Try VMware for free

[Steve]

It's a beta version, but at least it's free. VMware has released a beta version of its entry-level VMware Server.

Like its existing GSX and ESX Server versions, the new entry-level VMware Server can partition Windows and Linux servers into multiple virtual machines running Linux, NetWare, Solaris x86 and Windows, as well as 64-bit operating systems, according to the Palo Alto, Calif.-based unit of EMC Corp. VMware Server also lets a single virtual machine span multiple processors within a single box and can take advantage of Intel Virtualization Technology (VT) on some upcoming Intel server-oriented processors.

VMware was the first vendor to offer virtualization technology, previously available only on mainframe and Unix computers, on commodity Intel-based servers when it launched in 1998. VMware;s products are used by 20,000 companies.

[Computer World]

[Bob Crabtree]

Couple of things might be worth saying - first, don't bother attempting a download for a few hours, it looks to me like the company's servers can't cope with the present surge in demand.

When you do go, though, the direct link is: http://www.vmware.com/download/server/

Note, too, that - I think you'll also need to download the player version (that's a 28MB file for Windows and I managed to get this before VMWare's servers ground to a halt).

The URL for that is http://www.vmware.com/download/player/
The server creates the virtual machine and the player is what you use to access it.

Don't know the size of the server download but will report back once I'm able to get hold of it.

Bob

[alsenior]

yup there nuked
i wonder if they were using virtual servers
im glad you guys got it before slashdot the servers will be inaccesable for days afer that

yey for hexus

[Bob Crabtree]

i wonder if they were using virtual servers

Cruel!

[Steve]

I take it they've never heard of Bit Torrent then.

Whoops

[alsenior]

still quite slow atm does anyone have a torrent?
obviously a legal one
cant even sign in to get a serial number

[Splash]

Dammit STILL not working!

[Bob Crabtree]

Go get it - it IS available now!

[Splash]

Got it - cheers Bob!

[Bob Crabtree]

I'm starting to get slack bowels at the idea of installing this - it's not apparent what of the available files you should install and I can't seem to find anything even approximating to a clue about that. Nor can I find any instructions about how to run the app if I do get it installed.

I've no time to actually do anything with it right now - and won't have for a couple of days, I imagine - so would appreciate it if folk who do manage to install it and get it running could give us chapter and verse on the various processes.

Bob

[Splash]

Will do - just building a box now (Windows Server 2003) that will be running it. I downloaded the Windows .exe rather than any other - I've installed Workstation and (iirc) ESX a few times before, so I'll let you know how it varies...

[Bob Crabtree]

Will do - just building a box now (Windows Server 2003) that will be running it. I downloaded the Windows .exe rather than any other - I've installed Workstation and (iirc) ESX a few times before, so I'll let you know how it varies...

Anything to report??

[Splash]

Nothing really aove and beyond what was expected really. If you've used Workstation in the past think of it like that, but with the ability to run virtual machines as a daemon and also manage VMs on remote machines using the management console - it's all pretty user friendly. Basically (if running Win32) grab the installer binary and install it, ignore the rest.

If you get stuck drop me a PM and I should be able to help out.

[Bob Crabtree]

Thanks.

I'll try to check this out in the next few days but, in the interim, what's your advice to people?

Is this something worth having, given that it comes at no cost?

[Splash]

What are you planning on using it for? I have it running a webserver (Fedora) and a few other bits and bobs for testing. It's also handy for building virtual machines for use with VMWare Player which is good for support environments - make a build the same as your users standard builds and dish out to your helpdesk to play with.

[Bob Crabtree]

I think the thing I'm most likely to use it for - if this is supported - is to run Win98SE, so that I can print out labels to a dot-matrix printer that's not properly supported under XP (each label creeps a millimetre or so)!

Not, exactly, rocket-science, but the solution to a maddening problem that seems to exist not just with the printer I use but a whole bunch of other dot-matrix models, on account of the way you can't properly set up custom labels in XP.