Which is better: Ubuntu with Windows VM or vice versa?

[MadcowZA]

I'm setting up a workstation at work which may need to host several VMs. Which way round should I do this? I've heard that Windows has a bad memory leak. Is it better then to use Ubuntu as the host OS with Windows as the guest?

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

Yep. Rather use Linux as the host. I had to redo my office machine because running VMs on my slow machine was a massive pain, once I installed Fedora as the main OS running VMs became a breeze.

 

[AlphaJohn]

Depends on use/need, need more info?
You going to run what version of Windows & Ubuntu you planning to run and for what reasons?

 

[Dylan_G]

Yeah. I have a lappie with 1GB RAM. Windows (xp/vista/7) were all running slowly with whatever I tried. This is actually how I got into running Linux in the first place. Now, I've tried running a VM on a Linux host with Windows XP and it runs fine.

Its official. Linux even makes Windows better.

 

[MadcowZA]

Thanks alot. So far it seems Linux as the host is the general consensus.

@AlphaJohn the machine will be running Ubuntu 10.04 or later and probably Windows server 2008. It'll be used to host a web server to start with. There may be a number of VMs and depending on what they're used for, an OS will be selected. I suppose the gist of my question is which OS is better for hosting VMs in general.

 

[AstroTurf]

Tried both ways.
Linux as host seems to be best.

 

[ponder]

I've got VMs in both but stopped using the one in windows. I run all my VMs on linux.

 

[AlphaJohn]

@AlphaJohn the machine will be running Ubuntu 10.04 or later and probably Windows server 2008. It'll be used to host a web server to start with. There may be a number of VMs and depending on what they're used for, an OS will be selected. I suppose the gist of my question is which OS is better for hosting VMs in general.

In that case might be the best to look at VMware ESXi

That way you can VM Both and add servers as needed, also can upgrade hardware in the future with ease ie: do not have to reinstall the host with its services. Just vSphere and you are ready.

 

[vinodh]

Yeah. I have a lappie with 1GB RAM. Windows (xp/vista/7) were all running slowly with whatever I tried. This is actually how I got into running Linux in the first place. Now, I've tried running a VM on a Linux host with Windows XP and it runs fine.

Its official. Linux even makes Windows better.

Might be a good idea to upgrade the RAM on your laptop. Hopefully it's DDR3. If it is, then I have 2 gig stick that you can have.

 

[Dylan_G]

Might be a good idea to upgrade the RAM on your laptop. Hopefully it's DDR3. If it is, then I have 2 gig stick that you can have.

Its a DDR 667, I think. I'm in the market for a new laptop atm, so its cool.