13-06-2009, 03:00 PM
Employing the novel idea of a co-operative virtual machine(CVM) co-operative linux or colinx can support the kernel of both the Microsoft windows and the linux, to run parallel on the same machine. Unlike in the traditional VMs where every guest is in the unprivileged mode to control the real machine also where the resources are virtualised for every OS, the CVM gives both the OSs complete control of the host machine. Since the system hardware of today is not compatible to deal with two different operating systems at a time, the word co-operative used to denote two bodies working in parallel would only theoretically suite the whole idea.
So, although each of the kernels has its own complete CPU context and address space, and can also make a decision when to give control back to its associate what really happens is that the host kernel is left in control of the real hardware and the guest kernel that has some special drivers can communicate with the host and provide various important devices to the guest OS.
