Installing on Virtual Machine

t020673 · #1 18th November 2009, 12:37 AM

I am extremely new to Linux and need some advice. I want to install Linux on a virtual machine (VMWare ESXi). My PC runs W7 64-bit. Can I install the new 32-bit Fedora Linux in a VM environment? Is there any advice people can give me?

diamond_ramsey · #2 18th November 2009, 12:44 AM

t020673, thank you for your post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by t020673

...I want to install Linux on a virtual machine (VMWare ESXi). My PC runs W7 64-bit. Can I install the new 32-bit Fedora Linux in a VM environment?...

I use VMware Server with my variety of Fedora 12 32-bit systems and life is good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by t020673

...Is there any advice people can give me?...

I implement a dual core and 3072 MB memory model for the maximum build. I do not know VMware ESXi. With VMware ESXi, could you be able to allocate more memory resources, accordingly.

Build and see, adjust and evaluate. My establish baseline functions very well for the four Fedora systems which I am running.

Hope this helps.

forkbomb · #3 18th November 2009, 02:32 AM

Depends on your processor. A 32-bit guest will work.

As far as I understand a 64-bit guest is only possible if you have a VT-enabled processor, even if you have a 64-bit host OS.

Also, VMWare ESXi is a bare-metal install. ESXi isn't something you install "in Windows" - ESXi is its own operating system. If you want to virtualize "on top of" Windows (or "on top of" Linux) you'll need to look into VMware Server, VMware Player, or VMware Workstation.

diamond_ramsey · #4 18th November 2009, 05:39 AM

tjvanwyk, thank you for your posts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjvanwyk

...Depends on your processor. A 32-bit guest will work....

Yup, very true.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjvanwyk

...As far as I understand a 64-bit guest is only possible if you have a VT-enabled processor, even if you have a 64-bit host OS....

+1 and the truth regarding VT-enabled processors and the 64-bit guest systems.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjvanwyk

...Also, VMWare ESXi is a bare-metal install. ESXi isn't something you install "in Windows" - ESXi is its own operating system. If you want to virtualize "on top of" Windows (or "on top of" Linux) you'll need to look into VMware Server, VMware Player, or VMware Workstation.

I did not that about VMware ESXi, so that is all new for me.

Concur with both scottro and you 100% about the VMware server as a deploying system.

Hope this helps the OP.

scottro · #5 18th November 2009, 03:09 AM

May I also recommend VirtualBox? I think it's less resource intensive than VMware, though I don't *think* it handles memory sharing as well. Haven't used VMware, aside from the commercial versoin of ESX which we use at work (not ESXi) for awhile, but with VirtualBox any memory you assign your machine is, as far as I know (unless this has been changed and I missed it), lost to your host machine as long as VirtualBox is running.

Aside from that (and in some circumstances, that can be a major issue), I find it easier and quicker to use than VMware's various flavors, at least for a home desktop.

beaker_ · #6 18th November 2009, 03:19 AM

+1 for vbox. VMPlayer is slick too, once you get a pocket full of configurations i.e., but I bent over laughing when I remote desktop'd (as in ms rdp) into a dos5 box and witnessed the bloody mouse work. So...

forkbomb · #7 18th November 2009, 03:17 AM

@scott
How well VMware handles memory sharing depends on a lot of things, not the least of which are the capability/efficiency of the host OS's virtual memory model and the presence or absence of the VMware Tools in the guest operating systems. Also has to do with whether one is using Server or Workstation. I won't address the various reasons one would want to go with VMware because that gets argumentative.

As for Virtualbox, it may be worth it to just go that route, if not for any other reason than that you won't have to muck around with licenses. It's possible to get free (beer) licenses for VMware Server, but still a pain.

scottro · #8 18th November 2009, 05:27 AM

@Tom, thanks for the clarification. At this point, I choose VMware for commercial, VirtualBox for just mucking around, but maybe the comparison might be worth another thread. On the other hand, I have to get up in 5-1/2 hours, so not tonight.

I assume we could do it without fighting, and as long as JN4 gets in it, you two will probably make other pugnacious types laugh, so....

forkbomb · #9 18th November 2009, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottro

@Tom, thanks for the clarification

Clarification, huh? I'll be...

scottro · #10 18th November 2009, 11:38 AM

Sheesh. Re memory usage.

Rainulf · #11 18th November 2009, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t020673

I am extremely new to Linux and need some advice. I want to install Linux on a virtual machine (VMWare ESXi). My PC runs W7 64-bit. Can I install the new 32-bit Fedora Linux in a VM environment? Is there any advice people can give me?

I recommend that you use Virtual Box. You can install it on W7. It's pretty straight forward, and it shouldn't be hard to use, I myself is also new to Linux. I use Fedora 12 as my host OS and a bunch of Windows and Linux as guest OSes.