Not only those who work in the IT field but also those who want to exploit the potential of other operating systems know that it is not necessary to have three different computers to use Windows, Linux and Mac because you can create virtual machines and combine multiple systems in one . for example, a Mac user who wants to occasionally use a program that only works on Windows or who wants to try Linux, can install a virtual PC on his computer and create a separate and emulated environment, completely independent of the operating system installed on the computer
The various ways to create virtual PCs and put Windows, Linux and Mac on the same computer were explained in a previous article.
What many do not know, however, is that one of the programs that allows you to work with virtual PCs, the free VirtualBox, allows you to perfectly combine the native operating system with virtual guests, allowing you to work with the windows of both systems, one next to each other on the same desktop .
It thus becomes possible to use together, without making any exchange procedures and without having to restart the computer, Mac OSX and Windows or Windows and Ubuntu, or two different Linux distributions such as Ubuntu and Fedora and so on.
VirtualBox is a program that I have already used to write the guide on how to install Windows 7 together with Windows XP or Vista, to start a virtual computer with a live Linux CD, without installation and to make a virtualized clone copy of your system.
The only limitation of virtual PCs are licenses, for example Apple would not allow you to create a virtual Mac while for Windows it would always take the license as if you were using a real new computer; You can freely download and try Linux systems with VirtualBox.
To put one system side by side and work, for example, on Linux on the same desktop where there is Windows or vice versa, you can use the SeamLess Mode solution which, literally, means "seamlessly".
After installing and starting the virtual machine, Guest Additions must be installed.
These changes in the operating system allow you to move the mouse from the virtual operating system to the real operating system as if they were two normal windows open on the desktop.
The installation of these new elements is simple: after creating the virtual PC, go to the Devices menu item and then press on " Install Guest Additions " and, following the guided procedure, the installation is completed.
By clicking on the menu item " Machine " you can select " Seamless Mode " to combine the two systems.
In this mode you can use the programs of one or the other operating system, displaying a double taskbar on the desktop of the native system.
This is a great way to use Linux Ubuntu programs and Windows programs by placing them side by side, as if it were the same computer, forgetting that one of them is actually a virtual PC.
For example, you can use Firefox on Ubuntu to surf the Internet without virus risks, use Windows applications on Linux or on a Mac without inventing complicated tricks.
The Seamless mode that I personally discovered recently and that I would like to explore further, seems like a real magic, a really important VirtualBox feature, both for those who work with multiple operating systems, and for those who use Linux or Mac but need Windows every now and then, both for those who love to tinker, make tests and experiments
