Could you tell me if it's possible to and, if so, give me some advice on how to run applications on a virtual machine with Linux on a Windows XP desktop? I have installed Windows XP SP2. What do I need to do?
It's certainly possible to run multiple independent operating systems on the same hardware. After installing Windows, you'll need to install a virtualization product. Examples include Microsoft Virtual PC and VMware Server (both free), as well as products from numerous other third parties. You can then create a new VM for hosting the Linux OS. In most cases, current versions of Linux will run just fine, regardless of the hardware configuration of the physical computer.
This was first published in August 2007