zlacker

>>makebo+(OP)
Tangential question: why does it normally take so long to start traditional VMs in the first place? At least on Windows, if you start a traditional VM, it takes several seconds for it to start running anything.

Edit: when I say anything, I'm not talking user programs. I mean as in, before even the first instruction of the firmware -- before even the virtual disk file is zeroed out, in cases where it needs to be. You literally can't pause the VM during this interval because the window hasn't even popped up yet, and even when it has, you still can't for a while because it literally hasn't started running anything. So the kernel and even firmware initialization slowness are entirely irrelevant to my question.

Why is that?

>>datafl+0h
I mean it is basically booting a computer from scratch, kind of makes sense. You have to allocate memory, start virtual CPUs, initialize devices, run BIOS/UEFI checks, perform hardware enumeration, all that jazz while emulating all of it, which tends to be slower than "real" implementations. I guess there is a bunch of processes for security as well, like wiping like zeroing pages and similar things that takes additional time.

If I let a VM use most of my hardware, it takes a few seconds from start to login prompt, which is the same time it takes for my Arch desktop to boot from pressing the button to seeing the login prompt.

>>diggan+8m
> You have to allocate memory, start virtual CPUs, initialize devices, run BIOS/UEFI checks, perform hardware enumeration, all that jazz while emulating all of it, which tends to be slower than "real" implementations.

That's not what I'm asking.

I'm saying it takes a long time for it to even execute a single instruction, in the BIOS itself. Even for the window to pop up, before you can even pause the VM (because it hasn't even started yet). What you're describing comes after all that, which I already understand and am not asking about.

>>datafl+8p
In defense of the replies, your initial question was very vague and left people to assume you meant the obvious thing.

>>bityar+ew
Sure, that's why I clarified.