You can also do this on a Mac or Linux PC if you're using one of those, the installation of VirtualBox may be different, but the setup should be mostly the same. I tried this using Microsoft Windows 10 it'll probably work with Windows 7 and 8 too.

If you just want to do Raspbian desktop or terminal work, though, this is just the job. I've also written an article explaining how to control the GPIO pins of a real Raspberry Pi Zero, from your Raspbian x86 virtual machine. I do usually pack at least one real Pi, but having it all on my laptop is a huge convenience. I find this useful for when I'm travelling and want to work on Raspberry Pi projects. There are lots of other products that also do this, but VirutalBox is one of the easiest to use. In short, you can run a computer inside your computer - for example, the Raspberry Pi desktop inside your Microsoft Windows desktop. Oracle's VirtualBox is a user-friendly way of installing a virtual machine on a PC.

Update: I've also written an article explaining how to control the GPIO pins of a real Raspberry Pi Zero, from your Raspbian x86 virtual machine.

cotswoldjam Raspbian x86 on VirtualBox on a Windows PC Support family coding workshops in Gloucestershire: Raspbian x86 on VirtualBox on a Windows PC - Andrew Oakley

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