[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: virtual machine choices in Debian



On Thursday 17 July 2008 04:48:14 pm H.S. wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Many months ago I had first installed a virtual machine, VMWare. I used
> it for a few months and then never touched. IIRC, it was free for
> students back then.
>
> This week I looked it up again (I still have the virtual machines
> installed) and wanted to reinstall the new version of VMWare Desktop. I
> noticed that it is not free anymore but comes with a 30 day trial feature.
>
> So, what free and preferably open source choices do we have for virtual
> machines in Debian? Pros and cons based on your experiences will be
> appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
> ->HS

VMServer is still free of cost to use.  VMWorkstation gives you some more 
features and you need to purchase it.  Both will work on Debian.

XEN is open source and is free of cost to use.  It provides most if not all of 
the features of VMServer/workstations and most of the benifits of ESX/Virtual 
Center.  XEN is more like ESX then VMServer, you boot Xen as your OS, then 
you have separate vms running, interacting with the hardward.  The GUI config 
tools are not as sophisticated as ESX/Virtual Center, but the cost is much 
much lower and you don't have to be concerned with licencing issues..  I have 
not used XEN yet, I only researched it recently. 

Virtual box http://www.virtualbox.org/  

That is all I know on the subject, HTH.

-- 
Damon L. Chesser
damon@damtek.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/dchesser

Attachment: signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part.


Reply to: