[Info-vax] VMWARE/ESXi Linux

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 11/27/2024 4:33 PM, David Turner wrote:
> I keep being told that VMWARE is not an OS in itself.
> But it is... based on Ubuntu Kernel....  stripped down but still Linux

I don't know who is telling you that. But not so.

ESXi has its own proprietary kernel called VMKernel.

You can probably call it Linux inspired.

Similar file system layout. Compatible API subset (but not full
compatible API). Similar driver architecture. Similar CLI experience
(BusyBox provide the usual CLI interface).

But not based on Linux kernel code. And not fully compatible. And
not all functionality (it is specialized for hypervisor role).

ESX is different than ESXi. ESX uses some Redhat stuff.

WorkStation and Player are different again - type 2.

> So basically another layer to fail before VMS loads.

There is decades of experience for ESXi reliability not being
a problem in practice.

>                                                       Wonder why people 
> are not using the real Alpha or Integrity as cheap as they are

You can't buy a new one.

They (especially Alpha) are pretty slow compared to new systems.

Corporate IT does not like special hardware and public cloud
providers does not offer them.

Arne