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Virtual machine

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Revision as of 05:13, 20 February 2022 by Se7en1 (talk | contribs) (Extend introductory paragraph, add notable usages of Virtual Machines.)
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A Virtual Machine (or VM) is a form of virtualization of hardware within software-level processing through extended features of the Processor. A practical definition of a VM is that it allows you to emulate an entire computer within your own system, and run that system in an isolated container, under what is known as a hypervisor. For instance, on a GNU/Linux system, you can run QEMU or VirtualBox to run Windows within this container without having to switch systems.

Some systems have the ability to break the hypervisor and access the main system. These are deliberately malicious systems. Be forewarned when using a VM due to this vulnrability. In 2015, Windows 10 was reported to have this ability.


Notable usages of Virtual Machines

  • Bill Gates infamously used his Father's connections at Harvard University to emulate the Intel 8080 before its release so he could be ahead of the curve from his Homebrew Computer Club, and then complained when people copied his Altair Basic for free despite this meaning it was made with Tax-Payer assistance.