[Wylug-discuss] Running Windows with VirtualBox

[Andrew J Cole]

On Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:14:55 -0000, Dave Fisher  
<wylug-discuss at davefisher.co.uk> wrote:

> On 3 February 2012 14:05, A J Cole <ajcole at ajcole.org> wrote:
>> Being a very long time VMware user I always use VMware (vCenter)  
>> Converter
>>> nd have done so since NT days.  VMware "images" can be imported into
>> VirtualBox.
>
> I was reluctant to suggest VMware, thinking it might be a bit
> 'off-topic', but since Andrew has already done so, I'll second him.

I wasn't pushing Smylers to use VMware for delivery (see below) just
mentioning that VMware Converter as a viable route to VirtualBox with
the licence caveat.

> I've found it significantly better than VB for creating, migrating and
> running VM images ... and for integration with the host OS (I use it
> with both Ubuntu and OSX hosts).

Indeed - it was the best in the 90s and still is (my opinion).

> As far as I know, all the essential VMware tools are now gratis, and
> there are vendor-supported FLOSS tools for optimising the guest
> operating system (well for Linux guests, anyway).

VMware Converter is indeed free but, unless I have missed something,
only the entry level Type 1 Hypervisors - and some old stuff - are
currently free.  With a bit of hacking skill VMware Server (which was
free but dropped over a year ago) is perfectly viable on many varieties
of Linux (hacking in the sense of updating the modules to compile on
newer kernels and perhaps a few trivial script chnages).  If you don't
want to use IE (!!!) for our client(s) you will need something like
FireFox 3.0.11 unless you can convince the plugin that your newer
FireFiox is actually old.

btw VMware do do a virtually free (individual) Fusion licence for Macs.

Andrew