I use Kubuntu as my daily driver. I need this system for school, so it should be stable. However, Kubuntu has some bugs (no WIFI after suspend, sometimes audio doesn't work etc.). So I need to reinstall. I was thinking about installing something very stable (like Debian) as base system and then running everything in virtual machines. One for testing new stuff and one where I would work. So, if something breaks, I can either use the other VM or use an old snapshot. What do you guys think about this idea? My laptop is an HP Elitebook 850 G1 (I5-4200U, 16GB RAM, AMD Radeon 8750m)
I have no wifi after suspend as well on Arch. I tried Debian, Fedora, Arch, Ubuntu, CentOS and they all had the same problem. I don't think you'll be able to get around that issue.
sometimes audio doesn't work
there was a solution to that... here! Just throw this in /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf
options snd-hda-intel model=auto
That should help. I remember it working on my system at least.
To answer your question, I don't think you should.
Doing this will only add an extra layer of complexity to your system and if anything, make it less stable. There will also be (small, but sometimes noticeable) performance costs. to doing so.
EDIT: How much experience do you have with linux? If you're willing to try another distro, you may find that it's more stable than Kubuntu but might be a little bit more work. Checking out Fedora or Manjaro may be a good idea.
I don't have those issues, but Kubuntu the last time I used it had some issues, but those were mostly KDE related at the time. If you're interested, I'd recommend trying Ubuntu Minimal and going from there. Ubuntu is built on top of Debian, so there won't be any major differences in the OS, and the repositories aren't much different.
I have some experience with linux. I tested various distros in VMs out (Ubuntu, Debian, Manjaro, Fedora, openSuse and the most popular DEs (Gnome3, Mate, KDE, Unity, XFCE, LXDE)). I am sure there is a workaround for this problem, but I want something that just runs, because sometimes I must finish some homework and don't have the time for troubleshooting issues.
I ran again my Manjaro XFCE VM and really liked it. I am thinking, this could be my daily driver (it's so lightweigt, yet powerful and highly customizable). I have an HP 2013 Ultraslim Dockingstation and it doesn't run with some distros. DP only works with Ubuntu 16.04 and not with anything below. I mainly do programming stuff, SSH to servers, editing documents and surfing the web (I need support for youtube videos because my school has some videos on there). What would you recommend me as a distro? I am open to everything. How much performance decrease would i experience with virt-manager?
Your wifi problem was a common issue with many Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based distros, it was a bug with NetworkManager.
If you want to stick with a Ubuntu base, I have had some good success with KDE Neon. Think Kubuntu, but the KDE components keep on updating, while the base stays stable. The NetworkManager may affect you here, but I never had an issue with my wifi with Neon.
Manjaro XFCE is a very good distro, and is a nice compromise with the rolling release model and stability. That could do you very nicely.
Thanks for the replies! I think I will try Manjaro to get away from Ubuntu. But back to my initial question: What do you think about virtualizing my OS?
Leading edge would be helpful (my Docking Station isn't supported on most older desktops). I will look into Fedora too. What would you recommend? Fedora 24 Workstation? Would you run the base OS topless or with GUI?