Windows Desktop parallel to OMV with Linux KVM

Forusim · 27. April 2016

My omv system is based on ASRock N3150-ITX, 8 GB RAM, 500 GB SSD.
The system idles most of the time, so I asked myself, would it be possible to run a Windows 7 VM in parallel for browsing, office and that lite stuff.

The purpose is, to have only one computer running for omv server and windows desktop.
I have read about the KVM feature of the current omv 2.0 kernel, which acts as bare metal vm-host.
Existing plugins like VirtualBox won´t work, because I would still need another computer as remote desktop client.

I have read this guide ([HowTo] Run OMV as a KVM/qemu/libvirt host), but I am not sure if this enables dual OS running on one machine.

Can anyone tell me, if it is possible to realise my wish?

ryecoaaron · 27. April 2016

Install Windows on the system.
Install Virtualbox on Windows.
Install OMV on virtualbox.

Any other setup is going to be troublesome.

Forusim · 27. April 2016

@ryecoaaron this setup is indeed the easiest one.
However I don´t trust windows to run 24/7 and be my vm-host.
This would also require an NTFS partition on my system disk and involve some overhead from the virtualising.
The parallel windows desktop should run on demand, when I am at home and browsing or working in ms office.
Are there really no possibilities for live dual OS?

ryecoaaron · 27. April 2016

There are plenty of other possibilities. I was just giving you the one I thought would work the best.

You can install a desktop environment on OMV but it can be troublesome. Then you could use the virtualbox plugin and the desktop virtualbox app to run Windows in a window or full screen.

You could install proxmox or VMware ESXi and have a VM for OMV and a VM for Windows. Then you would use something an RPi to remote desktop into the device.

Forusim · 27. April 2016

@ryecoaaron can you please tell me more about

Zitat

Then you could use the virtualbox plugin and the desktop virtualbox app to run Windows in a window or full screen.

So does this mean, I can set full screen of the desktop-vm instead of the omv console?
Do you have a link with more information about that?

Thank you!

ryecoaaron · 28. April 2016

Not quite. You would install OMV then a desktop environment (tasksel install desktop) from command line then the Virtualbox plugin using the OMV web interface. The plugin will install the gui for virtualbox which you could launch from the desktop environment. In the Virtualbox gui, you can make the VM's desktop fullscreen hiding the linux desktop. Or you could just use the browser/libreoffice from the Linux desktop.

BitHoarder · 28. April 2016

I'd be interested in what you finally decide to do as this is something I have been considering for a while.

Just taking a step back... you have OMV currently installed, but you want to run Windows as an on-demand VM?

As ryecoaaron is pointing out, you will need to allow the VM to have access to the local screen, so you will need to install a desktop... so I agree with his point:

Zitat

you could just use the browser/libreoffice from the Linux desktop

At this point, why go any further an pay Microsoft for Windows / Office licenses and others for Anti-Virus software and still be no better off?

(Just my advert for open software... :))

However, my position is; to achieve what I believe you are after, it may be better to install a thin hypervisor first (say Linux with KVM) and then run both OMV and your desktop as separate VMs.

My point here is to keep OMV as simple as possible - reduce resources, reduce complexity, etc, etc - so that when you are browsing / using office, you do not have layers and layers of additional software running (ie a Linux desktop, running a Windows desktop)

ryecoaaron · 28. April 2016

Zitat von BitHoarder

However, my position is; to achieve what I believe you are after, it may be better to install a thin hypervisor first (say Linux with KVM) and then run both OMV and your desktop as separate VMs

I would use Proxmox for this suggestion.

BitHoarder · 28. April 2016

Actually, thinking about this again, the OP can't run OMV and a desktop VM side-by-side, as they only have this 1 device (as per post 1) - so, actually, they are going to have to run a full desktop full time...

Sorry, I got lost in a spiral of my own thoughts there

Forusim · 28. April 2016

Thanks for all the suggestions, I will do more research into it.
If everything works out, I will share my experience.

Windows Desktop parallel to OMV with Linux KVM

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