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Plex86 Lives, As Lightweight VM Technology

Posted by timothy on from the lightenment dept.

Kevin P. Lawton writes "Plex86 has been completely overhauled, and simplified to be a user (application) code only Virtual Machine technology. For running user code, many of the heavy weight x86-VM techniques are unnecessary. But the bonus is, Linux can easily be made to run inside the plex86 VM, so that the kernel is actually 'pushed down' to user privilege level. This has been demonstrated on both Linux 2.4 and 2.5 kernels. Thus, Linux can run in a plex86 VM without the need for any heavy virtualization. My goal is to keep the code base trim, tight, auditable and get to usable releases quickly. And to favor those goals over adding unnecessary complexities. The first milestones have just been reached, so it's still early in development. There are email lists available on the main plex86 site."

5 of 189 comments (clear)

  1. Taking So Very Long by evilviper · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Plex86 is taking so very long to materialize, I wonder if it is even worth the effort being put into it. Bochs works fine, even if slow, and virtualization isn't exactly a big market. Where does Plex86 fit into all this?

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    1. Re:Taking So Very Long by MikeFM · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Isn't this the same argument thrown against Mozilla a year or two ago? "It's taking to long so it isn't worth the effort." or "We have Internet Explorer anyway - why do we need another browser?"

      Software, especially good software, takes a lot of time to produce. Anyone can throw off crappy code quickly but to make something you'll be able to keep secure and stable over it's lifetime takes time and effort. Unless you're the developer what do you care how the effort is being spent? it's not your time or effort so feel free to go about your business doing something you feel your efforts are more useful in.

      As for me I find Plex86 interesting because I don't want to spend a fortune on hardware but sometimes I do like to have a sandbox enviroment to run development stuff, test apps, or just open questionable email attachments. Bochs is to slow to run many apps properly and if I was going to spend the money for faster hardware I might as well just buy new computers. It makes more sense to use a virtualized enviroment and save some money (and hassle).

      Virtualization may not have as many users as web browsers but it's technology which for the most part will continue to be useful for a long time. The x86 processor has a long history of compatible code so there is no reason to think Plex86/Bochs won't still be useful a decade from now. :)

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  2. Re:Plex86 vs. VMWare? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    response to fears:

    plex86 has a heckuva long ways to go before it's even near competing with software like vmware.

    provided that it even makes it there, companies like vmware have known it's coming for quite a while, and have surely been looking after their best interests just as if this were a commercial competitor.

    competition is part of life, whether it be commercial, opensource, or the kid next door.

  3. Re:Plex86 vs. VMWare? by ottffssent · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What *I* say to that is that if VMware can't produce a better product than the OSS community can in their spare time, they don't deserve my $130. If they can't keep their product better, they don't deserve the younger generation's $130. If Plex86 takes off and it kills VMware, it won't "show other businesses that you can't make money developing software for Linux because someone will undercut you with a Free solution" but rather show them that you can't make money selling inferior software for Linux because someone will do it right, even if it's not you.

    Why is it that a community that could be broadly characterized as having heavy libertarian leanings encompasses so many, like you, who are willing to set aside those ideals for your pet project? I love VMware as much as the next person - I just think it's so cool seeing Phoenix BIOS show up in a window - but that doesn't mean I'm willing to set aside the capitalist ideals of free commerce and competition just so it will survive. If the Plex86 group can put together a better product and are willing to give it away, they win. If it takes them 10 years, then VMware has 10 years to find a different business model or go under. Businesses fail all the time. That's the way it works. If you can't cut it, you die. Meanwhile, Plex86 gets better in competition with VMware; VMware gets better in competition with Plex, and I win no matter which approach works best.

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  4. Re:Summary: Kevin's a loser by spnbs · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Dude, chill out. I'd like to see your resume before you knock one of the sharpest VM programmers in the business. Not only is Kevin smart, but he knows the x86 ISA better than most people know how to read. Add on the fact that he pumps out code at an insane rate, and you get a programmer I'm grateful is working in the OSS world. Kevin's given us a lot and I'm more willing to forgive him for being a triffle distractable in exchange. People have called Kevin a lot of things (erratic, drasticable, incapable of proper commenting), but to call him shit is unbelievable. Unless you're Linus or RMS, get off the man's back.