Virtual Linux, coming to a desktop near you

by David M Williams

Friday, 01 August 2008

Page 2 of 3 Just as I imagine the future of media could and ought to be in plug-and-play hard drives so too I imagine the future of Linux in plug-and-play software applications. In the media scenario you would have a media centre of some description connected to your large-screen high-definition television. The content comes on a hard disk – no longer on optical media – and can be plugged in to the media centre. Ok, keep that in mind. Now consider software applications. Some do not co-habit nicely with others. Some require particular computer settings that others do not. Some need to be managed through a web interface meaning a company or individual has to find yet again a machine that is not running web server/proxy software already and can fit this newcomer in. If the software requires a back-end database or any other form of multi-tiered design there’s more to worry about. A machine capable of running the database must be found; if the database server software is not already installed then someone must do so. If the database server is already installed somewhere then the user must figure out how to create the blank database within the existing framework. And so on. So, imagine then a world where you don’t download software patches but instead actual virtual computers? It’s the ultimate way of a company ensuring the users and potential users of their product are operating within a known environment, namely that set up by the developers and which is known to work. In these cases the future of software delivery is quite clear. No longer will computer software come in a multitude of weekly or monthly software packs but just like the Prisoner example above so too will software in the future ship in a more transportable and independent format, namely through the use of virtual machines. By using a virtual machine the software’s developers effectively have increased their potential market. You could be running Windows, Linux, MacOS or any other thing. It doesn’t matter as long as you are able to run a virtual machine on your platform. You can then fire up the supplier’s product and let it have its way. What’s more, the virtual machine won’t be just the piece of software which first got your eye but much more. The software will be operational with sample data and tight connections between any other systems it works with, also included on the virtual machine. So, my view of the future is the change from .exe and .zip being the major file types used to make programs available for download, but instead there will be a change towards .vmdk and .vhd and other virtual hard drive formats. But where does Linux fit in? Please read on! CONTINUED << First page <   1 2 3 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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