I really appreciate being able to use VMWare Server 2.0 for free. Really. My “office” (scare quotes because–confession time–here at twc central my office is known as my junk room *heh*) is crowded enough as it is without four more computers and either more monitors or a cumbersome KVM switch, etc. Being able to run several (fully licensed) versions of Windows, BSD and even a couple more Linux distros all inside one machine without multi-booting is more than just handy; it’s a sanity saver.
But. Every time there’s a Firefox update (yeh, I use Firefox for it, because 1.it now uses a web interface plugin for console management and 2.the #$*&%# plugin refuses to work with Opera, even though ALL OTHER MOZILLA PLUGINS DO just fine and dandy) the web management console stops workng and the ONLY way I’ve found to get the thing to load again is to… completely recompile, reinstall and reconfigure VMWare Server. NONE of the other so-called fixes (hacks, kludges) that’ve been around since the VMWare Server FUBAR at Firefox 3.0.1 have worked. ONLY a complete recompile, reinstall and reconfigure works.
Dumb, VMWare, really dumb. It’s the same plugin–no change there. And another thing: EVERY time I have to completely recompile, reinstall and reconfigure the thing, the scripting informs me I have a wrong version of this that or the other OS component, always asking for a down version and warning the reconfiguration will crash. It never does and VMWare Server always comes back up after the reconfiguration, finally working again after getting the willies over a X.X.1 point change in a FIrefox version.
*feh*
VMWare is squandering major kudo points for its better-than-most-others’ VM implementation with this kind of mickey mouse issue, caused by its insistence on depending on a browser plugin it apparently cannot bother to maintain properly.
Still, for 64-bit VMs across a wide spectrum of OSes, once the thing actually LOADS, it’s just fine. Minor issues getting VMWare Tools (for VMs sharing USB, sound, etc., with the host machine) working in some OSes, but no real problems and LOADS of pluses… once the assinine console plugin actually loads.
THIS is an open trackbacks post. Link to THIS post and track back. 🙂
If you have a linkfest/open trackback post to promote OR if you simply want to promote a post via the linkfests/open trackback posts others are offering, GO TO LINKFEST HAVEN DELUXE! Just CLICK the link above or the graphic immediately below.
