A Beginner’s Guide to Virtual Machines in Operating Systems

A virtual machine (VM) is a software emulation of a physical computer that operates like a separate computer within a host operating system. Virtual machines allow multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine, providing a way to run multiple applications on different operating systems without the need for separate physical hardware.

Virtual machines are typically used for testing software in different environments, running legacy applications on modern hardware, and isolating applications for security purposes. They also provide a way to consolidate physical hardware resources by running multiple virtual machines on a single server.

Some popular virtual machine software includes VMware, VirtualBox, and Microsoft Hyper-V. These platforms allow users to create, manage, and run virtual machines on their host systems.