[gentoo-user] Virtualization where to go from VMWare-Server-1?

[gentoo-user] Virtualization where to go from VMWare-Server-1?

[Konstantinos Agouros]

Hi,

I am currently running a guest with VMware-Server-1. However the modules
needed for that on the host are no longer supported and I am stuck with 2.6.31
for the moment. 
So I am thinking of alternatives. My requirements:

It should only need as much RAM on the host as needed (so XEN with static 
assignment is out)

It should run headless (I don't want a window on the desktop but be able
get console access when needed).

VMWare import/compatibility would be nice but is not a must have.

I use VirtualBox on a Mac but can it run headless? Any other proposals?

Thanks,

Konstantin
-- 
Dipl-Inf. Konstantin Agouros aka Elwood Blues. Internet: elwood@agouros.de
Altersheimerstr. 1, 81545 Muenchen, Germany. Tel +49 89 69370185
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Captain, this ship will not survive the forming of the cosmos." B'Elana Torres

[gentoo-user] Re: Virtualization where to go from VMWare-Server-1?

[Remy Blank]

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Konstantinos Agouros wrote:
> I use VirtualBox on a Mac but can it run headless? Any other proposals?

Yes, see the documentation for VBoxHeadless.

-- Remy


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Re: [gentoo-user] Virtualization where to go from VMWare-Server-1?

[Bill Longman]

On 08/27/2010 12:58 AM, Konstantinos Agouros wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I am currently running a guest with VMware-Server-1. However the modules
> needed for that on the host are no longer supported and I am stuck with 2.6.31
> for the moment. 
> So I am thinking of alternatives. My requirements:
> 
> It should only need as much RAM on the host as needed (so XEN with static 
> assignment is out)
> 
> It should run headless (I don't want a window on the desktop but be able
> get console access when needed).
> 
> VMWare import/compatibility would be nice but is not a must have.
> 
> I use VirtualBox on a Mac but can it run headless? Any other proposals?

VBox runs great headless. I start three VMs at boot time, all over VRDP.
Highly recommended. You can migrate it to other systems if you want, too.

Re: [gentoo-user] Virtualization where to go from VMWare-Server-1?

[Petri Rosenström]

Hi,

if you are not afraid of the command line I would recommend KVM. I use
it for my virtualization needs. When you don't want the sdl window you
may use the -vnc switch. -daemonize switch is great for running in the
backgroud. the -balloon switch is great for memory savings, I
recommend KSM in your kernel also.


Petri Rosenström



On Fri, Aug 27, 2010 at 6:54 PM, Bill Longman <bill.longman@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 08/27/2010 12:58 AM, Konstantinos Agouros wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am currently running a guest with VMware-Server-1. However the modules
>> needed for that on the host are no longer supported and I am stuck with 2.6.31
>> for the moment.
>> So I am thinking of alternatives. My requirements:
>>
>> It should only need as much RAM on the host as needed (so XEN with static
>> assignment is out)
>>
>> It should run headless (I don't want a window on the desktop but be able
>> get console access when needed).
>>
>> VMWare import/compatibility would be nice but is not a must have.
>>
>> I use VirtualBox on a Mac but can it run headless? Any other proposals?
>
> VBox runs great headless. I start three VMs at boot time, all over VRDP.
> Highly recommended. You can migrate it to other systems if you want, too.
>
>

Re: [gentoo-user] Virtualization where to go from VMWare-Server-1?

[Konstantinos Agouros]

In <AANLkTi=c4GB3GUB=3zeEdAk-D6n9sJreXC6o2DhXv4j8@mail.gmail.com> petri.rosenstrom@gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Petri_Rosenstr=C3=B6m?=) writes:

Hello,

does it work with a CPU that does not have the svm (I run on AMD)?

Konstantin
>Hi,

>if you are not afraid of the command line I would recommend KVM. I use
>it for my virtualization needs. When you don't want the sdl window you
>may use the -vnc switch. -daemonize switch is great for running in the
>backgroud. the -balloon switch is great for memory savings, I
>recommend KSM in your kernel also.


>Petri Rosenstr=C3=B6m



>On Fri, Aug 27, 2010 at 6:54 PM, Bill Longman <bill.longman@gmail.com> wrot=
>e:
>> On 08/27/2010 12:58 AM, Konstantinos Agouros wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I am currently running a guest with VMware-Server-1. However the modules
>>> needed for that on the host are no longer supported and I am stuck with =
>2.6.31
>>> for the moment.
>>> So I am thinking of alternatives. My requirements:
>>>
>>> It should only need as much RAM on the host as needed (so XEN with stati=
>c
>>> assignment is out)
>>>
>>> It should run headless (I don't want a window on the desktop but be able
>>> get console access when needed).
>>>
>>> VMWare import/compatibility would be nice but is not a must have.
>>>
>>> I use VirtualBox on a Mac but can it run headless? Any other proposals?
>>
>> VBox runs great headless. I start three VMs at boot time, all over VRDP.
>> Highly recommended. You can migrate it to other systems if you want, too.
>>
>>

-- 
Dipl-Inf. Konstantin Agouros aka Elwood Blues. Internet: elwood@agouros.de
Altersheimerstr. 1, 81545 Muenchen, Germany. Tel +49 89 69370185
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Captain, this ship will not survive the forming of the cosmos." B'Elana Torres

Re: [gentoo-user] Virtualization where to go from VMWare-Server-1?

[Petri Rosenström]

I think it requires HVM ( egrep '^flags.*(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo )
from the CPU. So if kvm doesn't work you may use your VMs with qemu.
Qemu/kvm supports VMware disc format so you might be able to use your
old VMs without much effort.

Petri Rosenström



On Sat, Aug 28, 2010 at 11:21 AM, Konstantinos Agouros
<elwood@agouros.de> wrote:
> In <AANLkTi=c4GB3GUB=3zeEdAk-D6n9sJreXC6o2DhXv4j8@mail.gmail.com> petri.rosenstrom@gmail.com (=?UTF-8?Q?Petri_Rosenstr=C3=B6m?=) writes:
>
> Hello,
>
> does it work with a CPU that does not have the svm (I run on AMD)?
>
> Konstantin
>>Hi,
>
>>if you are not afraid of the command line I would recommend KVM. I use
>>it for my virtualization needs. When you don't want the sdl window you
>>may use the -vnc switch. -daemonize switch is great for running in the
>>backgroud. the -balloon switch is great for memory savings, I
>>recommend KSM in your kernel also.
>
>
>>Petri Rosenstr=C3=B6m
>
>
>
>>On Fri, Aug 27, 2010 at 6:54 PM, Bill Longman <bill.longman@gmail.com> wrot=
>>e:
>>> On 08/27/2010 12:58 AM, Konstantinos Agouros wrote:
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I am currently running a guest with VMware-Server-1. However the modules
>>>> needed for that on the host are no longer supported and I am stuck with =
>>2.6.31
>>>> for the moment.
>>>> So I am thinking of alternatives. My requirements:
>>>>
>>>> It should only need as much RAM on the host as needed (so XEN with stati=
>>c
>>>> assignment is out)
>>>>
>>>> It should run headless (I don't want a window on the desktop but be able
>>>> get console access when needed).
>>>>
>>>> VMWare import/compatibility would be nice but is not a must have.
>>>>
>>>> I use VirtualBox on a Mac but can it run headless? Any other proposals?
>>>
>>> VBox runs great headless. I start three VMs at boot time, all over VRDP.
>>> Highly recommended. You can migrate it to other systems if you want, too.
>>>
>>>
>
> --
> Dipl-Inf. Konstantin Agouros aka Elwood Blues. Internet: elwood@agouros.de
> Altersheimerstr. 1, 81545 Muenchen, Germany. Tel +49 89 69370185
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> "Captain, this ship will not survive the forming of the cosmos." B'Elana Torres
>
>

[gentoo-user] Re: Virtualization where to go from VMWare-Server-1?

[walt]

On 08/28/2010 03:21 AM, Petri Rosenström wrote:
> I think it requires HVM ( egrep '^flags.*(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo )
> from the CPU. So if kvm doesn't work you may use your VMs with qemu.
> Qemu/kvm supports VMware disc format so you might be able to use your
> old VMs without much effort.

I find that vbox is *much* faster than qemu in the absence of hardware
virtualization support.  The vbox devs say their graphics driver is what
makes it faster.

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Virtualization where to go from VMWare-Server-1?

[Petri Rosenström]

Well I haven't done any testing, but I have a feeling that using
virtio drivers makes qemu faster. But I agree that using a desktop is
faster with vbox. Atleast using the mouse :D

Petri Rosenström



On Sat, Aug 28, 2010 at 10:09 PM, walt <w41ter@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 08/28/2010 03:21 AM, Petri Rosenström wrote:
>>
>> I think it requires HVM ( egrep '^flags.*(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo )
>> from the CPU. So if kvm doesn't work you may use your VMs with qemu.
>> Qemu/kvm supports VMware disc format so you might be able to use your
>> old VMs without much effort.
>
> I find that vbox is *much* faster than qemu in the absence of hardware
> virtualization support.  The vbox devs say their graphics driver is what
> makes it faster.
>
>
>
>