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Re: [ProgSoc] Linux Disk Image Management Sofware



On Thursday 22 June 2006 5:48 pm, John Elliot wrote:
 ] One of the reasons being that I'd like to be able to do things with 
 ] Wake-on-LAN and BOOTP etc., which (although I don't know for sure) I 
 ] imagine would be more difficult to configure in an emulated environment.

 BootP - definitely no problem (though does anyone still use it?).

 Not sure about wake-on-LAN, but the primary reason for using
 it is not applicable in a virtual environment.  It doesn't appear to
 be an option in the BIOS for VMware Workstation 5.0 -- but that's
 quite old.  I'd suggest you can fake that with the Perl API scripting
 options you get with VMware server (fake it in the sense of getting
 similar functionality, if not transparency to apps/systems that rely
 upon genuine WOL).

 ] So... care to answer my actual question? ;)

 I know how annoying it is to ask a question and told to change
 the entire architecture of the stuff that sits behind that question ..
 so I tried to offer some genuine answers to what you asked.

 I mean, in addition to talking you into using VMware, that is.

 ] I'm looking at partimage [1] at the moment. This, along with a bootable 

 This is another reason why it's bad to write very long emails ...

 ]  ... how to make my own customised bootable Linux CDs (although 
 ] I wouldn't mind learning).

 Conceptually quite easy, but you end up with lots of CD's everywhere,
 and that's not very environmentally friendly.  Plus it's hard to track
 and of course it's a solution to a secondary problem generated from
 an adopted alternative and sub-optimal solution to the parent problem.

 If you see what I mean.

 ] I do intend to check out VMWare, and have signed up for (and I think 
 ] downloaded, but can't remember) the free version they made available 
 ] recently. Perhaps I should just do what I know is right... :)

 The server product is getting updated semi-regularly, so grab the
 latest one.  It has a TTL built in to it, too, though they are
 promising that the final rev will remain $-free.

 It's a right royal pain to install on Debian, btw -- lots of
 requisite packages that are tricky to track down, thanks to some
 truly braindead error reporting in their installation scripts.

 ] If I ran VMWare, would you recommend that I install it on a Linux or 
 ] Windows 'master' operating system..? (I haven't actually touched VMWare 
 ] for over 5 years, so I have no idea how it works.)

 I'd recommend a GNU/Linux host operating system, mostly because
 of the inherent stability of same, but maybe also the improved
 scripting options that you have with that platform.

 Also note that if (5 years ago) you were using the Workstation product
 you're in for a surprise.  Their ESX, GSX, and Server products work
 substantially differently.  This is in your favour, though, with your
 proposed configuration, as you can easily keep all three servers
 headless.  This conflicts with Brahma's popular image, but I'm
 sure you'll cope with this incongruity.

 Jedd.


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