>>>>Now with everything else on Linux and the SQL and Fox in a caged VM, I'm quite happy. I use the VMs (have another one where I keep SQL2014 Express, use it when needed) for work, i.e. Fox and SQL. For everything else (email, office, reading, browser, photography, scanning, music, video etc) I use Linux and guess what - in these seven months I've spent far less time serving the OSes and far more just using them. And saved about 2km of nerves.
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>>>What if you had to work in M$ VS (to build, e.g., .NET Web API)? Would you be able to do it in the current environment?
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>>A VM thinks it's a whole machine, so why not. Most of the servers nowadays are VMs, and you don't really know what's the host OS.
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>>Actually I know why not: I'd retire immediately :).
>
>One of these days I will, hopefully, learn how to do VM. When you retire, I will too :)

Actually it's very simple - I did it without a manual, just looking at the buttons and labels.

1) use whatever gui your vm handler has to create a virtual machine. Give it what you will - one core, two gig RAM, 50G disk, or eight times that - up to you.
2) have an .iso file of a CD from which you would boot the setup for the OS of that machine. Point the CD of the VM to that image (every VM handler has this option, and I tried a few).
3) start the VM (select it on your handler's list of VMs, then click wherever it says start, rightclick should have it too), it will boot from that CD image and proceed with installation.
4) start using it.