Mỗi vài tháng, có major VirtualBox update, mang đến một range visible changes và improvements cho handy, free hypervisor product này. Tôi là old time user, và đã viết về VirtualBox nhiều lần trong quá khứ. Gần đây, tôi có chance test version mới, 5.2 (thực tế 5.2.2).
Official list of enhancements khá impressive - GUI now features revamped virtual media và host network managers, easier snapshot management, và unattended guest installations. Sounds neat. So let us see what gives.
Overview
Khi bạn start program, interface sẽ show slightly redesigned layout than before, which might confuse you at first. Nếu bạn click on Details và/hoặc Snapshots below, this will open the expect right pane, with all its bells and whistles.
Global Tools
Quan trọng hơn, bạn now have easier access to so-called global tools - Virtual Media Manager và Host Network Manager. Hai utility này let you manage storage và networking options của virtual setup của bạn. Bạn có thể attach và detach storage media, create VLANs, và all those things you would need or expect to make VirtualBox work for you.
Ví dụ, với storage, bạn có thể make virtual disks immutable, allow writethrough, make disk shareable among VM, hoặc even allow multi-attach, effectively creating a fileserver if you will.
Tương tự, trên network side, nếu bạn muốn tạo complicated setups với strict separation giữa networks, bạn có thể làm đó, too. While VirtualBox does not normally aim at the corporate space, it is slowly gearing up as a serious product, and it is offering more of the tools you would need and expect in something other than a home environment.
Unattended Installations
This is a very interesting one. At the moment, it seems there's no GUI wizard, or if one exists, I was not able to find it. You will need to use the command line to get VirtualBox to run unattended installations. The usual set of commands is VBoxManage, and then the rest of it. I will be exploring this in more detail in the future. For the time being, I've been teased, and so have you.
Linux Setup
Installation và configuration also worked fully và seamlessly on Linux, including upgrading the extension pack. The functionality is identical across platforms. Strangely, or not, with Windows, you get a penguin logo in the main interface, and on Linux, you get a fiesta of letters. Perhaps it should be the other way around?
Kết luận
VirtualBox 5.2 là một refreshing addition to this product arsenal. Essentially, all the options are still there, but they are even so slightly more accessible and in turn, more powerful, which is the whole idea behind this revamp. You do also get new features, slowly, incrementally, and that helps build trust in the product. There's no wild jumping around, only continuous, consistent progress. That's exactly the kind of development and improvements that I like and appreciate.
If you are already a VirtualBox user, then you will find the changes useful and practical. If you're new to the world of virtualization, and you're deliberating, then VirtualBox 5.2 should be a good starting point. After all, it's the familiar product with some extra spice. Over the years, we got 3D support, screenshots, and now better management of the setup, and unattended installations. Party on, engage, full speed on.
Chúc vui.