Please don't try running Linux in a virtual machine under Windows,
unless you are only using it for experimentation with different Linux
distributions before making a final switch. It would be much better for
productivity and stability to run an older version of windows, say xp,
inside a virtual machine under Linux, for the rare occasions when you
feel you need to use a Windows application.
Rationale: Windows can easily become quite unstable, especially when
installing new software or hardware, and if Windows crashes, your
virtual machine will suffer an unclean shutdown and may not boot, in
which case, you could mess up both your Windows installation and your
Linux virtual machine. Yes, this is a worst-case scenario but it can and
does happen. Also, if Windows becomes infected with a virus, it will
destroy your Linux virtual machine configuration files and hard disk
images, just as easily as any other files on your Windows system, so you
will effectively lose two computers at once. On the other hand, if you
run Windows inside a virtual machine under Linux and Windows crashes or
becomes infected with a virus, only your Windows virtual machine is
lost, and you will still have full access to everything that Linux has
to offer. Worst case is that you will need to delete the Windows virtual
machine and reinstall Windows, but then you have only effectively lost
one computer rather than two at once.
I will agree that VirtualBox is one of the best applications for running
virtual machines, and it's the one I use every day to test distros and
even experiment on a virtual copy of the distro I normally use. However,
in order to run two or more operating systems simultaneously on a single
machine, you need a solid foundation, and Linux is the most solid
foundation available to date, with the possible exception of *BSD, but
*BSD doesn't support as broad a range of PC hardware as Linux from what
I've read. Of course I'd love to be corrected if I'm wrong on this point.
As for which Linux distribution to choose, my best advice is to do some
experimentation and find the one you like the best. I am a major
supporter of Arch Linux, which works very well once you get it
installed. You have all the same choices of major desktop environments
and applications you have with Ubuntu or its derivatives, and you can
also gain access to the user repository, which is a searchable database
for many more packages that aren't in the official repositories for one
reason or another. In addition, you will get the newest versions of most
applications almost as soon as they are released, rather than having to
wait for a 6-month or longer release cycle. The developers also do their
best to minimize any breakage that can occur as the system is kept
up-to-date. On the other hand, I am thinking that an LTS (long-term
support) Ubuntu release such as 12.04 is better for increased
productivity that is guaranteed to be stable and supported for 5 years,
both commercially and by the community. Ubuntu 12.04 is certainly one of
the best available distros for out-of-the-box hardware support with
little fus and long-term stability. There is also something to be said
for the ability to purchase commercial support for your primary OS if
you feel you need it. Of course, there is also something to be said for
the freedom to choose not to purchase commercial support or a
restrictive license, even when using the OS in a corporate environment,
which is the major case for nearly any distribution of Linux with no
Windows at all, if you feel you can take the plunge.
Hopefully some of this information will help you make the best decision
for your needs.
~Kyle
http://kyle.tk/
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