OpenBSD as host for VirtualBox

[gpatrick]

I was using OpenSolaris as a host, but am switching to FreeBSD as a host and then I wondered about OpenBSD. I've successfully ran OpenBSD as a guest in VirtualBox, but has anyone tried and/or succeeded running OpenBSD as a host for VirtualBox?

[Carpetsmoker]

I believe OpenBSD only barely runs on VirtualBox as a guest.

The OpenBSD developers have little love for visualization in general and VirtualBox in particular. A quick search on these forums and/or the OpenBSD will give you more details on the subject.

I would not expect VirtualBox to run on OpenBSD in the next 10 years orso ... (And I'm being optimistic)

[vermaden]

@gpatrick

In OpenBSD land, you are limited to QEMU only (but with kqemu at least).

[jggimi]

Warning: kqemu requires a uniprocessor kernel (GENERIC, rather than GENERIC.MP), and for -current users, must be synced -exactly- to the kernel in use, as it is a kernel module.

Qemu is not the only emulator, there are others, such as bochs and dosbox. Peruse emulators/* in the ports tree.

[tetrodozombie]

I ran OpenBSD 4.5 on my Quad Core Mac Pro 266Ghz with VirtualBox. It didn't work right and I couldn't do things like download from the ports collection and there were just too many issues popping up like moles everywhere. I suggest you try a commercial version of VMWare's Fusion, which I also set up after the VirtualBox fiasco. This did work, but it was too slow and I mean on a computer with 4 cores running VMWare Fusion with OpenBSD, it was not worth installing anything from the ports collection at all. Simple things like installing Vim would take all day. If you go this route, I suggest using packages exclusively unless you like to waste time. And the, it'll still take too long. You're prolly better off getting a used laptop i386 or a second hand desktop system somewhere and installing OpenBSD on it.

[vermaden]

@tetrodozombie

Strange ... I used OpenBSD 4.6 under VirtualBox (with and without x11) and it worked like a charm (along with ports/packages downloading/installing).

[jggimi]

This is as a -host-, not a -guest-, if I read the thread title properly

[BSDfan666]

OpenBSD as a VirtualBox -guest- only works if the host supports the new Intel/AMD virtualization instructions.. but many of the developers have communicated their dislike for VirtualBox in either roles.

[kolaloka]

I would like to correct what BSDfan666 stated here. Officially, it seems so, but there if your processor does not support virtualization (as mine does not), you can successfully run OpenBSD or NetBSD in Virtualbox if you run it from command line like this:


$ VBoxSDL --norawr0 --startvm openbsd.img

for openbsd.img supply of course your VM name.
Don't believe? Try it yourself, I simulate my whole company network like this. :-D
Kolaloka

[BSDfan666]

There are several issues, Theo has posted a lengthily mail about VirtualBox trashing registers in userland causing subtle bugs.

http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-misc&m=120492689515501&w=2

It's still not a bright idea to use virtualization in a production environment, it's disgusting how many people do that these days.

Just use real hardware, not pseudo-hardware with a boat load of potential emulation bugs.. it's real simple.

[ai-danno]

Originally Posted by BSDfan666

It's still not a bright idea to use virtualization in a production environment, it's disgusting how many people do that these days.

Just use real hardware, not pseudo-hardware with a boat load of potential emulation bugs.. it's real simple.

I can partly agree and partly disagree with that statement- when done properly, tested, and monitored for expected performance benchmarks, virtualization is financial windfall. But most internal IT departments will "mess around with virtualization", which loosely translates to slapping a hypervisor onto an inappropriate system (usually an old one).

VirtualBox is actually my application of choice when running virtualization on my Win7 desktops at home and work. It's just to mess around with, and is easy to configure and run.

It's true, you don't want to place production operations into an environment like that... but if you have an enterprise-grade virtualization installation, you can reap many rewards with few issues. However, I must stress, I likely wouldn't choose VirtualBox itself as the hypervisor platform for production hosting operations.

[sw2wolf]

If openbsd can run wine or virtualbox, i basically donot need to reboot to Windows/FreeBSD. Up to now, i know it is impossible for openbsd to run those two software.

Regards!

[ocicat]

Originally Posted by sw2wolf

If openbsd can run wine or virtualbox...

• OpenBSD can no longer run wine.
• OpenBSD cannot run VirtualBox as a host.

[RalphEllis]

If people need or want access to other operating systems for particular tasks, I find that the simplest and cheapest way is to to buy a usb external hard drive. Install the new OS to the usb hard drive and choose which OS you want to boot into from your Bios based boot menu. I run OpenBSD on a 300G usb hard drive. Windows 7 and OpenSuse are on the main hard drive in my system. I have a 1 Terabyte usb hard drive where I can put files that want any of the OS systems can access.
My Windows installation usually only sees the light of day when I want to do updates on my Samsung cell phone. OpenSuse handles most of the multimedia tasks that I do and OpenBSD is now my everyday desktop. Hardware is pretty cheap these days and it certainly gives people a speed jump over virtualization. The only virtual system that I have seen that does not consume a ton of resources is Solaris zones.

[vermaden]

Originally Posted by RalphEllis

The only virtual system that I have seen that does not consume a ton of resources is Solaris zones.

The other one is FreeBSD Jails.

[sw2wolf]

Originally Posted by RalphEllis

If people need or want access to other operating systems for particular tasks, I find that the simplest and cheapest way is to to buy a usb external hard drive.

It is a solution but not VERY convenient as virtualization. Now freebsd is my everyday desktop in which i use VBOX to run windows applications and wine to run some Games. The VBox is very fast !

In such a way I donot need to reboot to another OS. Is it hard technically for OB to run VBOX as host ?