I've written on this topic before, but given the popularity of Solus, and the many forum messages about problems with dual-booting schems (mostly Windows + Solus), I've decided to list again some of the many advantages of this alternative method. Let me start out by making it clear - as always - that I'm not trying to change anybody's mind about anything. I'm just presenting another way to have both Windows and Solus sharing your machine. It's a way that totally avoids all the pitfalls of common dual-boot schemes.
What Are Virtual Machines?
They're simply software - an application - that runs a second operating system as a "guest" of your computer - which is called the "host." In that sense, a VM is like a browser, or a word processor. It can be created by a VM manager such as VirtualBox, and removed if you ever decide you don't need it anymore. The host machine shares some of its abilities with the guest, such as a network and peripheral devices, and the VM software provides everything else that's needed for the VM to operate.
What's required to use them?
A virtual machine manager, such as VirtualBox (in the Solus repo) is needed to create a VM. In fact, it can create many different VMs, in case you'd like to try out other interesting Linux distributions without replacing your primary operating system. If your host machine is robust enough, you can even run more than one VM at a time (although performance will suffer a bit). The most common use of a VM that's discussed here is one that allows you to use both Windows and Solus without a complex and trouble-prone dual-boot scheme.
Which OS should be virtualized?
Since a small amount of performance is lost on the host machine when running a VM, most folks install the virtual machine manager on the physical system that's most important to them. VirtualBox, for example, operates identically on Linux or Windows, so if you spend most of your time on Windows, you would install VirtualBox there, and create a VM to run Solus. However, as in my case, if Solus is the more important system to you, and Windows is rarely needed, then you should install VirtualBox on Solus and create a VM to run Windows.
Multiple systems are possible.
As I suggested above, you might be interested in "distro hopping," or examining other distros you're curious about, and it's important to know that you can create multiple VMs, not just one. Right now, for example, I have on my main laptop four Solus VMs - one each for Budgie, GNOME, Plasma, and Xfce - plus one for Windows. I can use the Solus VMs to help me answer questions in the forum, and the Windows VM if I ever need to run a program that's not availabe as a Linux version. In fact, I can use the screen capture utility on my laptop to create images from the Solus VM that's using the desktop environment we're discussing. If you ever decide that a particular VM isn't needed anymore, you can simply remove it using the VM manager. It's as simple as deleting a file that you're no longer interested in keeping.
Concurrent operation.
Unlike a dual-boot scheme, which requires you to shut down one system in order to use the other one, it should be clear by now that both the host system and the guest system run at the same time. With VirtualBox, for example, you can put a shortcut to a VM on your desktop, and launch it with just a single mouse click. So if you're working on the host system, and need a quick look at the guest system - say, to check on email there, or to copy a link from the browser there - you don't need to shut down your host machine to do that. They're both available concurrently.
Obtaining the guest operating system.
With any of the VM managers, you'll need a copy of the guest system's installation file, the .ISO file that's available from the system's web site. So to install Windows on a VM, you can get the needed file from windows.com. Or to install a different Linux distribution, look on that distro's web site for a Downloads section, or perhaps look on DistroWatch for that.
How to install VirtualBox.
Is VirtualBox the only option for creating virtual machines? No, it's not. There are other programs that you'll see mentioned in the forum, such as GNOME-boxes, and virt-manager (both available in the Solus repo) that can be used to create and run VMs. I've tried those and VirtualBox is the one that gives me all the features I need and is easy to use. Others, with fewer requirements, may be perfectly happy with one of the alternative systems.
To install VirtualBox on Windows, just point your browser at virtualbox.com, and download the program from there, like any other third-party Windows application. On Solus, you can find it using Discover or the GNOME equivalent, or you can install it using the terminal. The command to use there differs depending on which kernel your system uses. If you're using the LTS (long-term support) kernel, the command to install VirtualBox is sudo eopkg it -y virtualbox. On the other hand, if you're using the current kernel, the command to use is instead sudo eopkg -y virtualbox-current.
The VM manager can then be found in the Solus "System" menu as "Oracle VirtualBox." It includes a very complete help system, so most usage questions can be quickly resolved there, or just ask here in the forum. Many users here are able and happy to help you if you run into problems.
If you prefer to dive right in and create a VM, just go to the Machine menu in VirtualBox and click on New. That will allow you to create the two files that actually constitute a VM - one that contains settings, and one that's the virtual hard drive of the VM.
Conclusion.
I hope I have made it clear what a VM is, and one way you can create and use them. I'll say once again that I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, if you're happy with your dual-boot scheme, but there does exist a better alternative in my opinion. If I've raised other questions in your mind, feel free to ask me here.
