[SysAdmin]

So i've been thinking, so i wouldn't have all the shit running on my main OS, could i set up a private game server on a VM? I mean, a private game server that outside players could connect running on a fresh OS (Probably Windows XP).

[thehailo]

Absolutely, and in fact this is a very common and well-designed setup. From a security perspective, it lets you isolate your game server from the core machine. So, say Game X has a bug that lets someone gain access to the box, they don't get access to anything else. This is the same reason you don't want your server to simultaneously host AD, DNS, IIS, and whatever else. (Basically, separate critical things like AD from Internet-facing services.)

From a network perspective, the VM will have its own address, so you just need to port forward the game ports to the VM. Consider your hardware and software carefully. A VM means two running operating systems, so you'll need more CPU, RAM, etc. You also want hardware virtualization support for best performance. Regarding software, don't run a server on Windows XP. It isn't a server OS and it's end-of-life, so it is a terrible option for an Internet-facing server. Also, consider your virtualization choice. For instance, VMware offers great performance, but requires a dedicated box (that is, you don't run it on top of an existing Windows install).

[SysAdmin]

Absolutely, and in fact this is a very common and well-designed setup. From a security perspective, it lets you isolate your game server from the core machine. So, say Game X has a bug that lets someone gain access to the box, they don't get access to anything else. This is the same reason you don't want your server to simultaneously host AD, DNS, IIS, and whatever else. (Basically, separate critical things like AD from Internet-facing services.)

From a network perspective, the VM will have its own address, so you just need to port forward the game ports to the VM. Consider your hardware and software carefully. A VM means two running operating systems, so you'll need more CPU, RAM, etc. You also want hardware virtualization support for best performance. Regarding software, don't run a server on Windows XP. It isn't a server OS and it's end-of-life, so it is a terrible option for an Internet-facing server. Also, consider your virtualization choice. For instance, VMware offers great performance, but requires a dedicated box (that is, you don't run it on top of an existing Windows install).

I need XAMPP for the server that i'm installing, so i guess my only option is a Windows XP? It's a "Temporary" Server setting, i'm not gonna use this permanently. Using VirtualBox aswell. I have an i5 3.2GHz Quad Core and 8 Gigs of RAM. I guess that would be good enough? I'm trying to run a Habbo Retro Server for a project in school.

[Light]

I'm not trying to nitpick but this is in the wrong section. But to answer your question, yes you can do this but you'll need more resources as an above user stated as it will be like running two computers. I'd personally just go with getting a small VPS setup as you might need more resources and that could be more expensive than just using a VPS solution.

[SysAdmin]

Yes, i know it's the wrong section, but i figured i'd get replies faster than anywhere else. It's just a temporary server anyway.

[PeachyCream]

Yeah, that's actually often standard.
Just realize that it'll take up a LOT of resources compared to running it traditionally.

[thehailo]

I need XAMPP for the server that i'm installing, so i guess my only option is a Windows XP? It's a "Temporary" Server setting, i'm not gonna use this permanently. Using VirtualBox aswell. I have an i5 3.2GHz Quad Core and 8 Gigs of RAM. I guess that would be good enough? I'm trying to run a Habbo Retro Server for a project in school.

If you're just keeping it up long enough for a school project, running XP is no big deal. Assuming we're talking about the same XAMPP though, a quick look through their FAQ suggests it works all the way through Windows 10.

Your box sounds plenty beefy for this. Give the server VM a couple of cores and 2-4 GB of RAM. VirtualBox isn't the best solution for servers, but again, it's fine for your use. I'm assuming since it's a school project you'd rather not spend money, so the VPS option is out (though a great solution if you wanted to keep it running long-term).

[SysAdmin]

So how would i go about making the server publicly available? Would i need to install a seperate MySQL or is it just fine on localhost? How do i turn the server to use an external IP or domain?