[winswitch] single, homogeneous and flexible operating (OS) context

[Mario Marietto]

Hello.

I like the idea of using 4 different Linux distributions at the same
time,making the minimum effort possible to use them. I'm evaluating the X
forwarding + lxpanel,but the applications open very very slowly. So,I will
drop this method. And I'm a little sad because in this way I could have
used 4 taskbars (top,down,left and right,so : debian,arch,fedora,nixos).
Probably I will test if xpra works better. Regarding the method used,I've
thought that it could be something like this :

/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 \
    -enable-kvm \
    -m 4G \
    -machine q35,accel=kvm \
    -smp 8,cores=4 \
    -cpu host,kvm=off \
    -smp 2,sockets=1,cores=2,threads=1 \
    -drive
if=pflash,format=raw,readonly=on,file=/usr/share/OVMF/OVMF_CODE_4M.fd \
    -device ich9-intel-hda \
    -device hda-output \
    -usb -device usb-kbd \
    -device usb-mouse \
    -device virtio-net-pci,netdev=net0 \
    -netdev tap,id=net0,ifname=tap0,script=no,downscript=no,vhost=on \
    -drive
if=pflash,format=raw,readonly=on,file=/usr/share/OVMF/OVMF_VARS_4M.fd \
    -device ich9-ahci,id=sata \
    -drive
id=SystemDisk,if=none,snapshot=off,cache=none,media=disk,format=raw,file=/dev/sdd
\
    -device ide-hd,bus=sata.4,drive=SystemDisk \
    -nographic \
    -vga none \
    -device
pcie-root-port,bus=pcie.0,multifunction=on,port=1,chassis=1,id=port.1 >
/dev/null 2>&1 &

the 4 distributions could share automatically some common informations
between them to avoid the risk to lose some of them if one VM will crash or
the data inside are corrupted. And,I forgot to explain that I will install
the 4 distros physically on the disk "/dev/sdd" so that I can access and
use them not only virtually,but also physically. My cpu has 8 cores,16
threads,so I will give 4 cores for each vm,for a total of 16.

On Mon, Mar 20, 2023 at 1:22 PM xpra--- via shifter-users <
shifter-users at lists.devloop.org.uk> wrote:

> On 2023-03-13 05:30, Mario Marietto wrote:
> > Hello/Ciao.
> >
> > Luca Manganelli,you come from Italy,right ? just like me. I'm happy to
> > find,sometimes,a compatriot on the Linux / FreeBSD forums and ML that
> > I attend. So. The answer is that I don't like, I don't find it
> > comfortable, to continuously open and close the vnc client every time
>
> X11 can seamlessly have all the windows you want of say LibreOffice on
> Ubuntu, Firefox on CentOS via SSH and X11 forwarding.. This email client
> is run this way, as many other things I do.....Only difference is I use
> one distro *buntus...You can switch from what ever window you want with
> ALT-TAB simple as that.. You can probably assign some keybindings via
> X11 to do that too..
>
> > I want to use a specific distribution. Instead I find it more
> > comfortable to centralize as much as possible more distributions in a
> > single interface and terminal. I
>
> Why??? Differing distros with differing package management for one ie:
> Debian/*buntu based with apt-get and then RH based with yum, etc... that
> adds to issues and problems.. and less centralization...
>
>
> > list of smart aliases to handle all the commands and to launch the
> > applications I want in the distribution I want.
>
> Reading the other reply.. in re the specialty distros that are mixing
> and matching differing distros into one..
> I still can't wrap my head around it..
>
> Umm... Why do this????
>
> Why would you want to run say LibreOffice on Ubuntu and Firefox on
> CentOS as an example????
>
> As to having issues where maybe  you make a change and that causes the
> OS to break or the program to break, then using virtualization options
> is probably the option.. You can have a BASE VM image, clone it, start
> it up in your VM software of choice, and play, then if it breaks.. you
> can go back to the base, clone, and rebuild.. learning how to fix or
> what not to do? :) ;) I do this... tons of VMs and carcasses from the
> things going awry when something may not work out...
>
> Right now, I am testing a new version of a *buntu..I've created a base
> VM image... I can now test out some things.. like LightDM replacing SDDM
> or what ever the DM is.. as I need XDMCP and LightDM provides that.. ...
> but it can be dangerous to play with the DM leading to no GUI (X11
> desktop) etc.. same with XPRA... I am going to test installing XPRA to
> this distro.. so if things go awry, I can go back to my base image and
> try again.. Same with some other software which needs to be compiled in
> a certain environment... and can go very very awry... hence play in the
> VM(s) and take notes.. Once I have the notes I what I did.. I make a NEW
> BASE image to work from... and apply that to physical installs as well.
>
> > not only a question of comfort, but also of optimizing workspaces.
> > After all, if the controls of an airplane have been centralized in a
> > single dashboard, there must be a reason, right ?
>
> I don't think that is a good analogy, as they are not operating under
> differing OS's.. At least in my mind this is de-optimizing things with
> using multiple distors versus a single distro or at least the same vein
> of distro ie: Debian based be it Ubuntu, Mint, etc.. I have the same
> base distro I use.
>
> So I guess I am lost on how this multiple distros has a benefit....
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>


-- 
Mario.