Re: [gentoo-user] VM Ware or not?

[Jerry McBride]

Michael Higgins wrote:

> Hello, folks --
>
> Most days, I work remotely from the 'ndoze net via rdesktop when I have
> to access it for some reason. But the bandwidth there is getting choked
> as others follow suit.
>
> I'm thinking I'd have a better time of it if I just had my own little
> toybox -- I mean, Windows XP installation -- at home. Sure, I can
> dual-boot, but then I lose the whole of my reasons for having a real
> OS. And I'd put up another machine, but I have enough anxiety over the
> ones I have to maintain already. Why bring that kind of trouble into
> your home?
>
> So, the quick question is, is VM Ware the best way to go? I think XP is
> still lurking on a partition here... and I do need to run Internet
> Extorter, Outlook, etc... pretend I'm in their "domain"...
>
> At any rate, I'm hoping some on the list can give me a leg up on this.
>
> My first question is, what does this mean to me:
>
> * app-emulation/vmware-workstation
>      Available versions:  4.5.3.19414-r7 5.5.5.56455 ~6.0.1.55017!f
> ~6.0.2.59824!f
>
> ... when I downloaded the evaluation license and a tar.gz, does that
> satisfy the "!f", for example? What do I do with it, then? I do notice
> the version number matches.
>
> And the other question I hate to ask -- I'm pretty sure there is one,
> but, if there is a Gentoo HOW-TO on this process, where is it and IS IT
> UP TO DATE??? ;-)
>
> Any and all pointers welcome!
>
> . . .
>
> I just read through a bunch of stuff on-line, found the vmware overlay,
> and I feel less sure of how to proceed than before writing this. '-)
>
> Cheers,
>

Hey Mike,

I passed on vmware for my use as it is quite the overkill for my simple
needs. Also, vmware does not currently run on the most recent kernels. And
secondly, you only get to use it for 30 days... the vmware workstation
evaluation copy that is.

Over here, I decided to go the qemu/kqemu route. Although I am only able to
emerge kqemu, with qemu-softmmu failing miserably... I was able to download
a binary off the Qemu website and it runs beautifully. 

Although I don't like running windows in qemu... it's a resource hog bar none,
linux in qemu is a jewel. You can find excellent install and usage
instructions in the obvious places like the wiki, forums and the Qemu
webpage. You can also find a gem of an article about it on the LINUX
JOURNAL website. It'll give you quite a detailed howto with the windows
installation.  My first qemu experiments involved windows98se and windows xp. 
By a factor of maybe 2, windows xp was slower than molasses when compared to 
win98se. Since then I've managed a few linux images and I've been thinking 
about trying a BSD image just for the experience of it.

I don't know if vmware provides cow files, Qemu does... what this allows is
for you to setup your windows image anyway you want, then reload your qemu 
image with cow file support enabled... and any modifications made during your 
windows session is written to the cow file, not your windows image. If things 
get really, really hashed up, closeup Qemu... delete the cow file and start 
afresh... A perfect way to dump the worms, viri, malware, etc... or your 
accidentally hosed linux image...

Really, really good stuff.

Cheers.

Jerry McBride (jmcbride@×××××××.us)
-- 


From the Desk of: Jerome D. McBride
-- 
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