The Department of Future Technologies of the University of Turku has developed versions of the virtual machine with a different program selection for different usage needs. There are currently four different versions available as follows:
| Version | Description |
|---|---|
| utuvm/java | A virtual machine designed for Java development work. Includes popular development environments Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA (community ed.), Scene Builder, DrJava, and a set of common Java development tools. Chromium as your browser. For more information on the embedded software and how to use it, see the java virtual machine manual. |
| utuvm/minimega | A virtual machine for software development that offers multiple language options. Includes the popular VS Code development environment as well as Chromium and Firefox browsers. Add-ons for C / C ++ and Node.JS are installed by default in the VS Code environment. Jupyter Notebook included for data analytics. Android development for Android Debug Bridge. In addition, a comprehensive set of command line programs for C, C ++, Python, Haskell, Prolog, and Forth software development is installed. |
| utuvm/latex | A virtual machine developed for writing theses and course reports. Includes TexLive environment as well as writing programs: Emacs, Vim, Gummi, Texmaker, TeXstudio, TeXworks, LyX and Pandoc. The environment is compatible with the thesis and course report templates provided on the department's git page. |
| utuvm/plain | Does not include programs for specialized use. Useful if, for example, you want to practice installing and configuring programs on an empty virtual machine. |
Each virtual machine also includes Miscellaneous utilities, such as viewing PDF files, using git version control, and using Seafile remotely.
Hardware requirements
For each virtual machine, the download page lists hardware requirements and recommendations. For example, Java and Minimega virtual machines have been tested to work best when the host system has at least 4 gigabytes of memory and at least 2 GB is allocated to the virtual machine. As for the USB versions, it can generally be said that they use about 1 to 1.5 GB less of the machine's main memory (ie the total amount of memory).
During installation, the hypervisor creates its own virtual machine file with an initial size equal to the size of the downloaded OVA / IMG file. Thus, after the installation of the virtual machine, the space has been used approximately twice the size of the OVA file. After installation or creating a stick, the OVA / IMG file is extra and can be deleted, but consider saving the file in case you need to destroy and re-enable the virtual machine.
The virtual machine allocates more space for the system to use, depending on how much of the virtualization platform stores its own changes. Typically, the size of your own changes can be on the order of 1--5 GB. If you have a small amount of disk space, avoid upgrading the operating system of the virtual machine ( sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade ), as there are two versions of the programs stored on the virtual machine. The original programs on the system are protected from changes so that updates are installed alongside them and subsequent updates overlay previous updates.
Stable and test versions
The stable machines of the Department of Future Technologies of the University of Turku are primarily available in stable versions. Stable version means a version that remains unchanged, for example, for a school year or longer. The stable version is the most recommended version to install, and this documentation as well as teacher support is based on the latest stable version currently available, unless otherwise noted in the course. The download service has an indication of which version is stable at any given time.
In addition, test versions may sometimes be available that fix some bugs and bugs in the stable versions. Due to the limited resources available for virtual machine development, test versions may contain potentially new, undocumented bugs, but on the other hand, fix known stable version bugs.
USB version
The virtual machines of the Department of Future Technologies of the University of Turku were originally developed for use on a hypervisor. However, the developed platform also supports running the virtual machine platform (virtualization platform) non-virtualized directly on the hardware. The solution chosen was a solution using a USB stick, similar to the Abitti system used in Finnish high schools.
Driving the platform directly on hardware has the advantage of a lower resource load, as there is no need to allocate memory from the computer to the two operating systems and the desktop and hypervisor. Virtualization also significantly slows down system performance, especially when communicating with hardware (e.g., disk usage). The operating version of the USB version is also likely to be significantly lighter than the operating systems included with computers, and may therefore in some cases run even more efficiently when run directly on the hardware than the operating system pre-installed on the machine.
The downside of a virtualization platform can be seen in its inability to fully support all possible hardware due to limited development and test resources. Saving the version to a USB stick may require a special "burning program." In addition, especially on many modern laptops, booting the system at all may require a so-called Disabling the Secure Boot feature. In practical terms, Secure Boot was probably originally developed for PCs to prevent the use of non-bundled Windows systems, for better or worse.