2021-11-12 15:31:33 +00:00
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---
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title: Purpose
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description:
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published: true
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date: 2021-11-12T15:31:30.659Z
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tags:
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editor: markdown
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dateCreated: 2021-11-12T15:31:30.659Z
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---
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2021-11-15 15:26:10 +00:00
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## []{#anchor-31}Purpose
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Why would one prefers to use an operating system installed on virtual
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hardware ?
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Adding a layer of abstraction between the operating system and the
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virtualization-friendly hardware allows for support of newer operating
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systems, beyond what the physical hardware can support.
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- By using Phyllome OS on Apple hardware that do not support the
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latest iteration of macOS, one could create a virtual machine and
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install the latest iteration of macOS anyway, further extending the
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life of hardware.
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- **Note:** Phyllome OS does not and will **not** support running
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macOS on anything but Apple hardware, as it is -- sadly -- not
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allowed by Apple.
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- Windows 11 requires a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). By using a
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virtual machine alongside a virtual TPM on unsupported hardware, one
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could still run Windows 11. The passthrough of a real TPM may also
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be supported.
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### []{#anchor-32}Advantages
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More generally, a software-based/backed computer, or simply a virtual
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machine, has many advantages over a silicon-based computer :
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- **Cost** : the cost of creating a virtual machine tends to zero
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- **Flexibility** : a software-backed computer, alongside its
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operating system, can be migrated to new physical hosts. In other
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words, when a user acquires a new physical computer, the entire
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computing environment may be copy/pasted to the new machine.
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- **Compatibility** : contrary to silicon-based computers, which tend
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to be optimized to work at most with only a handful operating
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systems, a virtual machine can be designed to work with most
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operating systems.
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### []{#anchor-33}Limitations
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Alas, it also comes with limitations, including but not limited to :
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- Limited out-of-the box hardware support : hardware-assisted
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virtualization is available on many computers but rarely activated
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by default and not always correctly implemented. Users remain a the
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mercy of good platform firmware and may have to explicitly activate
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hardware-assisted virtualization in the BIOS/UEFI. Hardware
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components are often not correctly isolated in IOMMU groups.
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- Offering first-class support for only a handful of curated
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computers might provide an answer, at the price of
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compatibility.
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- When it comes to IOMMU groups, a workaround[^30] might have to
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be used for models that do not offer well-isolated IOMMU groups,
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a workaround that has security implications.
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- **Reliance on devices or controllers passthrough to cover edge cases
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**: virtual hardware do not cover all features a user may expect to
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have, including out of the box support for Bluetooth, wireless, or
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sound adapters. For those cases, USB or PCI Passthrough might be
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used.
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- Again, offering first-class support for only a handful of
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curated computers might provide an answer, at the price of
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compatibility.
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- New virtual hardware are expected, including paravirtualized
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sound cards, which will improve the situation.
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