4 ms·

Microsoft fails to provide Windows 10 VM images for developers

35 points by JaimeThompson 5y ago

c7DJTLrn 5y ago
On a very orthogonal note, I downloaded the official VMs once in the past hoping that it would be like a premade Windows 'rootfs' that I could base my own installation on, like how Canonical provides the (very tiny) Ubuntu Base rootfs. Unfortunately, I learned that bootstrapping Windows absolutely requires the setup (downlevel) process because of a phase that writes which devices are present into the registry so that the correct drivers can be loaded. The setup process that runs after the base system is written to disk bloats up the footprint of the OS quite a bit. Anyway, I'm silly for trying to treat Windows like Linux. It's quite fun hacking around with the OS though and seeing what's possible - UWF is one thing worth looking into.
- lloydatkinson 5y ago
  Isn't this what sysprep is for? Removing drivers and other crap?
- tinus_hn 5y ago
  Like Windows, Linux of course also requires you to have drivers loaded for the disks that contain your filesystems.
  - pritambaral 5y ago
    Linux does it at boot time. On every boot. 'it' = probe hardware, detect hardware config, load corresponding drivers. Your parent is saying that Windows instead writes down the hardware config to the registry during setup.
- naikrovek 5y ago
  yes, windows works that way. windows administrators think very differently than Linux administrators. source: I'm both. you can, however, use tools provided by Microsoft to customize windows deployment images, to an extent. Windows Core OS will make that much more possible, if it is made available by itself, which may or may not happen; I don't know what their plans are for Core OS.
- deeesstoronto 5y ago
  I don't see why you couldn't use it as a premade rootfs. You actually don't need to use setup when changing hardware on Windows either. You can push extra drivers for the new hardware using DISM. I've used this method to move a disk to new hardware a few times.
nix23 5y ago
Oh nice that i am not the only one, downloaded a image 4 days ago, and it say'd "valid for 2 days", but Win11 images where still not available ;)
smoldesu 5y ago
I like how the catalyst for this whole brouhaha is a tweet where someone jokingly prods the FTC, as if they'd be able to make Microsoft start providing pre-built VM images. If we're on the topic of "holding vendors accountable for providing usable VM images", there are far more heinous players at the table here. Unless you're using an incomplete VM suite, most people will be perfectly suited with the Win10 ISO and container snapshots. I really fail to see what the riot is about.
hoppyhoppy2 5y ago
The issue appears to be resolved now https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/virtual-machines/ https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/virt...

35 points by JaimeThompson 5y ago

On a very orthogonal note, I downloaded the official VMs once in the past hoping that it would be like a premade Windows 'rootfs' that I could base my own installation on, like how Canonical provides the (very tiny) Ubuntu Base rootfs. Unfortunately, I learned that bootstrapping Windows absolutely requires the setup (downlevel) process because of a phase that writes which devices are present into the registry so that the correct drivers can be loaded. The setup process that runs after the base system is written to disk bloats up the footprint of the OS quite a bit. Anyway, I'm silly for trying to treat Windows like Linux. It's quite fun hacking around with the OS though and seeing what's possible - UWF is one thing worth looking into.

lloydatkinson 5y ago
Isn't this what sysprep is for? Removing drivers and other crap?
tinus_hn 5y ago
Like Windows, Linux of course also requires you to have drivers loaded for the disks that contain your filesystems.
- pritambaral 5y ago
  Linux does it at boot time. On every boot. 'it' = probe hardware, detect hardware config, load corresponding drivers. Your parent is saying that Windows instead writes down the hardware config to the registry during setup.
naikrovek 5y ago
yes, windows works that way. windows administrators think very differently than Linux administrators. source: I'm both. you can, however, use tools provided by Microsoft to customize windows deployment images, to an extent. Windows Core OS will make that much more possible, if it is made available by itself, which may or may not happen; I don't know what their plans are for Core OS.
deeesstoronto 5y ago
I don't see why you couldn't use it as a premade rootfs. You actually don't need to use setup when changing hardware on Windows either. You can push extra drivers for the new hardware using DISM. I've used this method to move a disk to new hardware a few times.

nix23 5y ago

Oh nice that i am not the only one, downloaded a image 4 days ago, and it say'd "valid for 2 days", but Win11 images where still not available ;)

smoldesu 5y ago

I like how the catalyst for this whole brouhaha is a tweet where someone jokingly prods the FTC, as if they'd be able to make Microsoft start providing pre-built VM images. If we're on the topic of "holding vendors accountable for providing usable VM images", there are far more heinous players at the table here. Unless you're using an incomplete VM suite, most people will be perfectly suited with the Win10 ISO and container snapshots. I really fail to see what the riot is about.

hoppyhoppy2 5y ago

The issue appears to be resolved now https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/virtual-machines/ https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/virt...