SUN xVM VirtualBox 2.0: Too Much Fun

Not having enough fun yet?

As if using Linux wasn't fun enough, it just keeps getting better.

Just yesterday, SUN released a major version 2.0 of xVM VirtualBox, a virtual machine memory manager. If you have been intimidated by or reluctant to try out one of the virtual machine memory managers, I'd suggest you give this one a try, because it is, bar none, the easiest, slickest, vmm of them all. Don't bother with VMware Server unless you enjoy tying up a lot of disk space and don't care if your USB 2.0 is demoded to 1.0. Better yet, VirtualBox makes good use of supported Intel-VT and AMD-V, which for all intents and purposes, makes, speed-wise, your VMs virtually indistinquishable from the local hardware.

There isn't a Linux compile of Chrome just yet, and some users are resorting to using a WINE emulator hack to get it running, but I say why bother? You can be up and running with a Windows VM in a matter of less than an hour and have any of your Windows kit at your fingertips right from Linux--on demand. Particularly, one of the nice features one can pull off is starting your VM and then shutting it down (Ctrl-Q) with option 'Save the machine state', essentially suspending and writing an image to disk of the current state of your VM. The benefit is that you can then launch your VM from suspended state and it boots up in less than 3 seconds on some of the newer dual-core processors. Also a nice feature, pressing Ctrl-L will put your open Windows App in 'seamless mode', so that for all intents and purposes it appears as another window on the Linux Desktop--doing this with Google Chrome, for example. Vista users will be pleased to learn that VirtualBox 2.0 now supports Vista 64-bit hosts. Here's more of the skinny taken from SUN's press release:

"...Sun xVM VirtualBox is the powerful open source virtualization tool that makes software development easier. It also eases migration issues by enabling a single computer to run multiple OSes and applications simultaneously, with virtually no performance degradation. Sun xVM VirtualBox supports Windows, Mac OS, Solaris OS, and Linux hosts. The latest version of xVM VirtualBox adds support for 64-bit versions of Vista and RedHat Enterprise Linux. In addition xVM VirtualBox includes a new interface for managing a virtual Mac desktop, improved networking for Mac OS X and the Solaris OS, and improved performance on AMD chips. Customers who purchase an Enterprise Subscription receive a Right-to-Use License, allowing them to deploy xVM VirtualBox using their own software deployment tools. Enterprise Subscriptions start at $30 (USD) per user per year, which includes 24/7 technical support. Volume discounts are also available. What Can xVM VirtualBox Do? Sun xVM VirtualBox gives developers the flexibility to develop cross-platform applications without the need to maintain multiple hardware systems, thus lowering capital costs and increasing productivity. Sun xVM VirtualBox can also be extremely helpful during a desktop migration because users can continue to work with their familiar applications on the new platform. That saves training time and other IT resources..."

View image of Google Chrome running in 'seamless mode' on Linux Desktop

I can't say enough nice things about VirtualBox. It has taken top spot with me over VMware and unless by some 'miracle' something new appears, it will stay that way for a long time.

So, hurry up! Time's a wasting. Go get your VirtualBox Now! Trust me, you won't regret it.