Virtual machine software?

[pontifex]

I got VirtualBox from Sun and messed around with that but I seem to have an issue where it doesn't recognize my desktop color settings for 32 bit. It sees them as 24 bit.

Anyway, is there another VM type software that is free to use?

I am running Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit.

 

[lxskllr]

VirtualPC from MS. It doesn't handle Linux clients so well though.

VMware server works well with Linux, but it's a PITA to use on Vista64. It's doable, but more trouble than it's worth.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: lxskllr
VirtualPC from MS. It doesn't handle Linux clients so well though.

VMware server works well with Linux, but it's a PITA to use on Vista64. It's doable, but more trouble than it's worth.

i want to run Solaris 10 on it, so virtual PC is definitely out.
seems like vmware is out too.

 

[VinylxScratches]

Parallels might be worth a try.

 

[randomlinh]

is there a guest add-on install for Solaris? I had the same issue w/ a Windows 7 install on my Vista 64 machine. It went away after I remember to install that.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

Personally I love VMWare Server, and the best part is its free!!

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: randomlinh
is there a guest add-on install for Solaris? I had the same issue w/ a Windows 7 install on my Vista 64 machine. It went away after I remember to install that.

i have no idea.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Chiefcrowe
Personally I love VMWare Server, and the best part is its free!!

from vmware.com?

 

[George P Burdell]

Originally posted by: pontifex
I got VirtualBox from Sun and messed around with that but I seem to have an issue where it doesn't recognize my desktop color settings for 32 bit. It sees them as 24 bit.

What guest OS are you running?

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Chiefcrowe
Personally I love VMWare Server, and the best part is its free!!

from vmware.com?

Yup.

http://www.vmware.com/products/server/

 

[Nothinman]

VMware server works well with Linux, but it's a PITA to use on Vista64. It's doable, but more trouble than it's worth.

I thought the only problem was that you had to hit F8 on bootup to let Vista load unsigned drivers. Not an ideal solution from a security standpoint but not a huge deal from a usability standpoint IMO.

 

[imported_wired247]

VMware gets my vote... I didn't think it was a PITA at all to work with.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: George P Burdell

Originally posted by: pontifex
I got VirtualBox from Sun and messed around with that but I seem to have an issue where it doesn't recognize my desktop color settings for 32 bit. It sees them as 24 bit.

What guest OS are you running?

Solaris 10

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: MrChad

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Chiefcrowe
Personally I love VMWare Server, and the best part is its free!!

from vmware.com?

Yup.

http://www.vmware.com/products/server/

downloaded it and installed it but then it asked for a serial key. i never saw a serial key anywhere.

 

[Nothinman]

It's free but you still have to sign up and request one from their website.

 

[Red Squirrel]

VMware server 1.0, if you can get it to install. (very easy in Windows, Linux is hit or miss, depends on distro). VMware 2.0 on the other hand, stay away from. The only way to admin it is through the web interface where is very unstable. The ESX client sorta works but you don't get full functionality.

VirtualBox is good too, only thing I'm not fond of is the VMs are not self contained into a group of files, they're embedded in the system making them hard/impossible to backup or move around. You can organized your virtual disks no problem but the vm configs are stuck in the home directory and you can't just drop it on another server and have it work.

This is not really a huge issue as if you just backup the whole home directory I assume a full restore would still work.