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154 points walterbell | 3 comments | | HN request time: 0.693s | source
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clebio ◴[] No.10737497[source]
Is this running multiple, heterogenous OS on one laptop, or multiple, homogenous OS (e.g. linux a lá docker) on one laptop?

I've wanted for years to run Windows and Linux on one laptop simultaneously via hypervisors -- not dual-booting, not not-OS-is-host, etc. -- but was of the impression that hardware/IO would not be feasible.

replies(2): >>10737534 #>>10738180 #
1. mtgx ◴[] No.10737534[source]
You can run Windows, some Linux distro and Whonix (a Torified VM) all at the same time. You also get "disposable" VMs that are deleted when you close them.
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2. clebio ◴[] No.10739745[source]
You and transpute (and this article) are blowin' my mind. This is excellent info. Glad I wasn't entirely off-base on this one. Any general pointers on where to look for this sort of thing? I guess the Purism laptop, even if security isn't my first priority (don't get me wrong, I want that aspect, just maybe not my personal first factor in laptop purchasing...).
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3. rolandr ◴[] No.10740096[source]
You can skip the Purism laptop, and just simply download the Qubes OS installer and try it out on whatever system you have. It uses the same installer framework as Fedora. As long as your system supports VT-x (pretty much anything recent does), you can have the Linux + Windows experience and the isolation offered by running them in separate virtual machines.

There are more advanced security features, such as isolation of network adapters from the rest of the system, offered with a system that properly supports VT-d (aka IOMMU). Between having a CPU that supports VT-d, BIOS correctly configuring VT-d, and ACPI tables being correct as well, finding such a machine can be a little more challenging than you expect. I suppose that is where some value is offered by the idea of a "Qubes certified" laptop.