thing that I did is to install Ubuntu latest version (18.04 LTS) for Linux (via virtual box) environment as other developers recommended.

So, while I started using I realized my Ubuntu doesn't really work as smooth as my main OS is Windows 10. My laptop is really strong enough to handle many tasks (Dell XPS 13 9370) and now I'm not sure if the right choice is to switch for dual boot instead of the virtual box.

What do you think should I do if I want to program for a long time and being more productive?

And if it does necessarily what is the best way to switch. The only thing is to protect my main OS and BIOS and not to harm any functions/features that I already have.

Regards

Niv

  • Suggestion: Tell which programming language to be used in Ubuntu? The question as it is seems too broad. –  Jul 07 '19 at 11:04
  • Did you allocate enough memory to your guest system? How much physical memory does your host system (laptop) have? – FedKad Jul 07 '19 at 12:41
  • What do you mean by allocating enough memory for the guest system? I have a 16GB RAM – n1vgabay Jul 08 '19 at 08:44
  • So, although it looks helpful what "karel" mentioned in this answer before was asked 7 years ago. Not sure if it's still relevant for today. – n1vgabay Jul 08 '19 at 09:54
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    It is relevant today, as long as you understand what a virtual machine is. –  Jul 08 '19 at 12:27
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    I'd suggest you try a dual-boot setup for the simple reason that what you currently have is slow. Assuming you done whatever you can to improve your current environment (i.e., allocate more memory), you should try the other option because otherwise, you'll keep working thinking about it. I personally only dual boot because I have noticed a small performance hit when I use a VM. But maybe it's "in my head". – Ray Jul 08 '19 at 14:44
  • Yep, @Ray. Although, I heard people having issues with dual-boot especially when changing the configuration in dell's BIOS. You do right about slow performance. but we talk about 0.5/1 second. which I strongly want to believe without harm the system too much. – n1vgabay Jul 08 '19 at 15:14
  • @n1vgabay there's no harm to the system but you definitely don't want to be using an OS with these kinds of performance issues, simply as a matter of comfort. I don't think there's a good reason to assume other people's problems will be your too, though. – tatsu Jul 08 '19 at 19:28
  • @n1vgabay In my case, the slow response with a VM was "noticeable". And that was enough for me to go with dual booting and not looking back. If you shrink your hard disk for Ubuntu, you can always enlarge it back again. As long as you are careful and don't answer "yes" to whether or not you want to delete your hard disk, I can't see any harm to your computer. But yes, you do want to read the instructions carefully and not make a machine dual boot if you're sleepy or pre-occupied. – Ray Jul 09 '19 at 09:05
  • It's more annoying then noticeable. I could handle it a bit until someone told me about dual-boot. Does someone have a professional guide for setting up this? – n1vgabay Jul 09 '19 at 10:26
  • I watched this video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5QyjHIYwTQ Can someone tell me if this installation in alongside with my current win10? or I should delete all windows completely and install all over again both OS. – n1vgabay Jul 09 '19 at 11:20

2 Answers2

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What I have at work which I find most comfortable is to have a Windows 10 VM under Ubuntu in dual boot with Windows 10 having an Ubuntu VM.

What you do is:

  • Create your dual boot
  • boot into ubuntu,
  • install virtualbox
  • use virtualbox to load up the physical windows. (yes this requires a second screen to really take advantage of)

As you already have W10 with Ubuntu in a VM, don't change that!

This works like a charm and is the best of both worlds because if you ever need to you can reboot to the physical version of the Windows and while in Ubuntu mode you can have a single mouse and keyboard for both active systems plus a shared clipboard (and if you go crazy on the configuration, even a shared drag and drop between the two systems)

That's what I find most handy. I don't have to halt work on either system. I can just keep doing what I'm doing on both at the same time. and it takes no getting used to.

Fabby
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tatsu
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  • Thanks for your reply. Not sure if I completely understood what you said. We are talking about doing dual-boot (having 2 OS installed) or switch to Ubuntu as the main OS? – n1vgabay Jul 08 '19 at 15:18
  • again both of those. A dual boot but you mostly boot ubuntu inside of which you can also start the same windows you had as a choice furring boot but as a virtualized OS. this is actually the same suggestion made in the answer marker as duplicate of your question. – tatsu Jul 08 '19 at 19:25
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Do it other way around: install Ubuntu as the main OS and put Win10 into VM (until the moment when you're comfortable enough to get rid of it completely).

Background: I'm using similar laptop (xps13 smth) and the hw support is pretty good under GNU/Linux.

god
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  • Some of the games support Windows but not Ubuntu. What if OP wants some gaming too? VM ain't a good option for running heavy softwares. Also, your answer looks more like opinion based. – Kulfy Jul 08 '19 at 14:34
  • @god, Did you switch your OS systems already? I mean like you said, Linux/Ubuntu as main and Win10 into VM. – n1vgabay Jul 08 '19 at 15:16
  • @Kulfy I believe if OP wanted to run games he would have said so. – god Oct 23 '19 at 15:59
  • @n1vgabay yes, I did - works like a charm but I rarely have to use win-specific sw anyway. – god Oct 23 '19 at 16:01