11:48 p.m.
At the LUG meet in January, we discussed virtual machines with Qemu
and VMWare. I've now got both running on my Ubuntu 5.10 box, so I
thought I'd post some useful links & notes.
Qemu runs under Linux and Windows (although I think the Windows port
is generally slightly behind the Linux version). Installing on Ubuntu
is as simple as using Synaptic, apt-get, aptitude or whatever to
install the "qemu" package, and any dependencies that it needs. On
Windows, you just need to download an installer and run it. One
potential advantage is that you can emulate a different processor, so
you could, for example, run MacOS in a virtual machine on your x86
box.
Downloads, documentation etc is at:
http://fabrice.bellard.free.fr/qemu/
VMWare now offer a free-as-in-beer "VMWare Player", which will allow
you to use already-created images, but it won't create hard drive
images. As far as I know, it only emulates x86 processors, unlike
Qemu. This is available for Linux and Windows, and can be downloaded
from:
http://www.vmware.com/products/player/
I haven't tried it on Windows (I suspect it's a standard installer).
Instructions on getting it running on Ubuntu is at:
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=84275
Both Qemu and VMWare use "disk images" which are basically big files
that the emulator uses as a hard drive. The VMWare player won't create
a disk image, but Qemu can create VMWare-compatible disk images. The
link above includes instructions on how to do this.
Finally, some screenshots. Everyone loves screenshots ;-)
Windows 2000 in VMWare & Windows 98 in Qemu, both running on Ubuntu:
http://www.phillipsuk.org/tmp/vm.png
http://www.phillipsuk.org/tmp/vm2.png
Just to see if I could, I installed Qemu on my virtual Windows 2000.
It worked. Below is a screenshot of DamnSmallLinux running in Qemu on
Windows 2000, which is running in VMWare on Ubuntu:
http://www.phillipsuk.org/tmp/vm3.png
Finally, a simple screenshot of Windows 2000 in VMWare on Ubuntu:
http://www.phillipsuk.org/tmp/vm4.png
If anyone is interested in this and wants some more info/help, give me
a yell, but bear in mind that I'm new to this myself.
Russ
8:14 a.m.
Nice work Russ.
I had a play with Qemu on FC4 and have the linux.img running but havn't
loaded an XP image yet.
I have been using VM Ware for many years - it allows me to run several
instances of Win2K, each with a separate version of MS Access (so they
don't argue). It is also great for the snapshot facility so you can
test software against a fresh PC every time and you don't have to worry
about old .dlls lying around.
We should also take a look at CoLinux - great for laptops.
Sim
10 a.m.
On 01/02/06, Simon Faulkner <simon(a)titanic.co.uk> wrote:
Nice work Russ.
Thanks. I was particularly chuffed with the Linux-in-Windows-in-Linux.
Not particularly useful, but very satisfyingly geeky :-)
I had a play with Qemu on FC4 and have the linux.img running but
havn't
loaded an XP image yet.
If you want to emulate x86 on x86, then kqemu apparently increases the
speed quite significantly. I haven't tried it, though, since it has to
be installed from source, and I generally just install packages.
I have been using VM Ware for many years - it allows me to run
several
instances of Win2K, each with a separate version of MS Access (so they
don't argue). It is also great for the snapshot facility so you can
test software against a fresh PC every time and you don't have to worry
about old .dlls lying around.
The snapshot facility is apparently one of the things missing from
VMWare player. However, since the virtual drive is just a pair of
files, it's easy enough to make a copy before you do stuff. I now have
a gzipped tarball that contains a bare Windows 2000 with SP4 &
patches, so I can create a new Windows 2000 machine by simply
extracting those files.
We use VMWare a lot at work. We do a lot of development, so it's handy
to be able to test how (if) a new app will work on a plain Windows
install, or to find out what dependencies it has.
We should also take a look at CoLinux - great for laptops.
I've never really played with CoLinux, partly because I don't have a
copy of Windows XP. I thought about installing it on my work laptop in
my last job, but never quite got around to it.
Russ
10:12 a.m.
On 01/02/06, Russ Phillips <russlug(a)googlemail.com> wrote:
On 01/02/06, Simon Faulkner <simon(a)titanic.co.uk> wrote:
> Nice work Russ.
Thanks. I was particularly chuffed with the Linux-in-Windows-in-Linux.
Not particularly useful, but very satisfyingly geeky :-)
> I had a play with Qemu on FC4 and have the linux.img running but havn't
> loaded an XP image yet.
If you want to emulate x86 on x86, then kqemu apparently increases the
speed quite significantly. I haven't tried it, though, since it has to
be installed from source, and I generally just install packages.
> I have been using VM Ware for many years - it allows me to run several
> instances of Win2K, each with a separate version of MS Access (so they
> don't argue). It is also great for the snapshot facility so you can
> test software against a fresh PC every time and you don't have to worry
> about old .dlls lying around.
The snapshot facility is apparently one of the things missing from
VMWare player. However, since the virtual drive is just a pair of
files, it's easy enough to make a copy before you do stuff. I now have
a gzipped tarball that contains a bare Windows 2000 with SP4 &
patches, so I can create a new Windows 2000 machine by simply
extracting those files.
We use VMWare a lot at work. We do a lot of development, so it's handy
to be able to test how (if) a new app will work on a plain Windows
install, or to find out what dependencies it has.
> We should also take a look at CoLinux - great for laptops.
I've never really played with CoLinux, partly because I don't have a
copy of Windows XP. I thought about installing it on my work laptop in
my last job, but never quite got around to it.
Russ
Anybody mind if I pass a link on to the Wolves LUG about all this?
There is somebody on there who is currently dabbling with VMWare.
They need some pointers and a little interLUG co-operation can go a
long way :-)
I'm quite interested in having a go at quemu myself. I haven't
dabbled at all in this form of imaging an OS so it will be new
territory for me.
VMWare. There are a number of ready made disk (operating system)
images ready built on the VMWare site. I think the links are on the
right hand side but if not they are certainly easy to find.
--
==============================================
I am only human, please forgive me if I make a mistake it is not deliberate.
==============================================
Xmas may be over but, PLEASE DON'T drink and drive you'll make it to
the next one that way.
Kevan Farmer
Linux user #373362
Cheslyn Hay
Staffordshire
WS6 7HR
10:14 a.m.
Anybody mind if I pass a link on to the Wolves LUG about all this?
There is somebody on there who is currently dabbling with VMWare.
They need some pointers and a little interLUG co-operation can go a
long way :-)
Of course not - even write a summary on the website.
I'm quite interested in having a go at quemu myself. I
haven't
dabbled at all in this form of imaging an OS so it will be new
territory for me.
qemu took me 5 mins from start to booting the linux.img?
Gripped!
VMWare. There are a number of ready made disk (operating system)
images ready built on the VMWare site. I think the links are on the
right hand side but if not they are certainly easy to find.
Yummy.
10:41 a.m.
On 01/02/06, Kevanf1 <kevanf1(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Anybody mind if I pass a link on to the Wolves LUG about all this?
There is somebody on there who is currently dabbling with VMWare.
They need some pointers and a little interLUG co-operation can go a
long way :-)
Not in the slightest. Feel free to forward my mails to Wolves LUG, the
SUSE mailing list, or anyone else that may be interested.
I'm quite interested in having a go at quemu myself. I
haven't
dabbled at all in this form of imaging an OS so it will be new
territory for me.
It's really quite useful, and very simple. If you need Windows and
Linux, it gives you a way to run both simultaneously without having to
reboot.
VMWare. There are a number of ready made disk (operating system)
images ready built on the VMWare site. I think the links are on the
right hand side but if not they are certainly easy to find.
Yeah, there's also a bunch of Qemu images at Free OS Zoo:
http://free.oszoo.org/
Russ
8:24 p.m.
On 01/02/06, Kevanf1 <kevanf1(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Anybody mind if I pass a link on to the Wolves LUG about all this?
> There is somebody on there who is currently dabbling with VMWare.
> They need some pointers and a little interLUG co-operation can go a
> long way :-)
Not in the slightest. Feel free to forward my mails to Wolves LUG, the
SUSE mailing list, or anyone else that may be interested.
> I'm quite interested in having a go at quemu myself. I haven't
> dabbled at all in this form of imaging an OS so it will be new
> territory for me.
It's really quite useful, and very simple. If you need Windows and
Linux, it gives you a way to run both simultaneously without having to
reboot.
> VMWare. There are a number of ready made disk (operating system)
> images ready built on the VMWare site. I think the links are on the
> right hand side but if not they are certainly easy to find.
Yeah, there's also a bunch of Qemu images at Free OS Zoo:
http://free.oszoo.org/
Russ
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Staffslug(a)staffslug.org.uk
http://www.staffslug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/staffslug
Sorry I haven't got back sooner.. I'm liking the virtual machine ideas..
Something I would really like to try but never got round to it (and it
always seemed to cost!).. But seems like it's moved to a better place now
:o)
About the posting to others.. Go for it! Russ.. Thank you for putting all
this excellent info onto the mailing list.. Would you mind if your posting
were transplanted onto the web site (I'm sure there's lots of people who
would be interested)
If you've already mentioned about putting it onto the website, sorry.. I'm
just sifting thru many many emails!!
8:36 p.m.
On 01/02/06, dave(a)staffslug.org.uk <dave(a)staffslug.org.uk> wrote:
About the posting to others.. Go for it! Russ.. Thank you for putting
all
this excellent info onto the mailing list.. Would you mind if your posting
were transplanted onto the web site (I'm sure there's lots of people who
would be interested)
To be honest, I kept thinking about writing some sort of article, and
eventually decided to just take some screenshots and then do a brain
dump to the mailing list ;-)
I'll try and get around to writing some sort of coherent article for
the web site.
Russ
10:49 p.m.
On 01/02/06, Russ Phillips <russlug(a)googlemail.com> wrote:
On 01/02/06, dave(a)staffslug.org.uk <dave(a)staffslug.org.uk>
wrote:
> About the posting to others.. Go for it! Russ.. Thank you for putting all
> this excellent info onto the mailing list.. Would you mind if your posting
> were transplanted onto the web site (I'm sure there's lots of people who
> would be interested)
I've posted my initial mailing as an article, after making a few changes:
http://www.staffslug.org.uk/content.php?article.5
I have to say, I don't much like the editor. I can never seem to be
able to get on with WYSIWYG editors in web pages, and when I try to
use the HTML view it always screws it up. Oh well, at least it's
readable.
Russ
10:56 p.m.
On 01/02/06, Russ Phillips <russlug(a)googlemail.com> wrote:
> On 01/02/06, dave(a)staffslug.org.uk <dave(a)staffslug.org.uk> wrote:
>
> > About the posting to others.. Go for it! Russ.. Thank you for putting
> all
> > this excellent info onto the mailing list.. Would you mind if your
> posting
> > were transplanted onto the web site (I'm sure there's lots of people
> who
> > would be interested)
I've posted my initial mailing as an article, after making a few changes:
http://www.staffslug.org.uk/content.php?article.5
I have to say, I don't much like the editor. I can never seem to be
able to get on with WYSIWYG editors in web pages, and when I try to
use the HTML view it always screws it up. Oh well, at least it's
readable.
Russ
_______________________________________________
Staffslug mailing list
Staffslug(a)staffslug.org.uk
http://www.staffslug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/staffslug
It's excellent.. Thank you :o)
12:22 p.m.
Just letting you all know i'm still around! I recently had a router
die and thus had no gateway to get online! Bought a netgear 108g
router today, so here's hoping this one doesn't overheat too.
Anyways, catch you's later, liked the meeting writeup on the site also.
Regards, Andrew
--
Thank You
Andrew J. Edwards
12:25 p.m.
Quick update - If you install Windows on a VMWare machine, make sure
you install the VMWare Tools [1]. This will update the drivers, so
that you can set the display resolution to something other than
640x480 ;-)
I've updated the article on the web site.
Russ
[1] http://www.vmware.com/download/esx/esx2-16515update.html
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participants (5)
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Simon Faulkner