Koozali.org: home of the SME Server

Running e-smith within VMWare

Mark Limburg

Running e-smith within VMWare
« on: December 07, 2001, 04:20:19 AM »
Howdy,

I do my web development within a WinXP machine, and installed a virtual linux installation and installed e-smith into it.  So far, it works like a treat.  I have a true, secure and networkable linux environment within my windows machine.  

This allows me to continue to use Windows, and learn about running Linux at the same time.  Less downtime to resources (ie time), plus it provides for a better understanding of developing multiplatform.

Has anyone else gone down this path?  Any webpages you could direct me towards?

TIA

Mark

Bobby

Re: Running e-smith within VMWare
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2001, 05:08:56 AM »
I have use VMWare for some time now.

What assistance do you need?

~B

stephen noble

Re: Running e-smith within VMWare
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2001, 05:11:36 AM »
> Has anyone else gone down this path?  Any webpages you could
> direct me towards?

yes, but it just works. what else do you need to know ?

stephen.

Rob Hillis

Re: Running e-smith within VMWare
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2001, 06:21:55 AM »
Mark Limburg wrote:

> I do my web development within a WinXP machine, and installed
> a virtual linux installation and installed e-smith into it.
> So far, it works like a treat.  I have a true, secure and
> networkable linux environment within my windows machine.

Yes, VMWare v3 seems to be pretty good at this.

> This allows me to continue to use Windows, and learn about
> running Linux at the same time.  Less downtime to resources
> (ie time), plus it provides for a better understanding of
> developing multiplatform.
> Has anyone else gone down this path?  Any webpages you could
> direct me towards?

For what kind of information?  Obviously, running SME under VMWare in a production environment is a *very* bad idea.  If you're looking at setting up a production server, get it it's own machine - the hardware requirements are *very* low - it's not worth the hassle.

For an experimental server, a VMWare implementation is ideal.  You can backup the entire server by copying the HD image file(s), and restoration is a snap.

Charlie Brady

Re: Running e-smith within VMWare
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2001, 07:58:52 AM »
Rob Hillis wrote:
 
> For an experimental server, a VMWare implementation is
> ideal.  You can backup the entire server by copying the HD
> image file(s), and restoration is a snap.

We do it all the time during development.

Charlie

Rob Hillis

Re: Running e-smith within VMWare
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2001, 08:19:32 AM »
Charlie Brady wrote:
> > For an experimental server, a VMWare implementation is
> > ideal.  You can backup the entire server by copying the HD
> > image file(s), and restoration is a snap.
> We do it all the time during development.

It's a shame it's so damned expensive... I had the beta of v3 running here until quite recently which ran beautifully... I just can't afford the US$300 price tag (near enough AU$600) for personal use...

Pity... there was something *really* amusing about seeing Windows 2000 runnning on my KDE desktop... :-)

Mark Limburg

Re: Running e-smith within VMWare
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2001, 08:27:08 AM »
Mostly, I'm looking into just how it works as a whole.  I wouldn't dream of running this as a production site, but as a development and even educational tool, it's got great potential.  

I'll just finish grabbing v5 and get it up and running on one.  Is there an "optimal" setup?  No e-smith issues as such?

Rob Hillis

Re: Running e-smith within VMWare
« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2001, 08:33:16 AM »
Mark Limburg wrote:

> Mostly, I'm looking into just how it works as a whole.  I
> wouldn't dream of running this as a production site, but as a
> development and even educational tool, it's got great
> potential.

Absolutely.

> I'll just finish grabbing v5 and get it up and running on
> one.  Is there an "optimal" setup?  No e-smith issues as such?

None that I ever found.  The virual hardware that VMWare uses seems to work fine, although last time I did this, I was using E-Smith 4.1.2...

I am about to install v5 to do some testing, and if I encounter any abnormal problems, I'll let you know... but truthfully, I don't really expect any...

Sjoerd Ebben

Re: Running e-smith within VMWare
« Reply #8 on: December 07, 2001, 05:28:00 PM »
Hi I may have an interesting problem for you guys :

I am running SME 5 now and have no problems with it.
But that SME server and that server only must also be used to program my ISDN HomeVox. To program this my phone company gave me a cd with a program for it.
BUT this works only under Win98/2k/NT and not under Linux!

Don't ask me why I have to use the server for it, because even I think it's a lame idea, but that's bitter reality.

I found a few sollutions for this problem and the best choice according to me was :
-install SME
-install VMWare
-install Windows

The first problem I encountered is installing the X window system on the server.
(X window is required for VMWare, is it?)
The problem was : I don't know how to install X !?!?
I followed a few instructions for this but when I "startx" , a message is being shown "No screens found" or something.

Does anybody know how to get X to work?
Or does anyone have a better idea for the mother-problem?

thanX , Sjoerd

Sjoerd Ebben

VMWare
« Reply #9 on: December 07, 2001, 07:13:58 PM »
Hi I may have an interesting problem for you guys :

I am running SME 5 now and have no problems with it.
But that SME server and that server only must also be used to program my ISDN HomeVox. To program this my phone company gave me a cd with a program for it.
BUT this works only under Win98/2k/NT and not under Linux!

Don't ask me why I have to use the server for it, because even I think it's a lame idea, but that's bitter reality.

I found a few sollutions for this problem and the best choice according to me was :
-install SME
-install VMWare
-install Windows

The first problem I encountered is installing the X window system on the server.
(X window is required for VMWare, is it?)
The problem was : I don't know how to install X !?!?
I followed a few instructions for this but when I "startx" , a message is being shown "No screens found" or something.

Does anybody know how to get X to work?
Or does anyone have a better idea for the mother-problem?

thanX , Sjoerd

Simon

Re: Running e-smith within VMWare
« Reply #10 on: December 08, 2001, 05:42:43 PM »
I can happily report that version 5 and 5.1 beta run great in VMWARE (although we're still on VMWARE version 2 - expecting to upgrade very soon to V3).

And i must add how wonderfully easy it is to install - i can't remember ever loading another complete OS in less time and with less hasssle. Nice :)

Simon

Bakody

Re: Running e-smith within VMWare
« Reply #11 on: December 09, 2001, 05:45:14 AM »
In a small production environment (if it can be called that) with 10 machines, I had absolutely no problems running e-smith within VMware 3.0.  I didn't do it for very long (over a long weekend), but the idea of being able to backup the entire company into a single image and burn it to a DVD... was very intriguing.

I also have yet to encounter any problems running e-smith within a Virtual PC virtual machine, although Connectix Virtual PC operates at glacier speeds - even on a 1000mhz Athlon based system.

Sjoerd Ebben

Re: Running e-smith within VMWare
« Reply #12 on: December 09, 2001, 03:48:11 PM »
But I want to run VMWare within SME

stephen noble

Re: Running e-smith within VMWare
« Reply #13 on: December 09, 2001, 04:39:11 PM »
it's possible i guess, but if you have to ask it's beyond you

Ed Form

Re: Running e-smith within VMWare
« Reply #14 on: December 10, 2001, 03:11:04 AM »
It isn't possible without loading the entire X-Windows paraphenalia at least, and probablymore than that.

Ed Form