Running on two operating systems simultaneously
Running on two operating systems simultaneously
Hi there! I've been considering switching to Linux as my primary operating system, with a virtual machine running Windows for gaming and other needs. My main concern is staying safe from viruses and malware that could steal session tokens, leaving me vulnerable without realizing it. I want all my accounts to be accessible on Linux so I can seamlessly use the virtual machine. Additionally, I'm worried about school policies—no surveillance programs from my university should monitor my activities outside class hours, and I don't want to blur the lines between personal and professional life. If this isn't clear, I'm looking for guidance on how to get started. Would anyone be able to help with booting into Linux or dual-booting? Also, any tips on choosing a distro or learning resources would be great. Thanks in advance for your time and advice!
I handle things this way and everything has worked fine. The monitoring tools I use at university will flag if it's running in a virtual machine and won’t run on Linux. I’m dual booting PopOS and Windows 11. PopOS works well for my development tasks since Linux is more comfortable there, but I keep Windows 11 handy for gaming or exams. When picking Linux distros, you can use Rufus to create an ISO from a flash drive and test it with the Live CD option. All the distros I’ve tried support this method, making it simple to verify compatibility. My three favorites are: 1. PopOS 2. Fedora 3. Linux Mint. Also, I don’t suggest running games inside a VM—dual boot is the best approach.
don't run VM since many anti-cheat systems treat it as cheating; instead, try dual booting Windows and Linux. I used to do dual boot (even triple boot once) on my old laptop. For the version I prefer, it's Ubuntu because it's my first distro I've used.
Sure thing! For a balance of technical insight and simplicity, I’d recommend sticking with a well-established distro like Ubuntu or Fedora. They’re user-friendly yet solid choices for everyday use. As for your second question, having two separate OSes on dual-boot doesn’t usually mean one will get affected by issues in the other—unless there’s some kind of malware that spreads between them. Regarding RAID 1, it can help protect your data, but make sure your drives are properly configured and backed up regularly for added peace of mind.
Linux stands as an infrequent choice for ransomware or malware due to its limited victim base. Windows struggles to access typical Linux-formatted storage without specific add-ons.