Boot into a vm at startup

[Demon002]

I briefly searched for an answer to this but I didn't see anything, so if I missed it i apologize.

My mom has a bad habbit of buggering up her computer so I figured I would be a nice son and set up her laptop so that it boots into a virtual machine on startup and If it breaks I can just log into the Host OS and take the backup I intend to make as a baseline and restore it.

Keep in mind, she doesn't have a server to network boot into a vm. Is there a way to modify windows boot.ini so that it will only load into the VM unless I need to maintainence it :smileyconfused:

[wila · Accepted solution]

Hi,

You would still need to install a host OS to run VMware Player from or to do the (remote) support from that you talk about.

So putting an option in the boot.ini is not going to work.

Basically you would have to autostart the VM when the host has booted, then put that one in full screen mode.

You could do at least some of this with the vmrun command from for example the startup folder, but I'm not sure about the full screen switch on that one.

It has been talked about before.

Here are some links:

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/284777

or actually, use this tip from the VMware guys, it should work and is pretty simple to employ.

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1141729

--

Wil

[Demon002]

I had intended on installing a host OS, but i want it to be transparent and untouchable unless booted into, for example from a bootloader, and have that OS setup to replace snapshots that are broken etc..

[wila]

Ok, but VMware Player does not run on bare metal, it needs an OS to run on top of.

You can use linux or windows as your host OS to run VMPlayer from, but you'll need at least something there.

--

Wil

[continuum]

does this look right ?
http://sanbarrow.com/moa24/videos/kiosk/kiosk.html

[Demon002]

That looks exactly right if that is the entire boot process from power on, minus the POST of course.

So what I am wanting is this:

1.)Power on

2.) POST

3.) Bootloader with VM and Host OS as options

4a.) Select VM and it boots into a Virtual Machine with Local credentials

4b.) Select Host OS and use Admin account to Manage snapshots

Windows 7 has the ability to do this with VHDs natively, which may be an option i could look into if this isn't a viable option

[continuum]

Hi
I do not know what you mean with POST ?

in the video I use a USB-bootable mini Windows that is preconfigured to start a single VM - you can also configure it so that it opens Workstation or VMplayer instead  - to give you a choice of VMs.

[wila]

Demon002 wrote:

Windows 7 has the ability to do this with VHDs natively, which may be an option i could look into if this isn't a viable option

Sorry to nitpick.

Actually that is not running a VM, in that case you are running a complete Windows OS on the real hardware from a virtual disk.

But let's call it "VM" to keep things simple.

The only difference there is that you are running from a disk image, you could basically do the same with a real harddisk and store an image on a second harddisk (or DVD). Your "VM" will have access to the other disk too, so if the "VM" gets infected, it can still mess up your rescue OS.

There is no isolation in that case.

--

Wil

[wila]

Ulli,

POST = Power On Self Test, it is the BIOS test you'll see when you boot any PC.

Not something you can skip (well you can partly disable it in the BIOS) unless you boot from EFI.

--

Wil

[Demon002]

To be super nitpicky, it still is virtualization, just a different level and type of virtualization. As described here...

http://thecloudguytim.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/5-levels-of-virtualization/

Anyway, Cont. do you have a HOW TO that I can tinker with? It looks to be the most realistic option for me.

Just to be fair I do realize I have asked for two different ways to"boot into a vm at startup". Honestly, I am just looking for a way to boot into a vm, without user knowledge, intervention or the ability for the user to break the underlying OS. So, if anyone knows a way to configure a login to start a VM and make the HOST OS untouchable that would be cool. If someone knows how to boot into a VM with just "bare metal" and no underlying OS that would be cool too. So far the most likely candidate I have seen is Ulli's Kiosk mode.

Seamless loading to a VM, thats what I am looking for.

[continuum]

have a look here for more info
http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-14672

you mustdecide yourself

- either run your regular corruptable operating system and then configure VMplayer to act as the main shell - instead of explorer

- or boot an uncorruptable OS from USB-disk or stick the way I do it