Running Debian as a Virtual Machine Host

Posted by Tone on Server Fault See other posts from Server Fault or by Tone
Published on 2010-04-06T11:55:35Z Indexed on 2010/04/06 12:03 UTC
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debian

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virtual-machines

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linux

I have a need to run a linux server to host subversion, bugzilla over Apache and also act as a file and print server. I also have a need to host Windows Server 2008 virtual machines for development purposes (I'm a .NET guy). The machine I have is a dual core AMD 2.5 Ghz w/2GB RAM. So here are my questions:

1) Should I run Debian (or some other distro) as the base AND create a Debian VM to host subversion, bugzilla and be my file/print server? or is it ok to use Debian as both my VM host and for those other reasons?

2) VMWare has a free server edition, Virtual Box also is another free option. Which one of these is better suited for what I need to do? Are there any other free (or inexpensive) alternatives out there?

3) Will I need a GUI with Debian in order to manage my VMs?

4) Can I run VMs without a GUI to conserve system resources?

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