VMWare - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

04/12/2007 12:46:27 AM · #1

I'd like to convert my main computer to Linux, but I need to have access to Photoshop (I like GIMP, but it does not yet fully meet my needs) and to Microsoft ActiveSync. I've decided that the best way to do this is to relegate XP to a VMWare virtual machine, then install Linux, and call up thw Windows VM from within Linux when needed.

Does anyone here have experience with converting a Windows machine to a VM and then running it under Linux? I assume I need to have a second hard drive with enough room to store the VM image.

Also, once I install Linux, do I need VMWare server or VMWare player? What else do I need to know?

Thanks,
~Terry

obsaysditto

Nikon D50

04/12/2007 12:50:02 AM · #2

just to clarify... you have two machines?

if you were dual booting i would give wine a try.

edit: sorry I do not have much experience with VMWare. I presently dual boot

Message edited by author 2007-04-12 00:51:50.

Nald

Nikon D700

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

04/12/2007 12:50:10 AM · #3

What about this?

Message edited by author 2007-04-12 00:50:26.

BakerBug

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

04/12/2007 12:52:59 AM · #4

I have the opposite setup. I have a WinXP machine running Ubuntu through VMWare. You don't need a second hard drive if your first hard drive has enough space. To the host OS, the VMware machine just looks like a BIG file. I specified 8Gb for my Ubuntu install, which is plenty big because I don't store anything on the virtual machine.

04/12/2007 01:07:21 AM · #5

Originally posted by obsaysditto:

just to clarify... you have two machines?

if you were dual booting i would give wine a try.

edit: sorry I do not have much experience with VMWare. I presently dual boot

I have two machines, but the idea is to run them both on one machine. The purpose of VMWare is to create and run "Virtual Machines." You can run more than one virtual machine on one physical box, but that's beyond the scope of this project. I'd prefer not to dual boot.

Photoshop CS and ActiveSync are both known not to work under WINE.

~Terry

04/12/2007 01:08:33 AM · #6

Originally posted by BakerBug:

Did you create the VM and then install Ubuntu on it, or create an Ubuntu installation and then convert it to a VM?

~Terry

04/12/2007 01:11:10 AM · #7

Originally posted by naldslc:

What about this?

No good. Photoshop CS is known not to work, and ActiveSync is untested.

~Terry

mist

Canon EOS-60D

04/12/2007 03:26:02 AM · #8

You'd need a copy of VMWare Server to do it. The download page is here

//register.vmware.com/content/download.html

Obviously you'll need to get the Linux version so that you can run windows in the VM on your Linux box.

I used to do this ages ago when VMWare was in beta (or possibly even alpha), so it should definitely work pretty well now.

mist

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

04/12/2007 03:28:37 AM · #9

With regards to the disk, at least in the Windows host version, you can allocate either a big file, or a partition, or give the VM raw access to the host drives. I'd expect the Linux version to work in a similar way. For your own piece of mind you may want to shuffle your linux partitions so that you have a /windows or something

BakerBug

Canon EOS-20D

04/12/2007 07:53:57 AM · #10

Originally posted by ClubJuggle:

Originally posted by BakerBug:
I have the opposite setup. I have a WinXP machine running Ubuntu through VMWare. You don't need a second hard drive if your first hard drive has enough space. To the host OS, the VMware machine just looks like a BIG file. I specified 8Gb for my Ubuntu install, which is plenty big because I don't store anything on the virtual machine.

Did you create the VM and then install Ubuntu on it, or create an Ubuntu installation and then convert it to a VM?

~Terry

You will create a VM first. It will then ask you to select the OS you are going to install (the list of available is quite extensive). It will then create the VM file to hold your installation. Next you would insert your CD and launch the VM. Since the VM is new, it will look for the CD and install the OS from there. Once it is installed, you can boot the virtual OS by "playing" the VM.