VirtualBox 4.0
December saw the release of the latest critical update to VirtualBox, Oracle's desktop visualization tool. In its previous incarnation chose it as our readers so let us look at what has to offer 4.0 preferred VIRTUALIZER.
After starting the new VirtualBox, the first thing that is obvious is the new GUI layout. Long-term VirtualBox users however have to fear little as there is a close relative of the original. In the most obvious addition to the VM management part GUI is, that there is now a thumbnail that is constantly updated view of a running GUI. It seems an update period of about once per second, so hopefully, there is no amount of resources. Having said that, is useful for people who want to just keep an eye on what is running.
Speaking of which, the VM Windows are even now scalable. This means that you run an OS in, say, 1024 x 768 resolution, but scaled could perform in smaller window. This is also useful when you have to keep an eye on things want without sacrificing the space on the desktop, and you can flip back to a full sized screen with a keyboard shortcut.
CLI junkie or GUI monkey? As in previous versions, VirtualBox 4.0 can completely through the GUI or from the command line run but the GUI still somewhat some advanced features are the. Can the new features, insert the disc access bandwidth limitation and the change in size of the virtual hard disk images are accessed only from the command line will be. Port forwarding now has a GUI dialog, on the other. How some features CLI are only, it is important to have good documentation, and the good news is that the 4.0 features manual has already been updated.
Under the hood, there was some changes in the way that the individual VMs you save your settings. The settings file for each VM is stored in the same directory as the HD picture and together with some modifications, makes transfer of VMs between computers easier. In addition, file cleanup is comprehensive, when a machine is deleted.
Conclusion
Some may be disappointed with the volume of the brand new features, because there is a change the major version number is. What offers the latest 3.x release 4.0 is a new GUI and a few other improvements. A look through the release notes, makes it clear that there are a handful of smaller, but also useful new addition to the more remarkable. I suspect that great minor leap from 3.2 to 3.5, would give people have a clearer idea of what actually does the new version. This is a nitpick but when discussing one such piece of fine free software VirtualBox OSE version. Overall it has some nice updates, although it lacks the earth shattering new innovations that people tend to expect from a full version number increment.
______________________UK based free writer Michael Reed http://www.unmusic.co.uk/ technology, retro computing, geek culture and gender politics writes. His byline has appeared in several technology publications.
Sun (now Oracle) VirtualBox: an observation
OK, I recognize and appreciate the tremendous contributions of open source software. I really do. I use it every day and have done so for many years. I person from the word go a Linux. But I work for a Windows shop. All Windows, all the time. So, to fill my time sheet to get paid, or all change tracking in a Microsoft 2007 proposal document to follow, I have to run Windows, as the company the I for work 100% Windows software used for your business.
I will accept. And make sure I can fill my time sheet, and track all these changes in MS Word documents, I run Windows in a virtual machine.(By the way, I did also use open Office, for years, but OO isn't 100% compatible with MS Word.Es is not always too fast with changes track, and I can not count have wasted hours I try to do something other than the dog dinner of an OO presentation look when displayed in MS PowerPoint.)
Back to the question: for my virtual machine, I used to use to VMWare, but I switched over to Sun (now Oracle) VirtualBox some years ago.In general I quite happy with VirtualBox.Ich the latest run patched version of Windows XP in it; it has 2-D hardware acceleration, sound, virtual networking, etc so that you can say in fact that you are on a virtual machine if you use it.
However...
Today I ran it the one apparently persistent, long-lasting bugs in VirtualBox, which threatens to derail my productivity for at least a few hours.Here is the background: I created the VirtualBox VM that I am currently with about 3 years.At that time it seemed like a fixed 10 GB virtual disk drive C: XP in VirtualBox use a good idea, if I it building war.Fragen not why it seemed like a good idea at the time.
How my virtual disk C: turns out though, in the three years I have used this virtual disk image, successive software installed and upgrades have completely until to the edge gefüllt.Ich noticed that my automatic SP2 upgrade to MS Office 2007 fail kept because not enough space on the device available needed a larger virtual drive pay.
After a pretty extensive search I found what apparently had found experience this problem else to exactly the richtige.Jemand a fix, and then took the time to write it, use other (thanks, Nick!) here is the link that nicely described how to copy a virtual system disk on a larger virtual system disk.
http://www.modhul.com/2008/10/21/re-Sizing-a-VirtualBox-Virtual-Disk-Image-File/
Oh, and here is the catch:
How is that a catch you questions?Well, it turns out that it has a bug or two in VirtualBox for years which can (usually not apparently) prevent that a user delete snapshot files in virtual machine.
Yes, I use snapshots, why not me?Snapshots roll back to a previous instantiation of your VM.Nehmen can specify we, your Windows VM gets a virus.No problem: Roles took back you to the snapshot a few weeks.No more virus.Now patch against that particular virus.
Conclusion: I am now not able to successfully my small virtual drive c on a larger disk copy because the resulting copy, in fact, is wonky.
Now, I clearly say: I'm not gedacht.Es complain about Sun's maintainer (now Oracle) is free software, I am grateful to %s.keeping is an excellent Produkt.Ich generally from the perspective of being a developer and maintainer remind me of free software (see this previous LJ articles a description of one mean FOSS packages): create and manage open source software is a royal pain in the kazoo.
Working with limited resources, and everything you always seem to hear is complaints.
Let me therefore say "thanks, VirtualBox developer and maintainer for us this far."I am sure that you already haben.Ich will much kazoos to like to find out a Meatball surgery approach, to me from this latest catch 22.Und then I have the solution to write.
