virtualbox 3 released

Virtualbox storms along at a good pace.
I started with VMware many moons ago but when I heard of VBox I had to try it!
I ran both for a while as Vbox was tricky to set network bridges up and Vmware was so much easier. I preferred Vbox tho, and waited for them to make bridges easier, and they did!
Since then I have converted all my old vmdk's to vdi's and haven't used vmware since. (I may use vmplayer if I need to run Win95/98 etc. but I will try to resist!)

Any way my scenario is as follows:
a. Hardy host with VBox 2.2 with the following guests:
b. Jaunty (evaluation to update hardy host when stable)
c. Puppy (I always have a Puppy linux available!)
d. 'TEST' for just checking iso's are bootable before burning, and evaluating new OS'es - currently having trouble getting slackware 12.2 to boot after install...
e. Solaris - jumpstart server
f. Win2k - slower
g. WinXP - slow
h. Vista - slowest
i. Win7 - snail

Jaunty, Puppy, Vista are kept as saved systems (Vista ocasionally rebooted when nothing else going on)
Jaunty is my main desktop (Kubuntu) while I migrate apps from Hardy - currently having problems with akregator - crashes and asks for debug stuff to be sent to somewhere - but then debug crashes so no output to send! running it from console now so stdout might contain something useful.

So that's me for now - looking forward to tesing VBOX 3 (haven't got an smp to test with but will play with new gui features)

see you next time...

what I use

Hooray, some linux!
My main system is a dell desktop 2Gb Ram, Celeron 2Mhz, 500Gb & 250Gb disks running Hardy.
Also Laptop HP running XP for family 2Ghz Pentium 2Gb ram 80Gb disk.
Both connected to Dlink wireless and also 100Mb ethernet.
Also, 2 Compaq deskpro 933 Mhz 256Mb ram. One has 500Gb running knoppix and is just for backups. Other is a spare for trying stuff!
Have been running Hardy for a year now and looking for something to upgrade to but can't find anything as stable yet. Have Jaunty in virtualbox (missed Intrepid) but akregator keeps crashing.
EXT4 looks promising though.
Bye the way, I tend to use KDE so it is that flavour of (K)ubuntu.

let me know if you find a stable (kde 4 preferably) linux. I am trying various flavours in Virtualbox.
I will pass on my opinions in a further post.

embedded solaris?

Oh well maybe next time it will be linux!

Just been reading that Solaris is going to be embedded in devices.

I have been administrating Solaris for 20ish years and It is a solid O/S. It has its foibles like any other but on Sparc it is a respectable system. However on intel, it is a different kettle of worms. My main gripe is that it takes so long to boot and the fact it shows a Black Screen for up to 10 mins or more (maybe half a dozen dots in to right, if you are lucky!) just rubs the salt in.

Any linux will boot under a minute (ubuntu are aiming for 10 secs) and the lack of apps for Solaris(intel) compared to linux just makes me wonder if there is a market...

Going back to embedded, any device that you turn on, you want to be able to use straight away. You are not going to switch your ipod on and go and make a pot of tea are you?

I usually run Solaris intel in Virtualbox so I can 'save-status' it and 'restore' it without booting.

I wish them well with it, with Sun being in these tubulent times!

naughty MS!

I will get round to writing some linux stuff soon!

but I have just been reading about MS installing an addon to firefox without any consent from user. I know MS think they own the web and all access to it, but I wonder how they would react if joe bloggs suddenly introduced extra bits into explorer (let alone without telling them about it!) (yes, I know, who would want to slow it down even more!)

MS should concentrate on making their own stuff more accessible/useable/nice/friendly/faster(!?) (perm any from all) and let everyone else get on with doing a proper job of things.

p.s why does ubuntu (for example) install from 700 Mb ish with all necessary to do some tasks, and Win7 (for example) take 2Gb+ to install an OS and a browser?

regards Nigel (slight smile)

windows 7 review

Just to prove I am not just anti MS, I do look after windows systems and have 2k, XP, Vista with some running in virtualbox for testing purposes.
2k is fairly lightweight (compared to current systems) but not at the time with older hardware.
XP is still fairly good for current hardware and is 'fairly' solid now.
VISTA thankfully I rarely have to run. I would not recommend anyone using it for production, especially on laptops.

Now we come to '7' and I was expecting the worst. I haven't tried the beta's but thought I would give the RC a go, as it runs for a while before choping its own head off!
I was VERY surprised at the speed! (was expecting a VISTA in treacle) but seems to be responsive as 2k is now, boots in minutes whereas VISTA is still 'settling down' after an hour.

Anyway will report back after setting up a few apps etc.

bye for now

hello everybody,
this is my first blog, so bear with me!

I got to thinking the other day, how many things you buy where the supplier has a say in what you do with it afterwards. For example, if you buy a car, you can do what you like with it (within the law!)
In fact getting help can be a problem in the first place.

Then I thought of windows and it was the opposite. You buy a copy and if you want to do anything different with it - new h/w etc. and microsoft are there telling you what you can and can't do. The desktop or laptop it is running on doesn't care and the supplier almost won't talk to you unless you want to buy a newer one. They don't care if you run windows, solaris, linux etc. or even if you just want a posh doorstop!

In case you wondered, I run linux(es) and re-install add stuff as and when I like.
( I do have an old windows system purely for sending MS doc files to people who have
problems reading O-Office files )