Build, deploy, and automate Windows VMs on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Hello, and welcome back to the SloopStash blog! We’re excited to have you here with us! Before we dive into this blog post, we want to ensure you have a basic understanding of the Windows operating system and virtual machines or VMs. If these concepts are new to you, some of the information may be a bit challenging to follow.

It is important to understand that we are developing a robust method for building, deploying, automating, and managing different versions of Windows-based VMs on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems for development and testing purposes. This approach enables us to effectively scale multiple Windows VMs across various on-premise infrastructures, whether on a local developer machine or a dedicated server. By utilizing Type 2 hosted hypervisors such as VirtualBox and VMware, along with VM automation tools like Vagrant, we can streamline the process of building and running various Windows versions (Windows 10 or Windows 11) as VMs, effectively covering every use case.

Deploy VM management tools in Windows, Mac, and Linux

To effectively build, deploy, and run multiple Windows VMs for your development and testing projects, it’s important to have the right VM management tools installed and configured on your Windows, Mac, or Linux operating system.

Start by installing and configuring Type 2 or hosted hypervisors such as VirtualBox or VMware, along with VM automation tools like Vagrant. This setup will allow you to build and run different versions of Windows as VMs smoothly. Please refer to the documentation below to deploy the necessary VM management tools.

• Deploy VM management tools in Windows, Mac, and Linux

Build and manage Windows VMs using Vagrant

After deploying the VM management tools on your Windows, Mac, or Linux operating system, you can start building multiple Windows VMs using it. Our SloopStash Windows starter-kit effortlessly streamlines the process of building, deploying, automating, and managing different versions of Windows VMs in Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.

Getting started with SloopStash Windows starter-kit

Building, deploying, automating, and managing different Windows versions as VMs for your development and testing projects has been made easier with our SloopStash WIndows starter-kit. This starter-kit includes all the necessary code, configuration, tools, and technical resources required for the automated building of multiple Windows VMs using VM management tools such as Vagrant, VirtualBox, and VMware. Please refer to the documentation below to get started with the SloopStash Windows starter-kit.

• Getting started with SloopStash Windows starter-kit

Build Windows VMs using Vagrant automation

To build, deploy, automate, and manage a single Windows VM using Vagrant, you need to follow two main steps.

First, configure the environment variables that specify the Windows version (such as Windows 10 or Windows 11), the processor architecture (either AMD64 or ARM64), the edition (server or desktop), and the hypervisor (VirtualBox or VMware) that will be used by the Vagrant CLI. This configuration allows Vagrant to execute the appropriate Vagrant configuration.

Second, run the Vagrant configuration to automate the build and deployment of the Windows VM based on the configured environment variables in the previous step.

In the same way, you can build and run multiple Windows VMs with different versions. For detailed guidance on building and running multiple Windows VMs with Vagrant, VirtualBox, and VMware, please refer to the documentation linked below.

• Build Windows VMs using Vagrant automation

We trust that this blog post on Windows and VMs has provided valuable insights. Please reach out to us if you’re looking for tailored solutions or training in these kinds of technologies—whether as an individual or for your organization. We’re here to help you succeed!