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mbpark · 09-22-2001, 02:52 PM

VMWare = VERY VERY nice.

I've used that and was going to play with Bochs. However, VMWare whips Bochs all around, especially in speed.

VMWare is the one commercial Linux product everyone likes, because it can run EVERY windows version on it.

The only shortcoming is the fact that it only allows for 2GB "hard files" due to the ext2fs limit, which puts me back in the Win95A days.

However, it truly is a very nice tool. I've used it here to run Win98, Win95, Win2K, and Linux on top of all Linux variants.

The Win2K version is just as nice, and it's incredibly stable.

When you work in an environment where Office documents dominate, and various Office versions are very incompatible, especially Access 97, 2000, and 2002 (XP), and Excel 97-2002, you need an alternative to read those documents.

VMWare is it, because Office has a little problem due to macro-enabled documents binding themselves to different DLL versions within the OS itself, especially the Windows Scripting DLLs. VMWare lets me qualify applications on different versions without trashing my own OS, and lets me play with different OS'es without the pain of installing on the actual machine.

The newer versions are supposed to be good enough to allow for emulation of different pieces of hardware, which will be the killer app for device driver testing. In other words, you can put a PCI video card in your system, the latest Nvidia GeForceX or Matrox Gxxx in the AGP slot, and do direct driver writing using the product. Direct PCI and AGP access will make this product the BEST platform for device driver writing ever.

Knowing the Linux kernel, they'll have to ship a custom Linux distribution and kernel to pull it off. Win2K will require a host of custom device drivers, but it can be done without severe pain. Right now VMWare emulates an AMD Ethernet adapter and a generic SVGA video card.

It's good enough to handle all the Windows needs, including running Office at a decent speed. It's my favorite Linux app EVER.

A lot of linux zealots don't like it because it is closed source, but considering the alternatives such as Bochs, it lets me get my job done. That, and it saves money on hardware because you can run multiple OS'es on the same machine at the same time (I have run 95B, 98A, and 2000 Professional at once).

The only downfall is the price, $329.00.

09-22-2001, 02:52 PM	#9
mbpark Lecturer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Carmel, Indiana Posts: 761	VMWare VMWare = VERY VERY nice. I've used that and was going to play with Bochs. However, VMWare whips Bochs all around, especially in speed. VMWare is the one commercial Linux product everyone likes, because it can run EVERY windows version on it. The only shortcoming is the fact that it only allows for 2GB "hard files" due to the ext2fs limit, which puts me back in the Win95A days. However, it truly is a very nice tool. I've used it here to run Win98, Win95, Win2K, and Linux on top of all Linux variants. The Win2K version is just as nice, and it's incredibly stable. When you work in an environment where Office documents dominate, and various Office versions are very incompatible, especially Access 97, 2000, and 2002 (XP), and Excel 97-2002, you need an alternative to read those documents. VMWare is it, because Office has a little problem due to macro-enabled documents binding themselves to different DLL versions within the OS itself, especially the Windows Scripting DLLs. VMWare lets me qualify applications on different versions without trashing my own OS, and lets me play with different OS'es without the pain of installing on the actual machine. The newer versions are supposed to be good enough to allow for emulation of different pieces of hardware, which will be the killer app for device driver testing. In other words, you can put a PCI video card in your system, the latest Nvidia GeForceX or Matrox Gxxx in the AGP slot, and do direct driver writing using the product. Direct PCI and AGP access will make this product the BEST platform for device driver writing ever. Knowing the Linux kernel, they'll have to ship a custom Linux distribution and kernel to pull it off. Win2K will require a host of custom device drivers, but it can be done without severe pain. Right now VMWare emulates an AMD Ethernet adapter and a generic SVGA video card. It's good enough to handle all the Windows needs, including running Office at a decent speed. It's my favorite Linux app EVER. A lot of linux zealots don't like it because it is closed source, but considering the alternatives such as Bochs, it lets me get my job done. That, and it saves money on hardware because you can run multiple OS'es on the same machine at the same time (I have run 95B, 98A, and 2000 Professional at once). The only downfall is the price, $329.00.