Dualboot setup for Linux or Windows alongside Steam support
Dualboot setup for Linux or Windows alongside Steam support
I’m thinking about this. You have a dual-boot setup with Ubuntu and Windows 10, and you’re dealing with slow internet that makes downloading games frustrating. The main issue is that your Ubuntu system needs to reboot for the game to download in Windows while you’re away. You’re curious if running a separate Linux VM could help—letting Steam install on Windows 10 and share files with your Ubuntu side. It sounds like you’re trying to avoid constant interruptions, but there are technical hurdles to consider before deciding to upgrade.
The free edition should suffice for this tool. It seems the Linux variant should work similarly.
Virtualbox functions properly even when your Windows and Linux installations reside on separate drives. This setup might also apply to VMware.
Linux runs on one SSD while Windows is installed on another, using an HDD with NTFS storage. The issue is understanding why VirtualBox or VMware need virtual machine files to identify a genuine Windows installation for booting inside the virtual environment.
You can generate a disk file acting as a quick link to a physical hard drive. This method is useful for accessing real drives without using VMware. While I’m not familiar with VMware, I rely on VirtualBox and typically work in the opposite direction—installing Linux on Windows—but it functions similarly regardless.
Download the games on Linux and transfer them to your Windows setup. Alternatively, include the required folder in your Windows Steam Library for both OSes, then pick that spot for installations. Set up a directory in your home folder, such as /home/<yourusername>/windows, add the Windows partition to /etc/fstab so it mounts at /home/<yourusername>/windows. After that, you can use sudo mount -a or simply restart and it will appear. Next, change ownership with sudo chown -R <yourusername>:<yourusername> /home/<yourusername>/windows (replace the placeholders). You can then add relevant directories from there to your Linux Steam Library, making them accessible when Windows boots.
Previously mentioned, my system uses Linux on one SSD and Win10 on another, with an HDD serving as the main storage drive. The HDD contains a Steam download folder. I recently added that folder to my Linux Steam account and it functioned correctly—games appeared but didn’t run smoothly (Steam Proton performance was poor). It did manage to start a partial download for a game being downloaded on Windows. I plan to wait a while, then reboot to Win10 to check if the download resumes where it left off. This should resolve the issue without much effort.