Intel vs AMD for a Linux learning box

[just brew it!]

All three have support for KVM built in, which will save you from having to setup something like Virtualbox or VMware Workstation.

...not that VirtualBox is particularly difficult to set up. Oracle provides pre-packaged binaries for all the major distros if you want the proprietary features (still free for personal use), or you can install it from your distro's repository if you want to keep the box pure Open Source.

[Flatland_Spider]

...not that VirtualBox is particularly difficult to set up. Oracle provides pre-packaged binaries for all the major distros if you want the proprietary features (still free for personal use), or you can install it from your distro's repository if you want to keep the box pure Open Source.

You're right it's not hard. It's just one less piece of software to setup and manage.

[bthylafh]

How's that true? Most bigger distros have got Virtualbox in their repositories, and if you want kvm to be remotely as easy to use you have to install a front-end package anyway.

[Flatland_Spider]

Because I use Virtualbox from the Oracle repo, and I have to recompile the dkms module after kernel updates as well as download the extensions pack after a VBox update.

The frontend package automatically gets installed when KVM is installed on CentOS/SL and Fedora, so that's not really a problem.

[bthylafh]

That's your issue from using the Oracle repo instead of your distro's.

The extension pack is legitimate, but it's not /needed/ unless you need RDP or PXE or USB support.

*buntu doesn't install the KVM front-end automatically, nor does Debian, so that depends on which distro you use.

[Flatland_Spider]

It's something the OP may want to do, so I'm passing on the knowledge.

You should switch to Fedora or CentOS/Scientific Linux then.