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Latching on to the previous comment about a new approach. Besides what it says, there seems to be some confusion about virtual systems, distributed systems, networks and operating systems. Operating systems are dependent on a special kind of operation, like using or not using hardware as a starting point. The PC world knows the bios type of systems, where the disk operating system depends on a pre-os process before the os can actually start. All PC systems always needs the constant presence of the bios to be operational. Other systems in the unix world ignores the bios and is a virtual (file) system from the start. On PC systems the first booting device's MBR only has to point to any point the OS-loader sits, then it will start a kernel that can do all the work of a bios (thereby bypassing the hardware based pre-os system). The comment that "the bios can handle any operating system" is a case in point. Virtualisation has no need of a bios; only on PC's. All needed from the bios on a PC by e.g. Linux is just the MBR. The bios only has to point to the first booting device (actually only set a sequence to boot), then Linux ignores the rest. The bios is only to get the hardware line itself up for the software to boot in PC systems. In Virtual systems the starting point can be from any readable device. This already started with the 1968 developed systems by Denis Ritchie and others at AT&T, long before the pseudo visualisations like VMWare that emulates a PC like hardware box. This article needs knowledge of mainframes using virtualisation (VM370 CP-CMS 1979) and 1970's Unix versions, which was there before any PC, Intel or MS existed. All this article describes is based on emulations of a hardware system, rather than virtualisation of hardware into a system that is independent of the hardware used. The example of OSX (also a nix based system called Darwin) on Win is actually the cart pulling the horses. MS can only create a emulated box as a file on it's own file system and run it like any other program. There is nothing virtual about that. Software virtualisation can only be real virtualisation if two OS’s are running parallel on a hardware system. For those interested in good material, take a look at “Operating Systems, Design and Implementation”, Andrew S Tannebaum et.al, Page 43ff. “Operating System Structure” & Page 46ff, “Virtual Machines”. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.168.150.102 (talk)

Two sections, Hardware virtualization and Containerization, refer to "real computers" without any further clarification. Putting real computer into the wiki search box takes you [via redirect] to a page about Real computation, with a description at the top saying "the theory of real computation deals with hypothetical computing machines using infinite-precision real numbers".

Can someone improve the text in the two sections I've named to clarify what is being indicated by the references to "real computers"? NoMatterTryAgain (talk) 12:49, 24 November 2022 (UTC)Reply

NoMatterTryAgain: Both instances of "real computers" have now been replaced by "(physical) computers". Is there a better way of clarifying we're talking about the metal and plastic devices that exist in the real world -- such as laptop computer, server computer, etc. -- not the hypothetical thought-experiment? --DavidCary (talk) 03:31, 16 June 2025 (UTC)Reply

@DavidCary Thanks for drawing my attention to this. I had forgotten I wrote this comment.

The issue again is that the wiki page for Physical computing says physical computing "involves interactive systems that can sense and respond to the world around them".

I wonder if "hardware-based computer" is correct? It certainly highlights a difference from a "virtual" machine or "container" - but I don't know if it is fully correct for all circumstances. It would match the Computer hardware wiki page, which says that computer hardware "includes the physical parts of a computer, such as the central processing unit (CPU), random-access memory (RAM), motherboard, computer data storage, graphics card, sound card, and computer case. It includes external devices such as a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and speakers". NoMatterTryAgain (talk) 13:00, 19 June 2025 (UTC)Reply

Apparently we need a retronym -- a new word to describe what used to be the *only* way for programs to run on a computer, to distinguish that increasingly-rare approach from all these new approaches and hypothetical ideas. I'm OK with "hardware-based computer" for now; but surely there's a better term out there. Perhaps something related to bare-metal computer? --DavidCary (talk) 23:51, 24 June 2025 (UTC)Reply

Want to know everything about virtualisation 129.0.125.54 (talk) 21:58, 9 November 2023 (UTC)Reply

The redirect Virtual OS has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2026 July 16 § Virtual OS until a consensus is reached. 1234qwer1234qwer4 02:10, 16 July 2026 (UTC)Reply