[NTLUG:Discuss] VM Ware Questions

[Ed Coates]

On Wed, 8 Dec 2004, Robert Pearson wrote:

> (01) Install a Linux of choice (compatible with VMware) on the hardware

Good so far

> (02) Install VMware

Yep

> (03) Install Windows

Through vmware of course

> (04) Install Solaris?

If you want it, again through vmware

> (05) Boot the machine

Start your virtual machines in vmware

> (06) Select session(s)? I could have everything up at once?

If your resources can handle it, yes, you could have you main linux 
machine (Host) running, and your Windows (Guest), and/or Solaris x86 
(Guest) all up at the same time.

> (07) Do I hotkey between sessions?

Not sure if there are hotkeys or not.  In the vmware client, there are 
tabs at the top for each virtual machine that you load.

> (08) Are just move the mouse to the desired session window?

See above

> (09) Some way to end session and start session - shutdown and boot?

Just like you normally would.  In Windows vmware session, you can sleect 
the start button and then shutdown, or in the Solaris x86 or another Linux 
vmware session, use the shutdown command

> (10) Is memory the limiting resource?

Yes, memory is the main limiting resource

> (11) Can sessions talk to each other like separate platforms can with
> IP or Samba?

Yes, they can communicate with each other.   You can assign a totally 
different ip address to each vmware session, and it will act accordingly 
on your network.  For example if you Host Linux machines has an ip address 
of 192.168.1.1 and your Windows vmware session has an ip address of 
192.168.1.2, and you have another Linux vmware session of 192.168.1.3, 
when you ping 192.1681.3, it will answer.  You have complete systems in 
almost every way.  If you set 192.168.1.1 as a samba server, you can mount 
and share filesystems with the Windows vmware session, and also mount and 
share filesystems with the Linux vmware session through NFS.

> (12) If file systems are compatible can the same file be open for 
> writing in more than one session? Like SUSE and Solaris at the same
> time? Or a text file in Windows, SUSE and Solaris?

Usually you will tell vmware to use a dynamically sized file to act as a 
filesystem.  This will be a totally separate file on the host system that 
vmware uses as a filesystem for the vmware session.  Unless you share a 
filesystem from the host, the other guest vmware sessions won't see it.

Hope that this explains the questions that you have.

Ed