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It doesn’t look good right now for VMware under Linux if we consider all the new things in the new 2.6.23-kernel that has just been released. The free virtualization methods KVM and Xen has gotten tons of new functions but the support for VMware’s modules is totally broken. In the blog servervirtualization, Schley Kutz, explains the two problems.

The first problem is caused because of the fact that a small area of the kernel’s interface has been changed, this causes VMware’s network module in the wm not to compile as it should. The solution is quite simple, you just have to modify the wm’s driver.c and recompile, this will fix the problem.

The other problem is a much serious one. VMware’s module wmmon doesn’t compile as it should either, the solution for this is much more complex. The problem is caused because the developers of the kernel have put a restriction on the function “set_dumpable” that handles memory management, these function can only be used by programs who are under the GPL license.

The problem can be solved in two ways: Either by going into the kernel code and remove the restrictions, which is perfectly fine and not forbidden, then recompile the kernel or you can go into the code of wmmon and put the license to GPL, this means you are putting the wrong license on the software without any consent.

More details on this can be found here: Win for Xen and KVM and a loss for VMware

Linspire have released version 6.0 of its Linuxbased distribution. In the distribution they sure haven’t saved on the ammo, they implemented support for Quicktime, windows media player, flash, Real, Microsoft OOXML and a lot more objects hated by most who are for free software.

Linspire uses all the space they got from the deal with Microsoft to ship proprietary components with the new version.

- As the first commercial release of Linspire on over two years, we continue our focus on making it easier for the user and offer packages where there are no “free” ones available, which gives a better support for hardware, filetypes and multimedia like MP3, real, flash, java, ATI, NVidia, WiFi and a lot more, said Linspire in their press release.

- Linspire 6.0 is also the first commercial distribution that includes an array of techniques from Microsoft like Windows Media, True Type Fonts and an OOXML-converter that allows users of OpenOffice.org open and edit Microsoft .docx documents.

The company has put an effort into making it as easy as possible for the user in the new version. Linspire themselves took the initiative and developed the service CNR.com (Click’n'Run) that lets the user look for and install software with just one simple click.

This will most likely not be welcomed with open arms, especially not by followers of free software. Linspire’s strategy can be interpreted as they are hoping on that the user base will switch to more windows users, who don’t have a strong opinion about open source and free software will grow strong and someday replace the old community, this is what one reply said on Slashdot.

You can read the whole press release at Linspire, personally I do not like what they are doing, but then again I have never run and never will run Linspire as that distribution never was and never will be something I want to use.

No post in one day and I’ve already got two emails asking if there’s something wrong, and why there wasn’t a post yesterday.

Well thanks for showing concern about this, it’s this that makes the blogging fun. That people enjoy what you have to say and the information you are sharing with them.

But there’s a reason to why I didn’t post anything yesterday, I spent pretty much the whole day working on something new for krillz.com. And by the time I called it a day I was so tired a post at that time would just become nothing but crap, so I decided to take a day off instead.

As you see this post was also made rather late, by Swedish time it’s Thursday so you could say that two days have past without a post, but I’m dedicated and want this new feature up as soon as possible thus the situation.

What am I working on might be something you are interested in, well I don’t want to reveal that right now, but I can tell you a little bit. It’s about tools, Internet and mainly for webmasters.
I’ll let you ponder on what it might be…

According to DesktopLinux, the Gentoo based SystemRescueCD is the best friends of system administrators that will help you restore crashed Linux systems and it will even help you with Windows Vista.

The CD comes packed with tools that allows you to repair NTFS-volumes and it even has Vista support with “Offline NT Password & Registry” editor.

You have also the possibility to boot systems over the net and access them by that way with SystemRescueCD.

SystemRescueCD has also an improved hardware support and analyzes the hardware you have in your computer to start all the units and get the network going.

On the official site you can download the ISO and burn it, a good thing to have available when the time comes and you need one.

Source: DesktopLinux

Now you won’t need to start up Windows for a web session. With the new P5E3 Asus builds in Linux, a Firefox clone and Skype directly onto the motherboard. They call the solution for Splashtop. With this new product Asus raises the bar for what one can expect from a motherboard. By including an operating system and basic web functions you won’t need to start the “main system” for simple Internet activities.

Everything is based on a Express Gate solution, Splashtop. Instead of starting Windows the user can boot up a Linux distribution which is built-in on the motherboard. From which you can surf the net, send emails and perform some other Internet tasks.

Of course the card will have all the other standard components as well. Intels X38 circuits is built in as well as a module for energy saving. Support is also found for Core 2 Quad, DDR3 memory and ATI Crossfire.

Asus P5E3 will be launch for sale on the 10th of October. The price will land somewhere above $300.

Source: Phoronix