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Virtualization & OS/2 - How are you using it (if any)?

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JTA:
In relation to physical or virtualized OS/2. Are you:

1. not using it at all (OS/2 on physical hardware, and/or no intention to virtualize OS/2 as a guest)
2. running [Virtualbox, VMware, ...] on an x64 host-os, and OS/2 (any version) is a guest VM (among others)
3. virtualization of a different kind (OS/2 is physical, ???/2 used to vm something within OS/2)
4. feel free to opinionize on any aspect of the subject, as in (physical-only OS/2 or bust)
5. any other kind of slice and dice, such as Linux is much better than Win as Host-OS, because ...

I'm successfully using: HostOS=win10x64 on i7/32gb, Vbox=7.04, OS/2=vm's(ArcaOS 5.0.7, OS/2 4.52), many other vm's.

OS/2 runs very well for me in a vbox VM, and affords many testing features (backup via vm files, snapshots for testing changes, experimenting, etc.). I see other posts, over time, where folks have had varying levels of grief. Hopefully, there's much less grief these days, with all the newer virtualization packages and features (Type-2, Type-1).

Trying to get a feel for how everyone else uses or doesn't use virtualization in some form with OS/2 ...

Thanks!

Dariusz Piatkowski:
Nope, not using any virtualization.

For a while it was getting hard to continue running on bare metal...but I would say that changed over the last few years as the multi-core CPU software solutions have matured.

Therefore, while I am certainly giving up a bit of flexibility (not running the 'latest & greatest' hardware), I simply prefer to run just OS/2.

...and to address the gap(s): well, simple RDP connection to a Win box that does all the other stuff for me. Given the awesome functionallity of solutions like FreeRDP, which literally allows me to run a Win machine based software side-by-side with my native OS/2 apps, on the native OS/2 platform, I plan on continuing that way.

Umm...OK, maybe a hardware upgrade would be nice...I mean who doesn't get a kick out of setting up a new box with all the bells and whistles????

JTA:
Side note: As I rummage through postings on OS2World, going back in time,  I can't help but notice those that include some form of "OS/2 (dev) is dead, it's dying, the population is getting older, can't do anything with it, ..."

This is far and away different than my experiences with it ... rather, I think technology is changing in such a way that ALL OS's will morph into something new ... into virtualization! In other words, why let MS be in control of my equipment at the physical level? Or, in control of my data, or ...

A Type-2 (host-os + virtualization software like VirtualBox, or similar) or Type-1 (virtualization OS like VMware, or similar) package will:

  - "free" the machine from the grip of MS or any other OS!
  - contain an "unruly" OS to a single VM, and really lock down on what they can do (to me).
  - breathe new life to older OS's
  - free OS's like ArcaOS to do even more than before
  - explore new/old things that one has not seen before (most anything can run in a VM)

Once ArcaOS is up and running, in a VM, with little to no boot, special hardware, device driver issues, etc., it's available to explore ... old stuff, new stuff, stuff that's never been done before!

How about ... 64-bit apps, right now (and I leave this as a bit of a tease, or homework exercise, for everyone to chew on)? Hint: no X-Windows, no VNC/RDP, but ... virtualization makes it possible!

JTA:

--- Quote from: Dariusz Piatkowski on January 12, 2023, 10:22:29 pm ---...and to address the gap(s): well, simple RDP connection to a Win box that does all the other stuff for me. Given the awesome functionallity of solutions like FreeRDP, which literally allows me to run a Win machine based software side-by-side with my native OS/2 apps, on the native OS/2 platform, I plan on continuing that way.

--- End quote ---

This is excellent for a solution, in that one can spend some time setting up X-Windows (hopefully problem free) or FreeRDP (or VNC) on both sides, and you can get at another box (linux, windows) on the network. This obviously qualifies as an answer to running 64-bit apps from within OS/2 (folks have been doing this in some form for years/decades). The network will need to be running, other machines will need to be up, but ... reasonably done in today's world. If I were traveling, would this still be available to me? Possibly, with some effort ...

What else?

ivan:
Hi JTA,

I have been running OS/2 on real hardware since I got version 1.20 in 1989.  Today I run ArcaOS on real hardware MSI B550-A PRO motherboard with a third generation AMD RYZEN processor.  On my local network I have a few more OSs each for a reason, Linux Mint for its Firefox browser, Win 7 as an interface to a data logger ( said data logger won't run on vBox or any other virtualization because it requires real hardware ).  I can also display what each OS is doing on my main 28 inch monitor via a 4k USB KVM switch. backup goes to two NAS boxes every night.

That basic layout has been running without problems for the last 15 years and does everything I ask it so why change. 

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