Support Alternative Virtualization

[kennyhyun]

I bought m4 macbook recently and wanted to use Linux with microk8s and docker

Problems

• Vagrant is slow in Windows and might not supported well enough
  • https://zidans-blog.hashnode.dev/is-vagrant-still-relevant-in-2024
• Virtualization-based Security (VBS) on Windows enables Hyper-v and it interferes VirtualBox performance.
  • not actual issue because Vagrant also supports hyper-v backend
• Disk can be broken with forced power off
  • Vagrant file could be also broken
• Not happy with Virtualbox network stability
• Installation is not fully automated
  • dependant to external resources, which is not alway online and could be outdated
  • takes more time to bootstrapping after downloading image

Potential solutions

forced power off

• Stop using Vagrant
• Readonly root (like Docker Toolbox)
• read write data partition
  • home, var binding

readonly root image

1. Auto install Debian LTS
   • using qemu
     • x64 emulation on Macos
     • arm64 emulation on x64
2. Install microk8s and basic tools with my dotfiles repo
3. Try multiple volumes and mounting as readonly root
4. Save disk image and release to github
5. Configure default user and services and switch to readonly root

Provide a common readonly linux image based on Debian 12

Still can turn on/off services by mounting root as rw temprarily

VBS for Windows

• Stop using Virtualbox
• Start to use WSL2

TODOs

• Stop Vagrant
• Stop VirtualBox
• Start Qemu (for macos)
  • Bootstrap from scratch for disk image release (Feature/qemu support for macos #83)
  • Bootstrap from disk image from Github
• Start WSL2 (for windows)
  • Bootstrap from disk image from Github
• Windows taskmanager vbs entry for managing the VM

[kennyhyun]

The reason to walk away from Virtualbox:

Micro$oft is still acting mean. Hyper-v is mutually exclusive (work but slow) and made mandatory with Virtualisation Base Security.
Turning it off is quite tricky especially enterprise environment.

Even though the memory management and performance is doubtful, using WSL would be eventually easy to use and improve usabilty.

sparse option would free up some unused diskspace too