How do I choose the best hardware for -> gentoo + vmware??

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cgmd · Post by **cgmd** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:31 pm

I'm wrestling with the idea of putting together a new system that will run gentoo easily and also allow me to smoothly run a virtual xp or vista machine (using vmware). My current gentoo system with vmware is far too sluggish using a 2.00 gigahertz Intel Celeron processor and 512MB memory (max for the mobo). The new gentoo system must be capable of running my windows based, business related, software... hence, the need for vmware.

Soooo... the question is: What processor and memory should I look at for such a setup?

Does anyone have some experience with this issue that would be willing shed some light on it for me??

I'd love to hear from someone who's already "been there"!

ttuttle · Post by **ttuttle** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 1:56 am

Sure, get a fast processor (preferably dual-core) and plenty of RAM ;-)

It really depends on how much the VM's will be used. I could decently run 2 VM's on a 1.7 GHz P-M laptop with 512 MB, provided I wasn't using both VM's and the host. But that wouldn't do at all if the VM's were virtual servers under a normal load. I guess I would say get 512 MB RAM per VM, and get 1 GHz of CPU per VM (i.e. a 2.00 GHz dual-core machine with 2 GB of RAM could probably comfortably run 4 VM's. I have no source on this, and I'm just estimating, but perhaps it could help.

cgmd · Post by **cgmd** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:27 am

ThinkingInBinary wrote:

a 2.00 GHz dual-core machine with 2 GB of RAM could probably comfortably run 4 VM's

That's pretty much the assessment I, too, was thinking. I was hopimg someone would collaborate that estimate. Thanks for the input!

Sunnz · Post by **Sunnz** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 10:44 am

What do you want to do in XP?Vista on VM?

cgmd · Post by **cgmd** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 1:23 pm

Sunnz wrote:

What do you want to do in XP?Vista on VM?

...I use 3 software applications which are only windows based... one is an extensive patient database program (storing information, generating reports, archiving photos, etc.) designed for medical clinics, the second is an accounting software package, also written for use in a healthcare setting (electronic billing and the usual functions of financial data storage, retrieval, analysis, etc.), and the third is a voice recognition program for medical environments (medical vocabulary adapted) used to generate electronic medial records and fill other transcription needs.

These are now being run on XP workstations using P4 cpu's and 1GB memory. I would want the new system to be capable of future addition and expansion, that's why I think it should be "Vista ready".

Do these requirements change the recommended hardware components??

Thanks!

alphonce · Post by **alphonce** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:25 pm

I you're going to use windows that much why don't install it on a separate partition, windows boots rather fast these times and linux isn't that bad either. besides booting with vmware takes some time aswell but the choice is yours to make.
unless your going to use windows and linux at the same time I would go with windows on a separate partition.

if not, a dual core processor (intel core 2 duo or athlon x2), at least 1GB of ram and a rather powerful nvidia-card for the graphics rendering and a fast harddrive wouldn't hurt, the samsung spinpoint is very fast and cheap.

cgmd · Post by **cgmd** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:30 pm

alphonce wrote:

why don't install it on a separate partition

...I've been dual booting for some time, now, but, though my windows needs seem heavy, I really require windows for short intervals, several times a day. The dual booting then becomes a drag. Being able to multitask with windows being in a VM window is very appealing. This is provided, of course I can make the windows applications run faster than they now do, with VMware installed on my present gentoo box (2.0GB Celeron & maxed out with 512MB DIMM SDRAM).

My problem is that I've never seen VMware "in action" on a fast system, to know if it's realistic to expect it to provide good performance, even then, with those windows applications! I'm just going on faith that an improved gentoo box would make a noticible difference.

And... thanks for your hardware suggestions!

Sunnz · Post by **Sunnz** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 5:51 am

cgmd wrote:(2.0GB Celeron & maxed out with 512MB DIMM SDRAM).

My problem is that I've never seen VMware "in action" on a fast system,

Well I haven't seen how slow it is on a slower system neither, so I can't really tell you how much faster is it on my system.

Anyway, I got a 64-bit 2.0ghz AMD chip, with 1 gb of RAM, I assign 256 RAM for Windows when I run VMware.

Genernal usage such as internet, files, have no difference to a real machine. The only lag I have ever experienced is playing movies, but the lags aren't very big => the movies are still enjoyable. I haven't do anything like games nor 3D rendering though.

I also use it to test out Windows programs, like win sftp, word, adobe acrobat, flash, all runs smoothy. It actually feels faster than a real machine since I didn't even bother to install anti-virus and stuff.

NaN · Post by **NaN** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 8:51 am

I've just built up an Intel core 2 duo machine and am running vmware with WinXP x64. At present the machine is set up with SuSE 10.1 (until I can get Gentoo working properly) and I've also set up a dual boot to boot windows natively (also XP x64). Right now this is purely for the purposes of testing so that I can decide what is best, before I finalise the set-up and move production across to the machine.

I've also configured the machine to run xen and I have two xen VMs booting WinXP (32 bit) and Win2k (At present xen can't run 64-bit windows).

I use Windows for two photo applications (Photoshop CS2 and CaptureOne Pro) neither of which run under wine.

So with that as background, I'd suggest you go with a dual-core CPU - the new core 2 duo gives great price performance ratio, and I would suggest that you consider 2GB of RAM. Vmware is probably your best choice to run windows right now. Xen feels faster for non-graphics apps, but for anything graphical it is a dog. The new experimental vmware video drivers and support for higher resolutions is great. I also like the flexibility vmware offers for sharing directories and disks - but you do need to be a little careful.

Both feel significantly slower than native windows, so don't skimp on CPU, RAM or a decent graphics card that is properly supported by linux!