Do I need 32GB to run Ubuntu Linux as a virtual machine under MacIS?

[hajime]

Hi, 16GB is sufficient for my use if I can triple boot MacOS, Ubuntu Linux and Windows. I have not received a reply about compatibility between Ubuntu Linux and MBP 2018 yet. In case there are some issues anode Inend up running Ubuntu Linux as a virtual machine, do I need 32GB?

 

[padams35]

16GB should be sufficient for simultaneously running dual VMs (but naturally you might need more RAM if you plan to run additional memory intensive workloads within or alongside those VMs).

For reference I've run Virtual Box instances of Ubuntu with 2GB of allocated memory a Macbook Air with just 8GB of RAM, and instances of Ubuntu or XP with 4GB allocated on an iMac with 12GB of RAM without difficulty. Granted I was just using a common environment for Grad-school software development homework, but I wasn't maxing out ram utilization either.

 

[tofagerl]

Do you need a GUI in Ubuntu? In that case I would say you need 16gb. If you can do without you can do it with 8.

 

[1050792]

I'm not sure about MacIS system requirements but for macOS 16GB is more than enough to run any OS inside a Virtual Machine without hiccups. If you can afford 32GB then go for it to future proof your purchase, who knows you might want to run four virtual machines, depending on your workflow.

 

[hajime]

I could run Windows 7 as a virtual machine on a MacBook Pro over 10 years ago. I think I had 8GB at that time.

 

[maflynn]

I've easily run linux VMs with only 8GB of ram, but for overall system performance (both in macOS and Linux), 16GB is better.

32GB is over kill

 

[Beachguy]

I run Ubuntu Mate and Lubuntu on my 2011 Mini with only 8GB RAM and it does fine. Of course, it would depend on your use case, and how your machine is built (mainly SSD versus spinning disk.)

 

[MacDawg]

I run multiple VMs on a 2013 MBP with 16GB RAM with no issues