VMware (JJoel) responds to issues -- "how can we improve?"

[Noel]

Jason Joel wrote:

As the product manager for VMware Workstation it is really dissappointing that some of our most loyal users are experiencing this many issues and are frustrated enough to seek alternatives to Workstation.

Good.  I take it as a good sign that you're frustrated and upset, and working to resolve these issues.  As you know, many of them are long-standing.

I have problems with USB, as well.  As documented for ages, to keep VMware from crashing the kernel, I've had to blacklist various usb drivers, e.g., usb audio, to prevent the host from touching the device.  Without blacklisting, VMware crashes the kernel when attempting to connect it to the VM.  This happens with both my Sennheiser PC-166USB and my Creative Labs Optia AF.  There are still occassional USB issues, but less frequently.  Of course, this means that I can't use the device on the host without reconfiguring.

Blacklisting has also been found necessary just to implement proper functionality with some devices, such as upgrading firmware on an iPhone.

Perhaps the USB architecture needs revisiting.  Stability is really not optional.

I've also documented relatively minor UI issues, such as the issue on linux where VMware Workstation doesn't properly track which tabs should be open, much less their order.

It might help if you would investigate releasing the source for more of the code, allowing the community to assist, as we do with the available kernel modules.  Not everything is a proprietary competitive advantage.  Arguably, whatever isn't a competitive advantage puts us both at a disadvantage if you don't allow us to help maintain it.

Another thing that you could do is introduce a proper bug tracker, so that we can better contribute and track bugs.  I'm sure you have one internally, but you might have noticed how Canonical, RedHat, Sun (before becoming Oracle) and ultimately successful Open Source projects all have public issue trackers.  You tell us about bugs that are fixed, but it is comparatively hard for anyone to report and track bugs in VMware products.  In contrats to the VMware Community Forums, when it comes to  bug reporting and tracking, VMware still seems stuck in a very distant and archaic past.

[AwesomeMachine]

I've been using Workstation since version 3, and I've never had a problem with it, because I use it like a person normally would. It's not a toy. It's WORKstation, for doing productive work. It seems like the complainers are trying to wreck Workstation, by using it to perform potentially marvelous but useless tasks. I've never found anything I couldn't do using Workstation, until I came here! Ubuntu alpha releases are not supposed to work properly on bare metal, much less seven levels deep of nested virtual machines, with alternating Windows and linux hosts!

Sometimes you just need another chassis. There's no way around it. It's impossible to do everything using only one or two PCs! It's impossible to do everything using only PCs! A text-based Workstation program would be great except for no one would buy it besides me. I've seen 'em come, and I've seen 'em go, and VMware is here to stay, unless they get bought by Semantec--software purgatory--the tomb of innovation and progress.  

[Joe1948]

I've got to agree with you on some of these complex setup people are trying give me a headache trying to follow. I'm a simple user. I use it to test software especially freeware before I put it on my actual PC. I also run some older Windows OS for apps that aren't supported for Windows 7 64 bit. I also use it to test slipstreamed Windows install disks. For my needs I've had no real issues. VMware is complex software with tons of settings. I had one minor problem and I eventually found hardware compatibility had changed on the VMware version.

Joe

[continuum]

@ Awesomemachine

> It seems like the complainers are trying to wreck Workstation, by using  it to perform potentially marvelous but useless tasks.

Sorry - your comment is way off.
What may look like a useless task to you maybe mission critical for other users.
Also do not judge USB -functionality by looking at your machines only.

For me USB also works but by doing support here since years I know that the new implemetation does NOT work for many others.
It also does NOT work as stable as the one used in earlier versions.
Not because folks try obscure tasks - they just try functions that are advertised as functional.
Even if they try obscure things - they are justified in trying so.
Workstation is a tool designed to do things  that are impossible using other means and we all  want to keep it like that.

Also keep in mind that Noel is the guy without whom many users of recent Linux kernels would not be able to use Workstation at all.

So if he tries to use  this post to make future Workstations work better with Linux  - then for heavens sake - let him do it

Ulli

[Noel]

AwesomeMachine wrote:

It's not a toy. It's WORKstation, for doing productive work

You mean, like audio and/or video conferencing for professional purposes using software that is not compatible with the host OS?

Ubuntu alpha releases are not supposed to work properly on bare metal, much less seven levels deep of nested virtual machines, with alternating Windows and linux hosts!

Hyperbole much?

The work to support leading edge kernels has been done by volunteers and provided as a community service.  No one has objected to being a canary in a coal mine.  What *has* been said is that it would be more effective and mutually beneficial if more of the code were available for us to help do that work.

And, ironically, you've got it entirely backwards: the guest tools are fully Open Source.  The recent issue with GTK was in a closed portion of host code.  And VMware fixed it -- they are simply poor at providing publically accessible tools for reporting and tracking progress on issues.

Sometimes you just need another chassis. There's no way around it. It's impossible to do everything using only one or two PCs! It's impossible to do everything using only PCs! A text-based Workstation program would be great except for no one would buy it besides me.

I don't believe that the Product Manager would quite agree with your implication.  It certainly is not how the product is positioned, nor does his recent "Mea Culpa" e-mail concur with your view.  VMware Workstation's goal is to be the Gold Standard in desktop virtualization.  That means providing as much full feature operation of each guest OS as possible.

It seems like the complainers are trying to wreck Workstation, by using it to perform potentially marvelous but useless tasks. I've never found anything I couldn't do using Workstation, until I came here!

I would be shocked if anyone at VMware agrees with your assessment in any way, shape or form.