[CoLoCo] virtualization in hardy: kvm

[Kevin Fries]

On Thu, 2008-03-13 at 15:25 -0700, Neal McBurnett wrote:
> Kevin, sorry if I was confusing.  VMware should continue to work
> better and better in Ubuntu, and continues to be recommended by VMware
> and Canonical.

Starting to breathe again

> See also, e.g., new free packages like
>  http://packages.ubuntu.com/hardy/open-vm-tools

Interesting, never seen this  package before... I will need to check it
out.  VMWare server is in Gutsy's commercial packages.  In Feisty I
think it was in Multiverse, which was actually probably the right place
for it.  The free and commercial packages are quite separate from one
another, so it should not have been moved to commercial... this is not
like Parallels which is giving you a free trial.  VMWare server is free
to use, period.  They also have a commercial package which is different,
with some really cool high end features, but you must pay for that one.
They are not the same package.

> And note new, free, ways to construct VMware images as discussed
> before.
> 
> But of course Ubuntu, as a free software project, is focussed on free
> software like kvm.  And Canonical is also continuing to work with
> others to improve how other VM technologies work on the platform.

VMWare is distributed as a free or paid product.  It can be downloaded
directly from their website at:

http://www.vmware.com/download/server/

They ask you to get a license, but all that is required is they ask you
a few questions on how you are using it.  Its more like a "you tell us
what is important, and how you are using it, and we will let you use it
for free."  Of course, all the really cool tools are in the paid
version.  But for an R&D lab like us, the free version is all that we
could use and more.

VMWare compared to KVM is like comparing a Ferrari to a 1976 Ford Pinto.
Both are cars (or VMMs) but only one has all the modern features; and
only one has fine grained level of controls managing its operations; and
only one is reliable enough to be useful.  Fedora went down this road a
few years ago, and it failed badly.  Never let it be said that the
Ubuntu group is willing to learn from the mistakes of others.  It failed
miserably in Fedora, its going to fail in Ubuntu also.  KVM has always
been, and has shown no ability to be, anything but a series of bad
practices over hyped.

-- 
Kevin Fries
Senior Linux Engineer
Computer and Communications Technology, Inc
A Division of Japan Communications Inc.