VMESA UPDATE: 7/27/2022- as of writing this entry MESA is now compatible with Windows via the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). Instructions are located here. If you would still like the functionality of MESA in a virtual machine, you can download the most recent version and delete the existing MESA directories. Then follow the instructions here to install the most recent version of MESA.
VMESA is MESA on a virtual machine, specifically Virtual box. This is geared towards a specific use case: users of windows that are not able to take advantage of the linux OS in order to use MESA. However, since virtualbox is available on all three major OS’es, anyone who wants to try out MESA without altering their system, or who needs a working MESA installation in a hurry, might find it useful!
VMESA is a debian based guest for your virtual box host. Debian was chosen so you won’t be bogged down updating everytime you turn on the VM. I chose the LXDE desktop for its minimal overhead. I am assuming that the only thing you will use this for is MESA! It has basic OS features, along with a text editor, a browser with links to MESA resources, and a drop-down style terminal. That’s it!
VMESA is customizable beyond the basics, though keep in mind that the hard drive space on the virtual machine is limited. You can make your own tweaks to it once it’s installed. You can also tweak your virtual machine settings to get better performance, by offering the VM more memory and processors. With sufficient settings, the VM benchmarks equivalent to a live install!
Amber Lauer-Coles 