Can my computer run Redhat without being too bogged down?

For my linux class my teacher has provided information running Redhat on a virtual machine. He has provided us with a paid version of VMware to run it as a virtual machine. My old desktop has a p4 clocked at 2.7 GHz and 768 megs of RAM. Can I run Redhat ok or do I need to get some more RAM for my machine? Is VMware the best choice(I've never used VMware but I have used Virtual Box and enjoyed it)?

Oops I should have placed this in the Visualization forum, oh well.

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Comments

tiersten

What VMware package do you have?

You should be able to run at least 1-2 VMs assuming your host OS doesn't require a massive amount of memory and the VMs don't have a massive amount running in them.

exampasser

Im downloading VMware Workstation 6.5.3. All I need it to do is run Redhat.

HeroPsycho

I'd definitely get more RAM. 768M is barely enough to run the host OS, much less guests.

Just curious, why are you using the old machine? With Workstation, you can pause and start VM's on demand and isolate them from your regular network, etc. If your main computer is fast, I'd load Workstation on to that.

IMO, yes, VMware Workstation is the best product to use to do this kind of thing so long as the expensive licensing isn't an obstacle, which in this case, it doesn't sound like it is. It has support for extensive snapshot trees, so you can snapshot the machine in various states to roll back to if you want to repeat an exercise, etc. It performs very well, has extensive advanced networking support.

exampasser

HeroPsycho wrote: »

I'd definitely get more RAM. 768M is barely enough to run the host OS, much less guests.

Just curious, why are you using the old machine? With Workstation, you can pause and start VM's on demand and isolate them from your regular network, etc. If your main computer is fast, I'd load Workstation on to that.

IMO, yes, VMware Workstation is the best product to use to do this kind of thing so long as the expensive licensing isn't an obstacle, which in this case, it doesn't sound like it is. It has support for extensive snapshot trees, so you can snapshot the machine in various states to roll back to if you want to repeat an exercise, etc. It performs very well, has extensive advanced networking support.

Licensing is not a problem as the product key provided is a corporate key

. I'm putting it on my old machine instead of my laptop because right now I still have that don't dirty up new sink feeling(not loading it up with alot of software) with my laptop with 4 gigs of ram and a core 2 duo 2.2Ghz (I know it's weird lol, but it's the first new computer that I have ever owned).

exampasser

I took your advise HeroPsycho, and just ordered a 1 GB stick, (hopefully having RAM sticks of multiple speeds should not be a problem).

Forsaken_GA

Red Hat will run fine in most VM's, even if you only give it 256megs. I'm assuming this is being done for learning, and you won't actually be doing much to require a full load of memory or impact the CPU much

HeroPsycho

exampasser wrote: »

Licensing is not a problem as the product key provided is a corporate key . I'm putting it on my old machine instead of my laptop because right now I still have that don't dirty up new sink feeling(not loading it up with alot of software) with my laptop with 4 gigs of ram and a core 2 duo 2.2Ghz (I know it's weird lol, but it's the first new computer that I have ever owned).

But with it on your laptop, you would have a portable lab to study anywhere you take the laptop...

GAngel

exampasser wrote: »

I took your advise HeroPsycho, and just ordered a 1 GB stick, (hopefully having RAM sticks of multiple speeds should not be a problem).

The faster RAM will just clock down to the speed of the slower one. 256 would be dog slow for both your host OS and the vm.

exampasser

GAngel wrote: »

The faster RAM will just clock down to the speed of the slower one. 256 would be dog slow for both your host OS and the vm.

Ok thanks.