Dave Watts wrote:
>
> Didn't want this thread to die out yet.
> I am interested in installing VMWare on my stand alone system at home.
> I have a PIII 600 with 128M. Am running Win95 on a 2.5 Gig hd and RH6.2 on
> another 8 gig hd.
>
> Is it possible to install VMWare onto this system with OS already on it?
> Do I need more hd space?
>
> Thanks,
> Dave
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steven Schramm <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2000 9:08 AM
> Subject: Re: Experience with VMWARE?
>
> >Jim Baxter wrote:
> >>
> >> Good Morning (or whatever it is where you are)
> >>
> >> I am considering installing Linux on some large workstations that now run
> >> that other "OS".
> >> We do most of our work with Linux in character mode but still need some
> >> windows apps.
> >> We could replace Office 200 with the Corel product like it but I will get
> >> much static from some key users.
> >>
> >> I need some opinions on using VMWARE. Things like ease of use,
> maintenance,
> >> and performance.
> >
> >
> >I am running RH 6.1 on a dual PII 450 with 256M RAM. I have used VMWare
> >for about four months and have found it quite stable, requiring
> >virtually zero maintenance, and with good performance. I use nearly the
> >full Office Pro suite and occasionally browse the web via VMWare, all
> >performing quite nicely.
> >
> >I did try this on a single PPro 200 with VMWare version 1.5. The
> >performance was too sluggish. The new version 2.0 is supposed to be
> >quite a bit better, but I already had my new machine by then, so I can't
> >tell you what 2.0 might be like on the PPro.
> >
> >>
> >> Thank you
> >>
> >> Jim Baxter
> >> MIS
> >> Morrison Supply Company
> >>
> >> --
> >> To unsubscribe: mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] with "unsubscribe"
> >> as the Subject.
> >
> >--
> >Steven W. Schramm | [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >CASA, Inc. | Ph : (505) 662-6820 x137
> >Los Alamos, NM 87544 | Fax: (505) 662-0095
> >
>
> --
> To unsubscribe: mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] with "unsubscribe"
> as the Subject.
Dave:
Depending on the version of VMware (Host is MS Win or Host is Linux).
That is, if you want yout MS Windows OS to be the host then you order
that VMware package. But if you want your
Linux OS to be host then you order that VMware package. The HOST system
is the one on which you install the VMware package. If you've got the
need you can buy a package for both but once you read on you will
probably see that one HOST OS is enough, even though you have the
capability of booting up more than one on you machine and it doesn't
cause a problem.
It doesn't matter if you have several OS's on your machine. You will
only boot up one at a time. That's where VMware comes in. Instead of
booting up one of several OS.s (which you can still do) you can now
install OS's into the VMware environment as so-called CLIENTS and run
the CLIENT. You can install several CLIENTS (if you wish) into the
VMware environment. I use the word 'environment' to avoid confusion.
This VMware environment is created within your HOST system but in such a
way that you can run other OS's in this environment without endangering
your HOST environment. I think VMware calls the CLIENT so installed as a
virtual CLIENT. This virtual CLIENT can use your NIC, for example, to
communicate over the network (if you have one) to other machines. But
it can do this at the same time as the HOST is using that same NIC to do
the same sort of thing. In fact, the CLIENT can, for example, telnet to
the HOST as well as any other machine on the network. Very interesting.
The thing to remember here is that (as previous notes by others and
myself indicate) lots of memory is required. I run approx. 330Mb of
memory and only have one host on my machine which is SuSE6.4 Linux
distribution. However, I am about to to take Linux OS for Red Hat 6.2
and install it as a CLIENT in the VMware environment on the SuSE6.4
Linux HOST OS. I just finished doing that with Mandrake Linux OS, Turbo
Linux OS, and another SuSE (6.3) Linux OS.
I also understand, but have not yet tried it - you may be able to run
several instances of the VMware environment on a single HOST system. I'm
talking VMware environments each capable of running their own CLIENTS.
Another thing I have not tried is running several instances (that is
several clients) in the single VMware environment. I believe I read
somewhere that one virtual CLIENT OS could be temporarily suspended and
another one started, and that sort of thing. I've only suspended and
then restarted. Maybe we'll get some feedback on that. Someone
mentioned this in one of the notes that hit the list on this subject.
Even if you want, you can install a VMware package on your MS Win or NT
machine (I think) and run virtual CLIENTS in the VMware environment on
that HOST when you boot it up. And if you have another HOST on the same
machine, let's say a Linux HOST that you boot up then if you have
installed the VMware package on that HOST you can also run virtual
CLIENTS in the VMware environment on that second HOST. But what is the
advantage when you can do it all on a single HOST and not bother with
booting.
Remember that for every so-called virtual CLIENT running in the VMware
environment you will need as much storage space as you would ordinarily
require if you were installing that OS on your machine all by itself.
So if the installation takes 6 Gig as my SuSE did, then if your install
that same SuSE as a virtual CLIENT in the VMware environment you will
need just as much storage. What I have found is that after installing
a virtual CLIENT OS one can back it up and remove it off the storage
media on a machine that may not have a whole lot of storage for several
virtual CLIENTS. One can always put the CLIENT file structures back
into place and away you go again. But somewhere, when you do this sort
of thing, storage is going to get eaten up whether it's on the machine
you are using for these CLIENTS or on tape, or on a file server that has
lot's of room to store your client files. Of course, if you do this,
you will want your CLIENT stored on virtual disks not raw partitions and
other features that VMware seems to allow for.
For each CLIENT that you run you will need at least the minimum required
memory space recommended by Vmware, unless you only run one at at time.
Don't forget,you must leave the HOST system will lots of memory because
this stuff all sits on top of the HOST. To what extent this translates
in HOST memory useage I'm note sure. What I'm trying to say here is
that running a CLIENT takes HOST memory, running the HOST takes HOST
memory, and the VMware environment itself takes HOST memory. Once can
allocate in the VMware environment HOST memory for a CLIENT. But don't
forget, if the HOST slows down so does the VMware CLIENT. I think I
have proved that but can't say it absolutely.
Hope this information helps. I'm looking forward to installing Red Hat
6.2 as a virtual client in the WMware environment on my Linux HOST
running SuSE6.4. In some ways this is off topic for the Red Hat list
but it seems they have been very patient about letting this dialog come
to completion. Thanks Red Hat!!!
Some exciting prospects here if you have to do development work on
multiple platforms and have only one machine, lots of storage, and lots
of memory, and don't want to boot them up one by one. It does look very
much like one can get more flexibility using this VMware environment.
The way I look at it, I have for a given machine one HOST - chosen
carefully for a variety of reasons. If this host is going to be used to
evaluate other products or develop packages that will have to be tested
on other products then I thinK this VMware virtual environment is very
helpful. Certainly, one has to get familiar with using it and setting
it up. I just had a problem in that regard and am glad it's over. When
things don't work for whatever reason it can be a pain.
Hope this information is helpful.
Bye-thanks_TED
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