How does VMware work?

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notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
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Is it like this: Install win2k (or NT or Linux), install VMware, install Other OS'es on VMware?

I don't really get it. Also, is there a free version? How much does it cost?
 
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Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
136
Yes, that's the general idea.

It creates a virtual PC, it has it's own BIOS, everything. It's actually pretty damn cool, my roommate has an XP machine with VMWare installations of Win 2K, Win 98, & several Linux variants.

Viper GTS
 
Bulk Beef

Bulk Beef

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2001
5,466
0
76


<< Is it like this: Install win2k (or NT or Linux), install VMware, install Other OS'es on VMware? >>

I don't think you can install an OS through VMware, you would install your OSes like normal, install VMware on one of the OSes, and boot the other OSes in a window through VMware. It's kinda cool, although it can really grind a machine to a halt.

And setup is kind of a pain, but that's probably just me.
 
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vash

Platinum Member
Feb 13, 2001
2,510
0
0
VMWare is great for testing applications without having a spare box, dual booting, etc. For web application testing, its great! Its also great for multilingual testing.

There is a trial (last time I checked) version of VMWare, you may want to try it. If you don't see a use with VMWare, its probably not for you.

vash
 
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Scootin159

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2001
3,650
0
76


<<

<< Is it like this: Install win2k (or NT or Linux), install VMware, install Other OS'es on VMware? >>

I don't think you can install an OS through VMware, you would install your OSes like normal, install VMware on one of the OSes, and boot the other OSes in a window through VMware. It's kinda cool, although it can really grind a machine to a halt.

And setup is kind of a pain, but that's probably just me. >>



It can be done either way, but it is reccomended that you do it like how Viper stated.
 
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spyordie007

Diamond Member
May 28, 2001
6,229
0
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<< I don't think you can install an OS through VMware, you would install your OSes like normal, install VMware on one of the OSes, and boot the other OSes in a window through VMware. It's kinda cool, although it can really grind a machine to a halt.

And setup is kind of a pain, but that's probably just me. >>


It is just as Viper GTS (I am his roomate) said. You install VM ware, then within VM ware install additional OS's. From within VMware is where you run the differant OS's. It's nice to have it setup to look at differant OS's, I have it installed at work so without rebooting I can loadup differant OS's and test files/programs. It is a pain setting up though because it meant that this weekend I installed windows 98, 2k, and mandrake; which took a long time!
 
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spyordie007

Diamond Member
May 28, 2001
6,229
0
0
oh yeah, you can set it up to use a OS on an existing partition, however I havent dared to do it with one of the OS's that I have running because I dont want to f*ck one of my other OS's up by making it think it is all of a sudden running on differant hardware...

-spy
 
Bulk Beef

Bulk Beef

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2001
5,466
0
76


<<

<<

<< Is it like this: Install win2k (or NT or Linux), install VMware, install Other OS'es on VMware? >>

I don't think you can install an OS through VMware, you would install your OSes like normal, install VMware on one of the OSes, and boot the other OSes in a window through VMware. It's kinda cool, although it can really grind a machine to a halt.

And setup is kind of a pain, but that's probably just me. >>



It can be done either way, but it is reccomended that you do it like how Viper stated. >>

I stand corrected. Guess it was just me.
 
silverpig

silverpig

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
27,703
12
81
VMWare is simple to use. You can get a 30 day free trial from the VMWare site. I ran linux, and then installed VMWare inside linux, and then had windows inside VMWare. (I've done it a few times, and I think I used XP Pro last time, but I can't remember).

It's especially neat in linux because I generally have 4 virtual desktops going. The first one has my gkrellm, xmms, licq and email, the second has the GIMP, my seti terminal and maybe an additional terminal or two, the third has Xchat and ftp windows, and the fourth has windows. I can switch between all four desktops with a click of a button.


To set up VMWare in linux, you just rpm -Uvh it, /usr/bin/vmware (or whatever), answer a few simple set up questions, and then you get a window that looks exactly like you just turned on a newly assembled computer with a blank hard drive. It'll go through a bios check, ask for a boot disk, and you're off... the windows install is a piece of cake (yes, next, next, yes, I agree, next, ok, ok...), the virtual machine will reboot, and ta da...
 
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spyordie007

Diamond Member
May 28, 2001
6,229
0
0
sword, I would have to agree with you, although I wouldnt say its a pain because it's hard, I would say it's a pain because it is very time consuming...

-spy
 
Bulk Beef

Bulk Beef

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2001
5,466
0
76
It's also a pain if you're doing it wrong. :eek: The last time I messed around with it was about two years ago, and I was using the Windows version. Most people I've talked to have had better results using the Linux version.
 
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spyordie007

Diamond Member
May 28, 2001
6,229
0
0


<< It's also a pain if you're doing it wrong. :eek: The last time I messed around with it was about two years ago, and I was using the Windows version. Most people I've talked to have had better results using the Linux version. >>


I'm actually running the Windows version (under Win. XP) It was pretty easy, although I might just go back to running Linux now that I've had as much luck as I've had with it.....
nawh, probably not just because I dont feel like doing all that work FFR and reinstall all my OS's, blah....
 
M

manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
13,186
3,964
136
Since it hasn't been mentioned yet, VMware guest OS performance is about 2/3 that of the native machine. Except for 16-bit W 9x, which is slower than that.

On a modern x86 box, VMware performance is quite good! Besides a fast machine, you'll want plenty of RAM for the number of guests you plan on running.

I had the _pleasure_ of once running VMware on a P233.

If you want to know how VMware is designed, you can probably read up on IBM OS/360 and get the general idea of OS virtualization. While some hardware devices are virtualized for the guest, virtualization is distinctly different from emulation.
 
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sohcrates

Diamond Member
Sep 19, 2000
7,949
0
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i've fooled around with vmware....installed nt4 on it to use a "sandbox" of sorts for opening questionable files and what not

if your OS gets trashed, so what?? erase the vmware file, and re-install!

i think it's a VERY cool program
 
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Balthazar

Golden Member
Apr 16, 2000
1,834
0
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<< i've fooled around with vmware....installed nt4 on it to use a "sandbox" of sorts for opening questionable files and what not

if your OS gets trashed, so what?? erase the vmware file, and re-install!

i think it's a VERY cool program >>



I did a very similar thing (shoudl I say DO) I run VMWare with a copy of Linux and Win2k, The Linux copy houses all of my dev. stuff and the 2k houses alot of my experimentals. Things from running questionable files to playing around with software that mucks with the system to whatever. It's nice because I have a backup burned to CD so whenever I have a problem I just restore it and go. What is ALSO very nice is the suspend feature, I can have FTP, Apache, PHP MySQL and a crapload of other dev. stuff running and when I am done I just hit suspend, when I am ready to go back just power it on and it's RIGHT back where you left it. Works very nicely, also, since nobody has mentioned how stable it is. The stability is VERY good considering....suprisingly good.

Check it out!
 
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Scootin159

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2001
3,650
0
76


<< MMM VMWare

Sorry so big, hope you enjoy.

-spy

PS: in case you were wondering that is the Beta for Photoshop 7..... mmmmmm ;) >>



how 'bout you show us your RAM levels right then....using about 1Gig or so?
 
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spyordie007

Diamond Member
May 28, 2001
6,229
0
0


<<

<< MMM VMWare

Sorry so big, hope you enjoy.

-spy

PS: in case you were wondering that is the Beta for Photoshop 7..... mmmmmm ;) >>



how 'bout you show us your RAM levels right then....using about 1Gig or so? >>


I have 128 MB allocated to Win 98, and 128 MB allocated to Win 2K (that's what each virtual machine has, so the guest OS takes that much total)
add in Win XP, Taskman, Sametime and Photoshop 7 for a grand total of just over 500 MB

-spy
 
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spyordie007

Diamond Member
May 28, 2001
6,229
0
0
Now if I really wanted to bring my machine crying to it's knees I could start running Sisoft Sandra's benches....

...within each of the virtual machines and the host OS at the same time..... ouch
 
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spyordie007

Diamond Member
May 28, 2001
6,229
0
0
I have another virtual machine with Mandrake, however I brought it down because I didnt like the install. I'm going to redo it when I get the chance, however I've just been too lazy so it got left out of the screen shot.
 
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