Re: [Xen-users] Is Xen mature for desktop use(rs)?

[Steve Kemp <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, Aug 09, 2006 at 01:58:38PM +0200, Terje J. Hanssen wrote:

> I wish and plan to start with Xen, but should like to hear first from 
> this list users what the experience and opinions are regarding the 
> following questions:

> 1. Is Xen mature to be installed and used by avarage skilled desktop 
> users, who else manage to install both Linux and Windows on dual boot 
> systems?

  Yes.  Assuming their distribution supports it easily.  (eg. Debian
 works nicely, and SuSE and other distros have it included.)

  Of course it is possible to build from source, or get binaries,
 but that is more effort and may be harder.

> 2. Is it clear which hardware (workstation, desktop PC or laptops) that 
> does support Intel VT or AMD SVM, when the purpose is to install Windows 
> and Linux concurrently? Is there any preferences and benefits regarding 
> Intel VT/AMD SVM?

  No idea on this front.  I've not used VT hardware.

> 3. Is there some limits or some usual required feature that will not 
> work yet with Xen?

  Two common problems I can think of are hardware support and graphics
 drivers.

  Xen and Nvidia drivers tend not to play nicely together without
 manual patching.  Also if you use the Xen binary image(s) you might
 discover that your hardware isn't supported.

  For example when I used the stock Debian Xen image(s) my sound
 card wasn't recognised.  Ditto with the xensource.com binary release.
 I had to rebuild the kernel to explictly enable the hardware.

  Otherwise for a reasonably skilled user I see no downsides at all.

Steve
-- 

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