I created a virtual Ubuntu server on my Windows HTPC box using VirtualBox and VBoxVmService. This is a great setup as I can have a HTPC that’s always on with a Ubuntu server running on top.
The Zbox is very energy efficient, quiet and small. This uses the AMD APU chip which is a all-in-one CPU/GPU combo.
My setup is:
- Zotac Zbox AD02
- 8GB DDR3
- 500GB WD HDD 7200k rpm
- Windows 7 ultimate
Installation was easy, I just installed VirtualBox, create a VM using the ISO from Ubuntu (make sure you install/enable SSH or NoMachine for remote access to the headless server), and then setup the VM to run as a service with VBoxVmService.
http://vboxvmservice.sourceforge.net/
https://www.virtualbox.org/