this post was submitted on 25 Oct 2025
196 points (99.5% liked)

PC Gaming

12618 readers
1512 users here now

For PC gaming news and discussion. PCGamingWiki

Rules:

  1. Be Respectful.
  2. No Spam or Porn.
  3. No Advertising.
  4. No Memes.
  5. No Tech Support.
  6. No questions about buying/building computers.
  7. No game suggestions, friend requests, surveys, or begging.
  8. No Let's Plays, streams, highlight reels/montages, random videos or shorts.
  9. No off-topic posts/comments, within reason.
  10. Use the original source, no clickbait titles, no duplicates. (Submissions should be from the original source if possible, unless from paywalled or non-english sources. If the title is clickbait or lacks context you may lightly edit the title.)

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Man, you must be fun at parties.

  • No dual boot needed, can use Linux exclusive programs and have data stored outside of the VM for easy access
  • Able to take advantage of the performance improvements of using Linux as your daily driver compared to Windows (most notably lower memory usage)
  • Not barred by Windows 11's requirements (largely irrelevant for the software you want to use this with, but it's a factor)

Also two things, since I'm confused on if you're playing coy or are just in a contrarian mood:

  • Yes, all of the functions inside the VM can be achieved with a standard Windows install. However, we are looking at this situation through the lens of a user who wants to use Linux with access to their Windows programs that throw roadblocks (AKA the original commenter of this comment train)

  • Regarding network security, the advantage of not using Windows as your main operating system is that you have a stable, secure baseline, without any fears of unwanted telemetry or addons included in the package (such as copilot). You can debloat windows, but you can never be truly sure that those issues won't return in the next update or are fully disabled. With a VM that's not running... well, it's not running. Not connected to the internet.

[–] artyom@piefed.social -2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Man you must recycle jokes at parties.

No dual boot needed, can use Linux exclusive programs and have data stored outside of the VM for easy access

Yes but if you dual boot there's no VM needed LOL

I just can't possibly comprehend why you would prefer that when dual booting is so much simpler...

Able to take advantage of the performance improvements of using Linux as your daily driver compared to Windows (most notably lower memory usage)

So you mean to tell me running Windows inside of Linux uses less RAM than just Windows? How does that work?

Not barred by Windows 11's requirements

I mean you can get around that using Rufus easy enough (I'm told).

we are looking at this situation through the lens of a user who wants to use Linux with access to their Windows programs

But why?

the advantage of not using Windows as your main operating system is that you have a stable, secure baseline, without any fears of unwanted telemetry or addons

I'm not sure you understand how a VM works. There's nothing about a VM that removes telemetry or add-ons from Windows...

And who said anything about a "main operating system"? Linux can still be your "main".

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yes but if you dual boot there’s no VM needed LOL

You want to reboot the entire system when you need to use a Windows only application? Instead of just opening up a VM?

[–] artyom@piefed.social -1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

...after spending 2 weeks trying to figure out how to make it work? Yeah I'll restart the computer in 2 minutes instead, thank you.

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You think making a VM takes two weeks? I'm pretty sure Microsoft provides images you can just pop into virtualbox, but it's been a while since I used VMs.

Also if you need to use the windows software alongside your regular workflow (eg: reading info out of the windows software with your eyes and then typing into your IDE or terminal), rebooting the whole thing is going to suck.

[–] artyom@piefed.social 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You think making a VM takes two weeks?

I dunno, I spent several hours trying before I gave up.

eg: reading info out of the windows software with your eyes and then typing into your IDE or terminal

I can't fathom a scenario where I would need to do that.

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 1 points 1 week ago

Setting up a windows VM at my old job took like a few minutes, but I already had virtual box (I think that's what I used)

And I needed to see some software running in a Windows box while editing the code that talked to it.