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OS/2 ... Working Today, and most likely, Working Tomorrow

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JTA:
First, it makes sense to agree on the problem description one might want to try and solve ... I'll pick just one of the problems mentioned above:

  -  I want access to a modern Firefox, and I don't want to boot into Linux to get it. At the same time, I don't want to lose access to ArcaOS (by booting into Linux).

Follow with me now ...

1. *Boot* one Host-OS, minimally configured ... never touch it again.
2. Launch Vbox; launch ArcaOS and Linux vm's, side by side.
3. without rebooting into different OS's, use the windowed interface of Vbox to access OS/2 things in this window (os/2 vm), and Firefox 100 in that window (linux vm), *at the same time*.

Note that both os's are running, just inside a vm ... we don't care, we just need access to the apps (one or more os/2 apps, and one or more linux apps) *at the same time*.

I didn't reboot into different OS's serially, or use a multi-partition boot scheme to access one os or another serially ... I took advantage of today's hardware with gobs of ram & ssd's, and today's virtualization software like Virtualbox, and I booted 3 os's up all at once. I still have room to boot more *in parallel*, assuming all of them are happy in 4gb ram each, and most os's and apps are.

The system is so fast that I could barely get my coffee poured and get back to my pc. os/2 apps are up in this window, firefox & other apps are up in that window. Both windows are as easy to access as two "notepad windows" under MS Windows, only I'm more productive at once in my chosen apps, running under my chosen os's.

Does this help explain the concept and the method? If not, please give me an example "word problem", in your own words!

Could be a fun exercise ... others, please chime in if you don't understand either ... the more the merrier (and the better the messaging for concept and method becomes).

Sean Casey:
This reminds me of the once Holy Grail of operating systems I once dreamed of using - IBM's Workplace OS with its various "personalities".   I recall OS/400, OS/2, AIX and Windows were the initial personalities implemented on Workplace OS.  Sadly, Workplace OS only made it to a preview build before being cancelled. 

Microsoft Windows was once headed in the same direction, having distinct Win32, OS/2 and POSIX subsystems.  I still use Windows 2000 where I have used all three.

JTA:
Unlike Workplace OS, which never flew anywhere but on PowerPC in beta, and only had the OS/2 personality, what I'm doing works right now ...

... multiple vm's, each running ArcaOS and other OS's, the sum of which gets me around any problem mentioned in a posting on this forum.

BTW, need I mention that Windows 2000 in a vm works perfectly fine, and you could run it alongside any other vm of your choice, all on one platform, all booted up at once? I would've labeled the w2000 vm as a "retro" vm, but I think it is still a "productivity" vm for you ... excellent!

Martin Iturbide:
Hi JTA

Maybe it would be nice if you can produce some video and post it in some place like YouTube. Looks too me that maybe you can show in a better your virtualization strategy in a video format recording the screens.

Regards

JTA:
I've never produced a youtube video in my life, and I'm pretty sure I don't have an account out there, nor the equipment here at home to produce videos.

But, perhaps something needs to happen, if folks believe that:

1. I'm making all this up, and/or one can't envision a beefy pc + host-os + virtualbox + X number of VM's until it is in a video.

2. the power of google search can't yield numerous webpages describing each of the above items (diy beefy pc, host-os & virtualbox, and os's in vm's), and most likely, dozens of videos.

Given that virtualization software has been around forever (I've worked with it for decades now), and that these days, diy beefy pc's can be done by the 12 y.o. next door for you (I've built hundreds over the years), and that everybody and their dog is already doing this (smarter folks than I came up with all the technology), about the only thing I've done right is ...

... string together some existing things into a new solution, wrt ArcaOS.

Now, a github repository of information? I've seen others do this, so perhaps I can as well ... and, no silly music (unlike youtube videos).

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