Re: [PLUG] VMWare workstation on Gutsy host

[JP Vossen <jp@jpsdomain.org>]

> Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2007 22:21:42 -0500
> From: "K.S. Bhaskar" <bhaskar@bhaskars.com>

<snip>
> [KSB] When it works, VMware works decently.  But sometimes, it needs
> to be patched (the series of vmware-any-any updates) to work.  And
> sometimes, the kernel modules just fail to compile, especially for
> some weeks after a gcc update.  It's a royal pain when that happens
> twice a year.

Sigh.  You're right and you've got me there.  That's why run important 
VMware Server instances on Ubuntu LTS releases, and only update 
infrequently.  Not ideal, but has worked for me thus far.


<snip>
> > [JP] Second vote for VMware Server.  Sorry, I'm only running Workstation
> > 5.5.x on CentOS-4.x.
>
> [KSB] I suppose I'll have to look at VMWare server sometime.  But no
> CentOS - i'm hooked on the Debian family of releases in general, and
> *buntu specifically.

Sorry, that was a lament, not a recommendation!  I run CentOS for some 
things for work purposes, but vastly prefer Debian and Ubuntu.  RH has 
done many great things for Linux and F/OSS; Debian-ish distros just work 
more like I expect & prefer.  I only wish I'd switched sooner. :-)

For my purposes (YMMV), the biggest differences between the two are:

	VMware Workstation	VMware Server
	---------------------	--------------------------
	"Unlimited" snapshots	1 snapshot per VM
	Requires console GUI	No console GUI; remote fat client
	Costs money		Free as in beer

I dislike the fact that Workstation requires a local GUI.  I'd prefer 
the choice to allocate those resources to the guests instead of the 
host.  But as far as I know, you can't.  I use Xfce4 as the GUI, but 
still...  I love the way server works, with its fat client.  My 
understanding is that the client is VNC-based, but to me if feels far 
snappier than VNC.  Also, FWIW, I am using VMware Server with the fat 
client on the host, in full screen mode, to run some workstations, and 
they Just Work.  They even play video.

Later,
JP
----------------------------|:::======|-------------------------------
JP Vossen, CISSP            |:::======|        jp{at}jpsdomain{dot}org
My Account, My Opinions     |=========|      http://www.jpsdomain.org/
----------------------------|=========|-------------------------------
Microsoft has single-handedly nullified Moore's Law.
Innate design flaws of Windows make a personal firewall, anti-virus
and anti-malware software mandatory. The resulting software arms race
has effectively flattened Moore's Law on hardware running Windows.
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