So, you don’t allow Windows on your company computers in your studio, restaurant, newsroom, or any place where you produce code for games and software. Your employees needed Windows to use essential services. However; VirtualBox is a solution for running Windows within your Linux environment. However; there’s no LSW (Linux Subsystem For Windows) because, it doesn’t exist.
LSW Does NOT Exist
Earlier; I’ve written this article about it. There is no LSW (Linux Subsystem For Windows), it does NOT exist! If you want to get this similar function, Gnome Boxex or VirtualBox are your best options for running Windows as your guest OS. Also, Microsoft doesn’t produce special Windows OSs for use in virtual machines. However; we can make it happen! Having Windows as an app on your Linux machine is the future, so you can use Linux as your daily driver.
Running Windows as an app is useful when you are doing the following:
1. Porting Games
If you are officially porting games to Linux and FreeDOS systems as your official ports, you can slowly test porting software to Windows for people who still rely on this OS.
You can test your game or software with a test that is required to ensure your game works properly.
This is useful for porting your games after releasing it for Linux users.
2. Testing applications what you are developing
If you only port to Linux and FreeDOS; and you are tapping into a Windows market; you can test your applications with a timely fashion as your linux releases are receive normal updates.
This is useful for releasing limited editions of your software to Windows.
Gives you more freedom to develop for some platforms.
3. Play Games
This is typical for people who play games via this OS.
This OS can be linked to your Microsoft account. XBOX is common.
Test websites to help check if their working like usual.
If you recently replaced Windows
Tired of Windows on your actual machine? Replace it with Linux!
Ubuntu Linux is your best replacement for Windows. This is necessary to ensure your privacy of your data is protected. You can still use Outlook, and other Microsoft products via the web browsers.
If you bought an empty computer without an OS installed, and you installed Ubuntu 20.04 LTS; or 22.04 LTS to your machine, you can install VirtualBox to run Windows as an app for your computers. This is necessary to keep your policies of NOT allowing Windows to run in your company’s computers. If you haven’t installed VirtualBox, and test running windows just yet; follow these steps:
1. Install VirtualBox
On your Linux computer, open your terminal by typing Ctrl-Alt-T.
At the terminal, type the following command:
sudo apt install virtualbox
Enter your password, and confirm your action.
Follow the instructions.
Exit your terminal.
2. Get A Copy Of Windows
Visit Microsoft’s website and obtain a copy of Windows. Purchase a product key for your digital copy of a Windows ISO image.
Check if a digital copy is valid.
Keep your digital copy secure at your secure location.
3. Install Windows To Your Virtual Machine
Configure your virtual machine like usual.
Conclusion
Running Windows via VirtualBox can be useful, but you still need to be very careful when running Windows as your guest OS. Also, LSW does NOT exist. Windows is closed-source. Also, Windows uses more resources than you thought,–due to junk bundled with this piece of software.