Which is a Best Host Operating System

[acdc45]

Hi everybody and greetings.

I need this answer from all you power users out here, and I need a definite answer and i do not want this to be an open ended debate.

I have a Pentium Dual Core Computer with 3 Gigs of RAM running Windows XP (SP3) and a dual boot with Linux (Debian and Fedora Core 10)

2 SATA Hard Drives 320 GB Each

I intend to run a few virtual guest operating systems using VMWARE Work Station latest version such as Solaris, Open Solaris, Win2K3. The question and doubt that i have in mind is ---

Which is a good HOST Operating System to run these guests- WINDOWS XP or LINUX.

Please give me your answer, your advice is asked for.

Thanks & Regards

AC

Message was edited by: acdc45

[Noel]

Do you have any need for HOST apps? For example, keep in mind that you cannot virtualize Firewire. Also, if you have an iPod, you might want to stay with MS-Windows because you will otherwise not be able to update the firmware, since there are no linux tools to do so and VMware has not solved the problem in VMware, yet.

So, generally I would highly recommend using linux as the host, but MS-Windows XP doesn't suck (unlike MS-Windows Vista), you have only 3GB of RAM (if you had more, you would not be able to use MS-Windows XP), and I'm asking a few other questions that might lead you to use MS-Windows XP. Else, go with linux and never look back.

On the other hand, if you are going to stay with dual-boot, just decide which OS you will feel like running more often.

[rlund]

Linux will allow you to run * 5 times or more guests on the system.

I see no reason to Use anything but Linux unless you need to use the host for other things that just a VMware Host.

I have had good results on Suse Enterprise and VMware Server

Roger Lund

My Blog:

[continuum]

> Linux will allow you to run * 5 times or more guests on the system.

good joke - tell us another one

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[rlund]

My point is, load windows XP, and VMware Server, and see how many identical VMware VM Guests you can run.

I could run 2 or 3.

On the same system, with SLES 10.2 , I can run 7 - 10.

These were windows xp guests.

EDIT: The largest reason is memory management, Windows XP as a host uses most of the memory for it's self, while SLES only uses what it needs.

Additionally, Windows in a 32 bit form only supports 4 gigs of memory or less , while SLES or Linux can use / Address more memory on a 32 bit system.

Allowing you to put large amounts of memory in a non - 64 bit system.

Plus windows XP does not allow you to load balance / Bond network connections, or allow you to use software raid without a raid controller, or thrid party software.

And lets not get into how Windows updates or system updates would effect Guests , while you can do updates on Linux with no effects like rebooting.

Roger Lund

My Blog:

[continuum]

OP uses XP-32 with 3GB RAM only - so all your arguments aboyt memory management don't count.

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[rlund]

Fair,

Here is what I did, I took a P 4 2.4, put three hard drives, and three gig's of memory in it.

I loaded SLES 10.2 on it, installed it to one of the three drives.

Then I setup the two others drives with a raid 1 software raid configuration.

Loaded VMware 1.07.

Setup six windows xp guests with 256 memory each, loaded a software application in each,and setup remote desktop.

Tested performance in each Guest VM, and found it to be the same as the same computer with only windows xp on it.

The same test with Windows XP as the host, found my self locking up the host after three guest.

Just my findings.

Roger Lund

My Blog:

[Scissor]

Which is a good HOST Operating System to run these guests- WINDOWS XP or LINUX.

You should use whichever Operating System you are most comfortable with for the Host.

[continuum]

@ scissor

what a boring - de-escalating answer

just kidding

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[wila]

How much I love linux -and I do- the bit I really do not like in combination with VMware is that you always have to rebuild your kernel modules after a kernel update and prey the update didn't break the building of the modules or you end up burning time fixing that somehow. It doesn't happen that often, but it does happen.

This is not an issue on windows or on OS X with VMware Fusion. No update will ever cause your vmware install to fubar itself.

Having said that..I am aware that Dynamic Kernel Module support is on its way which should address this annoying issue, but itś not here yet.

Without dkms it means do not update your kernel on a production machine unless it has been released for a while...

--

Wil

edit: and yes linux works really well, but do use a supported host OS and not the latest just because you can.