I just want to know, what are the disadvantages of using Ubuntu in VMware rather than then dual booting it? Does Ubuntu get restricted somehow under VMware?
And suppose if I install Code::Blocks for Ubuntu (installed through virtual machine) and then shutdown the OS. If I start Ubuntu once again, will Code::Blocks still be present inside Ubuntu?
In a virtual machine, Ubuntu will be as restricted as the VM configuration says it will be. SO if your system has 8 GB RAM but the virtual machine is configured for 2 GB only, then Ubuntu will only use 2 GB. You decide how much (or little) resources you want to assign to the guest system (i.e. the one inside the VM).
Virtual machine "disks" are usually stored in files on your host filesystem. Assuming you don't delete those files, or delete the virtual machine entirely, the virtual disks are completely persistent; they act just like a real hard disk and whatever you put there will remain until you delete it explicitly or erase the virtual machine. Actually, you can delete the virtual machine but keep the virtual hard disk: think of it as removing and keeping the hard disk while throwing the computer into the trash :)
I have run Ubuntu for several years in both dual boot and VM configurations, so I'll offer my experiences.
I just want to know, what are the disadvantages of using Ubuntu in VMware rather than then dual booting it? Does Ubuntu get restricted under VMware?
It depends on what you intend on using your machine for. At home, I dual boot Ubuntu 14.04 with Windows 7, because I do plenty of gaming on both. Gaming consumes a lot of your system resources. And in a VM, it's important to remember that your video hardware will be by-and-large emulated via software. Try playing Minecraft on an Ubuntu VM, and you'll see what I mean. VM technology has come a long way, but video-intensive applications still run better "on-the-metal."
At work as a developer, I run Windows 8 with Ubuntu 14.04 on a VM. I do this because there are Linux-based applications that I need to use and run (for my job). And those tools are usually run in conjunction with Visual Studio projects. So I do a lot of quick switching between Windows and Ubuntu, and that is just not possible with a dual-boot configuration.
if I install codeblocks for Ubuntu (installed through virtual machine) and then shutdown the OS. If I start Ubuntu once again, will code blocks still be present inside Ubuntu?
Yes, your Ubuntu VM will store its data on a virtual disk. Your apps and data will still be there, just as if you had installed Ubuntu as a standalone OS.
Important to note, but your VM will be restricted only by the resource limits (RAM, disk, etc...) that you configure it with. Of course, if you give it too much, your host OS will suffer.
