Is there a vSphere client for linux?

[yella]

I recently upgraded to vSphere Client v4 for Windows but was hoping a Linux native client might now be available?

I didn't have any luck with the Infrastructure client running in Crossover Linux.

Thanks,

[Wally2142]

I've been using Oracles Virtualbox on my linux machines and loaded the vmware client on it, works well and not cumbersome to deploy.

[petedr]

Requests for a Linux client has been on going for years now. It would be nice if it finally was made available.

[Joel34]

I agree, Linux vshere and edir or LDAP for authentication. We need some choice here. I'm another person using MAD only where I have too. With vSphere being a cornerstone to so much that I do I'm all for having options in how I do it.

[Schoerch]

Yeah "DSfW" (Domain Service for Windows) is an option, but...

1) DSfW need a separate OES2 server. For best practice two DSfW server.

2) When you have this "AD" then takes a lot of time and you have M$ domain controllers.

Comment:

At time DSfW is not a full replacement for M$ domain controllers. You must modify your DNS server enviroment (must running on DSfW server).

[Nanth]

Hi Schoerch

I would say that in my experience DSfW is more than just an option it is a complete replacement for a Windows 2003 domain, and by mid next year it should have a 2008 schema as well.

You are right that you need a dedicated OES2 server, ideally 2 however you're running VMware right? and OES2 licenses are per user not server so the only cost is for additional memory usage, hardly a killer considering that with DSfW you have AD without the need to purchase CALs.

If you have domain controllers already this is no bit deal as you can set up a cross forest trust, users in DSfW, applications/file system in AD then transition to a DSfW only domain at your leisure.

Finally you don't have to have DNS on DSfW but you do have to have DNS in eDirectory, this is a very simple migration, of course you could have 2 DNS servers in your system, MS DNS for existing DNS records and OES2 DNS in a sub-dns domain (or entirely different DNS domain) for DSfW servers only.

Dave

[rtimj]

Dave,

I agree DSfW is a great product and you could do something similar with MAD VMs and Novell IDM (the free bundle version will work for eDir to AD) to take advantage of the MAD integrationin VMware.  There are a number of ways to work around the issue, but I think the point is why should customers who don't run a Microsoft Centric shop have to jump through hoops to take advantage of VMware features.

It would be different if VMware was a product specifically geared towards MS products but its not and has its roots in Linux.

I like VMware and they are not alone in requiring MS products to manage their products, even some Novell products require Windows to manage them but it would be refreshing for a company to give the customer the choice of platform for management products and the ability to use a directory other than MAD.

[Nanth]

Rtimj

Could'nt agree more, OS choice is lacking from VMware at the moment especially when there is no reason for the lack of choice however I just wanted eDir guys reading this forum to realise that it can be done without Windows & AD. Also for products like VMware View that will always be AD reliant DSfW is a great alternative.

Dave

[rtimj]

Dave,

Agreed.  DSfW is well suited, I ran into issue with password policies and partitioning due to the fact that we would be installinginto an exisitng tree.  The IDM bundle may help people that cannot re-partition or re-create password policies.

I hope VMware hears our vocal minority and tries to make VMware management more platform agnostic.

Tim

[Swiatoslav]

Hi everybody!

Suffering from all that stuff with vSphere under linux (and accessing VMWare server 2.0.2 on Firefox 3.6.x+) got a partially solution without RDP .

So, we need a firefox plugin for VMWare server (2.0.2 in my case).

Following instructions of person with nick bastafidli on ubuntuforums we got a nice and small line:

~/.mozilla/firefox/YOURPROFILE.default/extensions/VMwareVMRC\@vmware.com/plugins/vmware-vmrc -h "ESXI_IP:443" -M ESXI_VMID

Maybe, this will save you in case  you only need an access to your vm(s) without complex management.

[Feddar]

Great! Thanks Swiatoslav for your post! This was what i searched. It will go also with vmware server 2. Just write -h "VMW_SERVER_IP:8333" and it will go well. Thanks again

I want to add that I also consider very bad that vmware don't give us a linux client. very very bad behaviour

[sfrenchy]

Hi !

I'm currently working on a such thing.I have made GUI in .Net to control libvirt/KVM. It works, and currently I'm porting this .Net app to Mono, once done, we will have an application to manage ESXi. Just wait a little

[b0101]

I think most on this thread will agree with me porting a .NET app to mono is a bad idea.  I personally don't want any MS code on my box.  Mono is just a rat hole for MS to crawl into and linux box.  Lets look at all the security problems with MS products and what is the code base? .NET???  You would have a hard time getting me to believe in the security of your application if it is built on a .NET/mono code base.  I don't mean to poo on your project but, there is better coding languages.

I bought a copy of Workstation for Linux its a great product and money well spent.  Beats VirtualBox hands down.  The company I work for has bought and we use a lot of your products.  I'd be willing to pay for a good vSphere client that wasn't built on mono.  I'm not one that uses Linux because it is free.  I use it beacuse it is stable and secure.  I realize the world runs on Windows but you have to look at who buys your products.  Joe Sixpack doesn't buy your products.  Engineers like myself buy your products and most of us use Linux.  Like someone said earlier some data centers (like part of ours) doesn't allow Windows on the network.  What do I do break our security policy to use your product?  I think not.  We'll continue to use Solaris Zones on the backend even if we hate Orcale.  So if you want our backend business wise up and build a good Linux client.

A guy named Bowling made a comment the EXSi wasn't Linux that it has its own kernel.  This is true but! like he said the code base around that kernel is Red Hat based.  Still stable "Open Source" code.  The reason your product is so good.  So you took for the Open Source Community I think it is time for you to give back with some good tools for Linux.  You can do it.  Workstation is great! and I don't see mono running on my box.

[Schoerch]

I use other ported apps with mono as code base and it works stable. Essential for me is running on SLED / OpenSUSE.

[bugrelious]

I have XenApp in my environment so I was able to install and publish the VI Client and install the citrix receiver client on my linux machine and use the web browser to gain access to VI Client that way without RDP into another machine. I hope this helps.

[b0101]

I understand that it will run in mono, but a lot of other people are like me and don't want to use mono due to the infection of MS code.  Yea I know "they promised" but do you trust their promise?  I don't.  Remember when Novell signed the agreement and then the next week the news has "Linux has patent infrigements".  Yes we used to use SuSE we even did R&D work for them but after that all the SuSE servers got replaced and no more free work from us.  I understand that you like SuSE but there are a lot in the Linux world feel like I do.

I like I said earlier VMware did a great job on Workstation for Linux without .NET or Mono.  I'd just like to see the same with VShpere without mono or .NET code.

[bugrelious]

Yea workstation for Linux works great too.

[predatorx]

So VMware I second third fourth etc the request for a Linux vSphere client!

It is really insane to build a product completely Linux based and then force people to a Windows desktop and pay for a license.

I will not buy VMware Fusion untill there is a vSphere client!

[rlane]

I'm an ESX developer at VMware, and I can tell you that we also feel the pain of not having a Linux vSphere Client. I started writing a little shell UI for myself and it's grown to be used by a significant number of developers. I've open-sourced it in the hopes that the community will find it useful too. Here's the announcement: http://bit.ly/fIzBDW

[soonblue]

I am currently developing a Linux vSphere GUI client written in C, utilizing the VMware C API and GTK2.

I am also a full-time system and network administrator at a university so that job will take priority, but I'm trying to work on this whenever I can in my free time. Will keep folks posted in the coming months on how it's going. At the moment I have the connection window and much of the 'Inventory' display working, and am able to use this in my daily tasks with the ESX 4 and vCenter environment here at the college.

[predatorx]

it is great so many people started devving something, it is a big shame that VMWare does not support this?

I hope some employee will put this through to management.

Seriously, I am also considering dropping VMWare for RedHat solutions.

The clock is ticking guys, please do not let us down VMware.