Stuart Herbert | Gentoo

So, Microsoft has now released Virtual Server 2005 R2 as a free download, just like VMWare Server. I’m expecting that most Windows-only shops will never look at VMWare, and will just install the free Microsoft product instead.

Microsoft has also announced support for Linux guest operating systems for Virtual Server 2005 R2. On the surface, it looks like a good move for shops that are predominantly Windows, but who need a little bit of Linux around the place as part of their business.

But what their release didn’t say is that you can’t just go to a website and download the components required for Linux guest os’s. To get hold of the components, you have to register with Microsoft Connect, and then apply to participate in the “Virtual Machine Additions for Linux” program.

That’s right - you have to apply.

I’m confident that this is just a formality - after all, how bad would it look if Microsoft were to announce Linux support for Virtual Server, but make it virtually impossible to actually get your hands on it?

At the moment, I’m waiting to see if my application is approved. If it is, hopefully it won’t prove too difficult to get Gentoo up and running under Virtual Server, by reusing the RedHat components Microsoft have posted.