Separate "Workspace" from "Homespace?"

[hansolo77]

I'm looking to venture into an area of technology I'm completely unfamiliar with.  To be honest, I have no idea where to start.  I really want to get in and learn Linux.  Seeing all these great developments in things, like Kodi and RetroPie, I want to do more not only to help the community, but also to help broaden my capabilities.  To that end, I'd like to do something with my home server, that is supposed to support this type of thing.  I think it's called "Virtualization".  I've already tried doing what I'm familiar with, creating a separate user account.  That essentially gives me a blank Desktop to work with, aside from whatever programs I've installed that created shortcuts to "all users".  This is a start, but I can't figure out how to lock this account off from the rest of the computer.  I can only make it work with THAT user or my File Sharing Admin user, not simultaneously.  I don't want something I do on the account I created end up having effects on the rest of the system.  I use my server for computer backups and storage of digital media (photos, music, etc).  I want to have access to to these files from the account, but I also want to have access to install software that I can run only from this account that won't interfere with the normal running of the computer.  I want to be able to do things (because I'm experimenting) at the same time, while doing something like watch a shared movie.

Can something like that be accomplished from a USER level?  Or do I need to do something like dual booting so I can have a Linux OS and a Windows OS?  Or is dual booting not the correct term?  I want to be able to have multiple OS environments running at the same time.  Is that possible?  Basically I want my regular Windows Server software running, then I want my created user account be able to run Linux and access Windows Server shares while not disrupting any of the programs running.

Any idea where I should start?

[Adultery]

You should use a chroot jail for starters...

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/linux-virtualization-using-chroot-jail/

It's kinda complicated, but once you get up and running it's less intimidating than it seems.

 

[hansolo77]

Cool thanks for the advice.  After starting this thread I went out on the internet and did some searching to try and see if I could figure out what I needed.  I came across a virtualization program called Oracle VirtualBox.  It was free so I figured I'd start there.  I was concerned with going through and setting stuff up on my server using it's built in technologies.  I'm not very familiar with the whole server OS, so I didn't want to go poking around in stuff that might screw something up.  VirtualBox does everything automatically.  All I had to do was install it then create a "box" and install whatever on it.  Seems to have worked.  Gonna get experimenting with it soon, once I start feeling a little better that is.

[Adultery]

Virtualization is great, I use VirtualBox on my Ubuntu server as well. You'll still want to consider a jail though, it's best to keep everything isolated so you don't break anything else, especially if you plan on having your systems set up on the same server.

I even run Plex in a jail, it's just a safer option really. Especially if you don't know what you're doing in there.

Linux is lots of fun, especially when you toss Python in there. Have fun!

[hansolo77]

Yeah I've actually been learning quite a bit with my RetroPie builds.  I learned pretty quickly that I needed to make small edits, then multiple backups.  Having it in a virtual environment is going to help a lot with messing around with things and figuring out what works without it damaging other things.  That's my biggest concern.  I also like that I can do this without having to shut down the computer and reboot it from another drive/partition - just run it simultaneously. I almost feel like I've been living under a rock and missing out on things everybody already knows about.

[RIP-Felix]

I've used virtualbox to play with a few Linux distros, keep a copy of XP around during the vista/win7 era until I abandoned legacy software that couldn't make the jump. It will probably work for you as long as you keep your play local (limited to the VB partition instead of branching out onto your network). It depends on how invasive your hacking goes. Most likely you will just brick your VB and have to reinstall the module, but you might affect the main OS if your hack gets outside the virtual environment. My suggestion would be to buy, or repurposed an old laptop to play with linux. Linux doesn't need much specs to run on.

Something you may also think about trying is "DeepFreeze". We use this at work to protect our workstations from any changes students or teachers may make. Upon reboot It will restore the computer to the same exact state is was when you "Froze" it. Anything downloaded, copied, moved or changed will revert to the state it was before. Viruses damage will be undone too, as long as it hasn't invaded your network and remains on an unfrozen machine. It's useful for playing with new software or code. If you F-UP royally, you can just restart to undo everything from that session. It's kinda like restoring from a clean image of your OS on every boot. It keeps the computer clean and pristine. You can create a "thawspace", a folder or directory that will remain unfrozen when the computer reboots. Any files or changes made in the thawspace will persist afterward, but everywhere else will revert.

If you combine deepfreeze and virtualbox, then even if your linux hacking gets outside the virtual environment and screws up your main os, then everything will revert back to normal after a reboot. No harm, no foul!

[hansolo77]

I'm really liking virtualbox.  I haven't dabbed into much of the Linux stuff yet.  I just built a virtual Windows 7 machine to try it out.  Actually, I installed the TOR browser and I2P on it because I've been interested in browsing around in the deepweb.  Seeing as how a lot of that stuff is unrestricted, uncensored, and unprotected, I figured it would be a good testing bed to run inside a virtual machine like this.  If anything were to infect the machine, malware, spyware, (virus?) it would be restricted to that virtual machine.  The nice thing too is that it runs exactly like Windows 7, which I'm already familiar with.  It was quite a daunting task at first getting it set up.  I had a spare 500gb drive in my server, so I assigned roughly 90% of it to be dedicated for the virtual box.  That was hard to do because I didn't know what I was doing.  I've got it working now, and if I ever want to do something else, I can always hot-swap it out with another drive.

I'm eager to learn how to code things, even if they're just BASH scripts, from scratch.  I have no problem reading through somebody else's scripts from top to bottom, and see what the script is doing.  I have programmed things in the past, so I know how to do it.  My biggest hurdle is just learning a new language, and what the commands and variables are available to me.  I can lay out an outline saying "I want this to happen, and I need to do this, then this, then this to make it happen".  But knowing how to do that "this" part is my problem.  I'm sure I'll get there eventually. 

I wonder if there is a virtualbox for emulating Raspberry Pi hardware?  I have a few Pi 2's laying around, and a Pi 3 (not +).  I can always use those, and code in an SSH shell.  But it would be nice if I could do it in a virtual box.  That way I wouldn't have to disconnect all the things like HDMI and power from my working system to plug in the testing one.  Could work on stuff while watching a movie or something on Kodi.  Might be something I'll investigate when I have the free time and motivation.  I've not been feeling good at all lately, so not much of anything has been happening.

[RIP-Felix]

Pis are so cheap and flexible you don't need to emulate them. Just use putty from your computer and code away. If you brick it, re-flash your image and try again. They started out as a prototyping board, like an arduino. Playing around with hardware/code integration is what they're for.

[hansolo77]

I know.  I just don't like the physical aspect of having to disconnect my WORKING Pi and replace it with a test-bed one just for tinkering, then have to go back and move it again when I'm done.  I'd rather have a working Pi running simultaneously so I can do other stuff, ie; multitask.  Like listen to music, or watch a movie/tv show while coding.  It's no biggie though.