Virtualization

VirtualBox has gained a following as an alternative to VMware. Although the binaries are proprietary, they’re free for non-commercial use. VirtualBox has some compelling features for desktop users: Automated installer that runs under Windows, Linux, and OSX. For Linux users, there are official versions for Ubuntu, Debian, openSUSE, Fedora, Red Hat Enterprise. A 64-bit CPU with hardware virtualization support helps, but isn’t required. User interface that’s easy to grasp.

Virtualization platforms have drawbacks for light home use, although they’re often free for single server installation. They may only be supported on specific hardware (VmWare ESXi, their configuration isn’t simple (Xen, or they chew up a significant amount of CPU even when they’re idle (VirtualBox. Often, they force you to pre-allocate all the RAM you might need when you start each virtual machine (VM). If you’re running several VM’s, you may run out of memory, or performance drags.