\begin{itemize}

   \item

   Depending on the particular course you are taking, use of
   a \textbf{virtual machine} running under a
   \textbf{hypervisor} may or may not be a good solution.

   \item
   Whether or not it is a good choice depends on your
   particular hardware (memory and CPU power mainly), choice
   of \textbf{Linux} distribution, and the operating system
   running on the host.  You should have received
   course-specific advice on this before the class starts.
   In general, virtual machines are not to be used in classes
   using embedded hardware for both reasons of performance
   and external port control.

   \item
   However, if a VM is a good choice it can let you play with
   multiple distributions, and let you operate without fear
   of destroying your system.


   \item
   The \textbf{Linux Foundation} furnishes pre-manufactured
   compressed images which can be found at
   \url{https://training.linuxfoundation.org/cm/VIRTUAL_MACHINE_IMAGES}.
   These images are designed to work either with
   \textbf{VMware} products or \textbf{Oracle Virtual Box},
   and can also be adapted to work with \textbf{KVM} and
   \textbf{Microsoft HyperV}.  The \verb?README? file in that
   directory has full instructions on how to deploy them.

   \item
   Your instructor will give you the credentials to download
   a VM if you have not done so already.  Make sure you read
   the \verb?README? file!

   \item
   These machines are refreshed every time a new
   \textbf{Linux} kernel is released (every 10 weeks or so)
   and have already had the \textbf{ready-for.sh} script run.
   However, you should always run it again once the machine
   is up and running in case there have been any updates.

   \item

   In your virtual machine settings you should set the number
   of \textbf{CPU}s to be equal to the number of physical
   CPUs on the host, as this can greatly speed up any
   CPU-intensive compilations we do.

\end{itemize}
