Virtualization Virgin

DeepThoughts · 2006-08-18 22:13:20

I've come to the conclusion that I should try virtualization instead of a separate install. But as the topic implies I'm a virtualization virgin. My budget is €0 so it has to be some sort of free alternative. Which is the best? I'm guessing different solutions are better at different situations so what's their pros and cons?

Last but not least: Which is most suited for installation on Arch (beyond-kernel) running on an Athlon 1400MHz with 1GB RAM?

Can someone help me loose my virginity?

damjan · 2006-08-19 02:24:49

What do you need it for? A lot depends on it.

I think it's easiest to start with Qemu if you need emulation of a whole PC... or UML if you need a virtual Linux system.

You should be able to run Windows in Qemu.

If you had a CPU with virtualization (Core DUO, some P4 and some AMDs) you could aslo use XEN for very fast virtualization and with various OS's at the same time.

So.. it really depends.

DeepThoughts · 2006-08-19 09:47:59

My intent is to virtualize Windows which by your post suggests Qemu.

What about VMware? Is it a good solution? Have I misunderstod or don't they have a free version too?

tomk · 2006-08-19 10:16:00

Yeah, Vmware Player, Workstation, or Server. I'm using Server myself at the moment, and it does what I need it to do. I've also used Qemu in the past. The choice comes down to what you want the guest OS to be able to do e.g. I used to run Windows in qemu because I needed to access a Linux-unfriendly online banking application. I now run Windows in VMware because I need to run a Windows-only media app, and access a USB device.

DeepThoughts · 2006-08-19 10:20:46

tomk wrote:

Yeah, Vmware Player, Workstation, or Server. I'm using Server myself at the moment, and it does what I need it to do. I've also used Qemu in the past. The choice comes down to what you want the guest OS to be able to do e.g. I used to run Windows in qemu because I needed to access a Linux-unfriendly online banking application. I now run Windows in VMware because I need to run a Windows-only media app, and access a USB device.

Do I understand you correct when I say that if I don't need hardware access Qemu is the way and if I need Windows to be able to access my hardware then it's time for VMware?

If so, then it suggests that I should go with VMware. What's the differences between VMware player, workstation and server?

test1000 · 2006-08-19 12:33:05

USB support should be better now judging by the changelogs on qemu website, so it _might_ work now(or it might not).

About speed: windows 2000 is supposed to be much faster to emulate in qmeu than the other "windowses", but if you pull from CVS or whatever maybe this claim doesn't hold true anymore.

test1000 · 2006-08-19 12:38:35

well yeah.. about my last post, just found this: http://qemu.dad-answers.com/viewtopic.p … 60b976b0e2 and that is august 7 so who knows... the patch mentioned in the thread you might want to try if a better solution hasn't been comitted already

majikstreet · 2006-08-19 17:20:26

vmware server is pretty nice. I've never used it on arch though.. Only with ubuntu for a screen recording application (which for some reason tends to speed up the audio.. I dunno if it's because of vmware or the application)

tomk · 2006-08-19 18:57:18

DeepThoughts wrote:

Do I understand you correct when I say that if I don't need hardware access Qemu is the way and if I need Windows to be able to access my hardware then it's time for VMware?

You really need to check them both out with regard to what you will actually be doing. Both my situations were clear-cut, because I only needed Windows for one application - in the first case, the app required network access, in the second, network and USB. Some fairly relaxed googling pointed me in the right direction both times.

jaboua · 2006-08-19 19:22:50

I thought vmware player only could use allready made images, not create yourself? Workstation and server AFAIK costs money.

I've heard that vmware is faster, but I use qemu. I think there is a kernel module that can speed up qemu too. I would give qemu a shot before you try to "buy" vmware with a $0 budget

tomk · 2006-08-19 19:29:26

VMware Server is free - I'm using it, without even the slightest dent in my offshore financial empire.

DeepThoughts · 2006-08-19 19:32:50

Ok. My first use would be to use IE since I design webpages that I need to check (and I feel like it would be more stable than useing wine). Other than that I don't have any specific scenarios in my mind. The reason I ask so muck is that I tend to try and be prepared if I want to use it for something else. As it seems it wouldn't matter what solution I choose since I'm just interested in the basic (for now).

Thanks for all the info. Now I'm gonna hunt for some info about that rumoured kernel module and then read a little bit more about WMvare Server and Qemu.

DeepThoughts · 2006-08-20 15:00:51

Well Qemu is installade ans so is the kernel module, so far so good. Windows is also installed (but that took time) but...

I can't log in.

I haven't configured a password for neither my user or the admin account and yet it wants one. And when I try with anything I get "domain doensn't exist or couldn't be contacted" (hopefully this is close enough, the error message is in swedish).

Does anyone know how to fix this?

Lone_Wolf · 2006-08-26 16:37:16

Which windows version ?

W2k pro and XP Pro both require you to enter a password for administrator DURING setup, (not certain about XP home) .

Mr Green · 2006-08-26 16:44:59

jaboua wrote:

I thought vmware player only could use allready made images, not create yourself? Workstation and server AFAIK costs money.
I've heard that vmware is faster, but I use qemu. I think there is a kernel module that can speed up qemu too. I would give qemu a shot before you try to "buy" vmware with a $0 budget

no no no no no .... you can make your own images for freee!!!!!

do a gg

Or we could start thinking about Xen (drools!)

iBertus · 2006-08-26 17:24:16

I used QEMU w/ kqemu for awhile to host WinXP on Arch. It was quite good when running heavy GIS apps and M$ office apps. You can't really get 3D acceleration to work correctly with QEMU, but I'm hoping that changes soon.

brazzmonkey · 2006-08-26 18:55:25

majikstreet wrote:

vmware server is pretty nice. I've never used it on arch though.. Only with ubuntu for a screen recording application (which for some reason tends to speed up the audio.. I dunno if it's because of vmware or the application)

do you mean vmware server can be used for audio as well ?

Mr Green · 2006-08-27 08:07:07

/rumages around

Why not try vnc good place to start ..... X11vnc

DeepThoughts · 2006-08-27 20:21:03

DeepThoughts wrote:

Well Qemu is installade ans so is the kernel module, so far so good. Windows is also installed (but that took time) but...
I can't log in.
I haven't configured a password for neither my user or the admin account and yet it wants one. And when I try with anything I get "domain doensn't exist or couldn't be contacted" (hopefully this is close enough, the error message is in swedish).
Does anyone know how to fix this?

Well. Problem solved. User error. Me stooopid.

Something apparently happened during the first install. Redid everything today and now I can login without a hitch. But...

Always a but isn't it? How do you get the network to work? I want my virtualized XP install to be able to surf the net...

DeepThoughts · 2006-08-27 21:07:49

DeepThoughts wrote:

Well. Problem solved. User error. Me stooopid.
Something apparently happened during the first install. Redid everything today and now I can login without a hitch. But...
Always a but isn't it? How do you get the network to work? I want my virtualized XP install to be able to surf the net...

Spoke to soon. Added my dns-servers and now everything seems to work.

chrismortimore · 2006-08-27 21:43:40

VMware is a lot nicer than qemu. I've been using VMware for a while, and I gave qemu a go out of curiousity, and it is a LOT slower. The way I see it is that qemu is the poor man's VMware Although, if you get VMware Player (free), you can use qemu to make the images you need for it, and you essentially have a free VMware Workstation.

Romashka · 2006-08-28 07:29:55

I use VMware more than 3 years and I'm satisfied with it.
Now there are free Player and Server. You can make new machines with trial Workstation and they will work on Player as long as you don't need to change their hardware config.
Now I use VMware Workstation because of teams, multiple snapshots etc.

Mr Green · 2006-08-28 07:51:58

Does/has anyone used Xen ?

Arch Linux

#1 2006-08-18 22:13:20

Virtualization Virgin

#2 2006-08-19 02:24:49

Re: Virtualization Virgin

#3 2006-08-19 09:47:59

Re: Virtualization Virgin

#4 2006-08-19 10:16:00

Re: Virtualization Virgin

#5 2006-08-19 10:20:46

Re: Virtualization Virgin

#6 2006-08-19 12:33:05

Re: Virtualization Virgin

#7 2006-08-19 12:38:35

Re: Virtualization Virgin

#8 2006-08-19 17:20:26

Re: Virtualization Virgin

#9 2006-08-19 18:57:18

Re: Virtualization Virgin

#10 2006-08-19 19:22:50

Re: Virtualization Virgin

#11 2006-08-19 19:29:26

Re: Virtualization Virgin

#12 2006-08-19 19:32:50

Re: Virtualization Virgin

#13 2006-08-20 15:00:51

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#14 2006-08-26 16:37:16

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#15 2006-08-26 16:44:59

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#16 2006-08-26 17:24:16

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#17 2006-08-26 18:55:25

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#18 2006-08-27 08:07:07

Re: Virtualization Virgin

#19 2006-08-27 20:21:03

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#20 2006-08-27 21:07:49

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#21 2006-08-27 21:43:40

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#22 2006-08-28 07:29:55

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#23 2006-08-28 07:51:58

Re: Virtualization Virgin

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