your thoughts on VMware and Virtual PC and maybe some tips...

[r0l0e]

i'm currently trying out both programs for the next 25 days. i really like them both but i need feed back on which ones to purchase.

vmware- Guest OS: SuSE 8:

Likes:
- it hasn't crash yet in 36hrs of use. even with my system OC'ed from 2.26 to 2.9 when installing SuSe 8.
- i like the fact that you can add more than one virtual disk and add all your cd devices. for me the cd-rom, cd-rw, and dvd-rom.
- i like the vmware tools included with linux. i can switch my guest OS to 1200x1024 and i don't have to worry about releasing the mouse from the guest to the host.
- i can install 2 virtual usb devises like my mobile action IR device and usb digital cam
- SuSE 8 is very fast as a guest OS. almost as fast as installing it in it's own drive.
- my USB mouse and wheel works!

Dislikes:
- i can't copy files directly from the host to the guest without using the virtual network.
- still can't get the sound card to work. i reckon that's just a n00b problem.
- could not get redhat 8, mandrake 9 to work. i think it's a video driver problem. another n00b problem.

virtual PC- Guest: Mandrake 9, redhat 8, suse 8, BE|OS

Likes:
- i can get all the distros to work, even BEOS, unlike vmware.
- i like the "undo drive" feature

Dislike: i haven't thoroughly test VPC but these are just some likes and more dislike...
- RH8, mandrake 9 took too much time to install. even on two different host system (P4 and AMD)
- RH8 running too slow.
- i couldn't change the resolution to more than 1024x768.
- the sound (emulated SB16) still dudn't work.
- can't install more than 1 cdrom
- can't get my usb devices to work properly.

[r0l0e]

success! if figured out a way to use the p4pea's onboard AC97 audio card and ditched vmw's SB16. all i had to do was add the AC97 in vmw's config editor, reboot suse and voila.. i hear her drummin...

now the problem is i can't mount a cd audio on any of the 3 drives, but data cd's work fine. it keeps telling me, "/dev/cdrom:Input/output error & mount: i could not determine the filesystem type, and none was specified." i don't think it's vmw's fault but a config error on my part. can anyone help?

[Áedán]

Odd - I didn't have any problem with installing BeOS 5 in a VMWare session. Worked reasonably well, with the exception of display drivers. Then again, I didn't have a VMWare display driver for it to use.

VMWare won't run OS/2 however. Starts the install and then VMWare pops up a box stating it doesn't support OS/2. Bah.

Áedán

[r0l0e]

Originally posted by Áedán
Odd - I didn't have any problem with installing BeOS 5 in a VMWare session. Worked reasonably well, with the exception of display drivers. Then again, I didn't have a VMWare display driver for it to use.

VMWare won't run OS/2 however. Starts the install and then VMWare pops up a box stating it doesn't support OS/2. Bah.

Áedán

vmware would hang defore it would start the installation. it would however mount the cdrom and hang right at the last icon on the boot process then would panic.

did you use the typical vm config for a new client or one of the others? i don't think it make any difference since i have to back into vm's config editor and edit/add devices.

[cloasters]

I was told that VMWARE is not all that and a bag of chips. I love "kernel panic" the best of all. Need I add the "not?

[r0l0e]

for a n00b like myself, i don't find it bad at all to use as a workstation. trying to move from uncle Bill's house to the Penguin's house isn't a easy task. i've been running mandrake 9 on my 4g4a and suse 8 on my p4pea sraight for the past week now. still trying to get used to openoffice and staroffice 6, but ripping, watching dvds and divx wasn't hard to accomplish.