VMware Player

The August 2005 “On the Desktop” (http://www.linux-mag.com/2005-08/desktop_01.html) demonstrated how to run Linux as an application under Windows using CoLinux (http://www.colinux.org/), a free, open source application. This month, let’s turn that column “upside-down” and run Windows virtualized on Linux using VMware.

VMware Workstation 5.5 is a great application, and for systems professionals that need to prototype systems in a jiffy, it’s an absolutely invaluable tool. But for your average Linux hobbyist, VMware’s $200 price tag is a bit daunting, especially for those that just want the ability to run one instance of Windows on Linux. The multi-virtualized network setup and the ability to constantly tweak virtual machines and run several virtual systems at once is overkill for a lot of people. The average Joe and Jane Penguin, wants to be able to run Microsoft Office, a few games here and there, or spend a Sunday afternoon on PartyPoker.com.

Well, VMWare has heard Joe and Jane. With the free VMware Player, you can create any type of virtual machine you want, be it Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows 2000, DOS/Windows 3.1 (for all those old games you love), Solaris, FreeBSD, and others, under the 30-day evaluation version of VMware Workstation and then run the virtual machine files ad-infinitum on VMware Player. Now everyone can have virtual Windows for free. That’s a pretty nice gift, courtesy of of EMC and VMware (and a nice piece of viral marketing).