[CALUG] Win 7 host w vm Ubuntu guest

[Walt Smith]

Hi,

I've just installed a Win 7 Pro ( native) onto a 7 y/o/ newly purchased
HP Elitebook  LAPTOP w/ 2 CPUs (x64)  and hyperthreading, 
8 gig ram, approx 2.4 Ghz.

I installed Oracle VirtualBox (free).  This is my first VM.
I installed Ubuntu 17 into the VM.
(Note: there is a common scrambled display problem
during install, easily fixed, after a google search ).

**
I'm hoping to get a few direct short answers in order to:

Desire to select the best use of the Laptop, since I'm trying
to wean myself away from too much indepth study.  But thats
not what I'm posting about.  Pointers to SHORT, to-the-point
info from links is fine.

And not have to google too much.
I am NOT ASKING for anyone to research or detail
the items below. 2-line answers are fine.


( PLEASE ! don't ask why I want a Win 7  !!)


**

My Q's..   
TL; DR..



1.  The Ubuntu as guest runs a bit slow.  I learned the VM 
(free Oracle VirtualBox ) is a 32 bit VM,  and wants only 32 
bit linux's.  Base memory in the VM is 1 gig, and I * think *  
I allocated 20 gig of drive.  Most of the settings
box seem to be greyed out.  A pay version of VM is different ??

I was hoping to have a pretty usable linux as guest.
But this doesn't quite make it ...

2.  In VM "settings"It wants 1 gig of base memory, and 
apparently wants 1 CPU.   I don't yet know what I'm looking 
at ( the bar colors aren't 
very distinct - but not active, apparently ).

Is there a common or obvious thing I'm missing to running it
so it's faster ?  

3. What hardware does a VM normally work * directly* with, or not ?
Can it directly access hardware such as the USB ports, 
modem, ethernet,  etc ?   My assumption is yes, and it must use 
the linux drivers.

Would the guest use in any way the drivers of the host ?

(I see it drives the display, and accesses the hard disk. )

3.  Would a linux as host and Win 7 as guest be more....
uhhhh  ....   efficient ? What would be the OBvious
Things I'd notice.

4.  I have not yet thought about a dual boot.  I've done
that before, and find it at times inconvenient.  But It's
not a dead thought.  

Note:
I haven't yet found out yet how much I'd be using 
Linux or windows.  That depends on some other
questions I  * may * post below...  but actually
carrying the Laptop around for a few months will
help me decide that.  


5.  Background FYI :  I've mostly used CentOS 6.x lately
on desktop. Before that was Fedora.   Presently,
I'm waiting for a friend to help me decide about a Ubuntu.

Specifically:
a.  I didn't like the desktop in Ubuntu ver 11-14 (?)   I'm looking forward
to a desktop more like Fedora or CentOS via recommendation.
NOTE: I do not really want a comment here on this .. This is FYI.

b.  I really liked ubuntu merely providing a simple "click" during
install for the media codecs.  I don't like going thru the contortions
of the other distros...  (I know WHY ... it's that way...  But no one seems
to be suing Canonical .....   Again, please no comments.

6.  To that end, Do ANY of the distros offer a dialup pre-setup
the way they did until recently ?   For example, I'm using kppp
on CentOS6.  However, CentOS6 made it easy, and via CentOS6.8,
it really doesn't work anymore:   There were two applets removed
that made dialup easy.

It appears that most Distros  include wvdial and pppd.
Do any include the applets for displaying modem speed lights,
the NetworkManager icon WITH dialup config ?  I see no reason 
to REMOVE them when they worked.  

So, is there a package for CentOS7 or Ubuntu for simple dialup  
use ? (That you know of  ).

NOTE:  I'm stuck on the dialup as a functional concept.   I'll
probably change from dialup ... soon .... but I know approx 
24 million people don't have access to broadband.   And believe 
removing something that worked pretty well isn't smart...
UNLESS  .. you're the distro , or upstream, that has to maintain
it.  I get that.   It's just a bug up my a-s.

(Removing the applets in the CentOS6 (RHEL ) midstream
was kinda crappy .... )
 
7.  VM:  Would anyone recommend the Windows VM to
run linux as guest?  Don't want a LOT of info, but a 2-liner
would be appreciated.

8.  And what about that other one: vmplayer ( vmware ) ??   
Do distros  put out "ready-to-install" ...  or is it required to 
spend big bucks on it.. which I wouldn't do...



Thanks ,  pick and choose... . or not ...
reply privately if desired.


Walt . . . . 



----
 The government is lawless, not the press (people).
 ( [Supreme Court] Justice Douglas re: The Pentagon Papers )