[gentoo-user] Basic Vmware setup

[gentoo-user] Basic Vmware setup

[Hans de Hartog]

Hi,

Due to circumstances beyond my control I have
to run (once a month) Windows (98 or 2000) :-(

I guess that vmware can do the job. In windows
I need internet access with IE and I must be
able to print some webpages to a printserver
(gentoo+cups).
What to use? Vmware server, workstation or
player? The descriptions are not clear about
the differences.
I'm running Linux 2.6.17.13 (vanilla-sources)
on i686 Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.66GHz with
768 Mb and only stable stuff.

Thanks in advance!
Hans.
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[gentoo-user] Re: Basic Vmware setup

[FuziOK]

Try VMware Server. It's free now.

2006/11/11, Hans de Hartog <dehartog@rootsr.com>:
> Hi,
>
> Due to circumstances beyond my control I have
> to run (once a month) Windows (98 or 2000) :-(
>
> I guess that vmware can do the job. In windows
> I need internet access with IE and I must be
> able to print some webpages to a printserver
> (gentoo+cups).
> What to use? Vmware server, workstation or
> player? The descriptions are not clear about
> the differences.
> I'm running Linux 2.6.17.13 (vanilla-sources)
> on i686 Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.66GHz with
> 768 Mb and only stable stuff.
>
> Thanks in advance!
> Hans.
> --
> gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
>
>
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Re: [gentoo-user] Basic Vmware setup

[Richard Fish]

On 11/11/06, Hans de Hartog <dehartog@rootsr.com> wrote:
> I guess that vmware can do the job. In windows
> I need internet access with IE and I must be
> able to print some webpages to a printserver
> (gentoo+cups).
> What to use? Vmware server, workstation or
> player? The descriptions are not clear about
> the differences.

I would suggest to try vmware server first.  I have run all three, and
the biggest differences between them are:

player: can only use existing virtual machine configurations, it
cannot edit or create them.  Equivalent performance to workstation.
Also has a very nice full-screen mode.  Free (beer).

workstation: best all-around performance for desktop tasks.  Can
create or edit existing configurations, has excellent (2D only)
graphics performance.  Costs some $'s.

server: Can create or edit existing configurations.  Can leave a
virtual machine running "in the background" if you close the console
window or even logoff.  The console can also access virtual machines
across the network.  The downside to all of this goodness is that
graphics performance suffers...something like accessing a remote
system with VNC.  Free (beer).

All have equivalent capabilities for accessing the network, and the
guest OS never really knows that it is running in a virtual machine.

Note that it is entirely possible to use server to create virtual
machines, and then use player to run them, if the graphics performance
bothers you too much.

-Richard
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[gentoo-user] Re: Basic Vmware setup

[reader]

"Richard Fish" <bigfish@asmallpond.org> writes:

> server: Can create or edit existing configurations.  Can leave a
> virtual machine running "in the background" if you close the console

Is there a catch somewhere with `server'.  Buy the description it
appears to do everthing the `workstation' does, yet is free (beer).

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Basic Vmware setup

[Brett I. Holcomb]

Workstation allows you to create snapshots of a setup and then create clones 
from it so you can make a base system, then do branches off of it as you add 
to it.  For example, you can create a base Gentoo install and snapshot it. 
Then you can clone it and install some software - say to make a  DAW.  You 
can snapshot that and continue adding software to it or clone it.  The 
workstations use differential methods to create the clones so storage space 
isn't as great as storing an the vm and it's files.

Server you can't do snapshots so you create a VM, save it, copy it, then 
modify it.  However, server does allow you to start the VMs as a service and 
keep them running when you are  not logged in - with workstation you have to 
start them after you login.

In short they each do different things and what you use depends on the 
situation.  At work I use workstation so I can do snapshots since I am 
testing setups and I want to have a base to go back to and start over from.  
However, I have to start the service each time I login in so others can get 
to the VMs.   For someone who doesn't need snapshotting you can just copy VMs 
and add to them as long as you have th file space.


On Sunday November 12 2006 07:53, reader@newsguy.com wrote:
> "Richard Fish" <bigfish@asmallpond.org> writes:
> > server: Can create or edit existing configurations.  Can leave a
> > virtual machine running "in the background" if you close the console
>
> Is there a catch somewhere with `server'.  Buy the description it
> appears to do everthing the `workstation' does, yet is free (beer).

-- 

Brett I. Holcomb
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[gentoo-user] Re: Basic Vmware setup

[Alexander Skwar]

· reader@newsguy.com <reader@newsguy.com>:

> "Richard Fish" <bigfish@asmallpond.org> writes:
> 
>> server: Can create or edit existing configurations.  Can leave a
>> virtual machine running "in the background" if you close the console
> 
> Is there a catch somewhere with `server'.

Not that I can tell.

> Buy the description it 
> appears to do everthing the `workstation' does, yet is free (beer).

Yep. It's a bit limited, though. Check out http://www.vmware.com/.

Alexander Skwar
-- 
 Fry: Hey, why are those kids following you? Do you have candy stuck to your ass?


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[gentoo-user] Re: Re: Basic Vmware setup

[Alexander Skwar]

· Brett I. Holcomb <brettholcomb@bellsouth.net>:

> Server you can't do snapshots

Well, almost correct. You can create 1 snapshot, but not multiple
snapshots, that's correct.

> so you create a VM, save it, copy it, then  
> modify it.

Yep.

And supposedly, VMware Workstation has some better "memory optimizations".
That's what VMware told me, at least.

Alexander Skwar
-- 
Prunes give you a run for your money.


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Re: [gentoo-user] Basic Vmware setup

[Mark Shields]

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On 11/11/06, Hans de Hartog <dehartog@rootsr.com> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> Due to circumstances beyond my control I have
> to run (once a month) Windows (98 or 2000) :-(
>
> I guess that vmware can do the job. In windows
> I need internet access with IE and I must be
> able to print some webpages to a printserver
> (gentoo+cups).
> What to use? Vmware server, workstation or
> player? The descriptions are not clear about
> the differences.
> I'm running Linux 2.6.17.13 (vanilla-sources)
> on i686 Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.66GHz with
> 768 Mb and only stable stuff.
>
> Thanks in advance!
> Hans.
> --
> gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
>
>
If all you're using is IE and printing, you maybe be able to just run IE
under wine.  See: ies4linux, http://www.tatanka.com.br/ .  There isn't an
ebuild for it, but one isn't needed anyways.  The browser functions fine
under wine (ie7 works too, but you don't get the fancy interface, just the
new engine), but I don't have a printer, so have yet to test printer
functionality.

-- 
- Mark Shields

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