Re: [PLUG] Virtualization on Linux

["K.S. Bhaskar" <ksbhaskar@gmail.com>]

On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 5:15 PM, JP Vossen <jp@jpsdomain.org> wrote:

[KSB] <...snip...>

> What does everyone else use?  Anyone use or like any of the "helper"
> apps?  Any other comments?

[KSB] I just use straight kvm - all my current hardware has the
vmx/svm CPU flags.  An older laptop did not, but the kqemu kernel
module (which I used to install with the Debian module assistant,
using a command such as m-a a-i kqemu - or some such; it has been over
two years, so I don't remember the exact command).  Performance wise,
using the kqemu kernel module mostly compensates for a lack of
svm/vmx).  Note that sometimes helpful BIOSes block virtualization
even when the hardware supports it, and then you have to upgrade the
BIOS.  (Some motherboard manufacturers are known to sell the same
hardware at "workstation" and "server" price points with
virtualization disabled by the BIOS in the former.)

I usually launch a Windows virtual machine with a command such as kvm
-m 1536 -redir tcp 3389::3389 Windows.qcow2 and then use rdesktop from
the Linux host to connect to port 3389 on localhost.  This allows me
to set whatever display geometry I want instead of only those I want.

Although I wouldn't recommend rdesktop to a less computer-savvy
relative to whom I was providing tech support, two advantages of my
approach are (a) the Windows machine is NAT'd behind a Linux host and
(b) you can remotely connect to the Windows machine by connecting to
the Linux machine, e.g., via an ssh tunnel.

Regards
-- Bhaskar

-- 
Windows does to computers what smoking does to humans
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