Experiences with Replacing Desktops w/ VMs?

A user asks: "After years of dealing with broken machines, HAL incompatibility, and other Windows frustrations, I'd like to investigate moving to an entirely VM-based solution. Essentially, when an employee comes in in the morning, have them log-in, and automatically download their VM from the server. This gives the benefits of network computing, in that they can sit anywhere, if their machine breaks, we can instantly replace it, etc, and the hope is that the VM will run at near-native speeds. We have gigabit to all of the desktops, so I'm not too worried about network bandwidth, if we keep the images small. Has anyone ever tried this on a large scale? How did it work out for you? What complications did you run of that I probably haven't thought of?"

Re:Please, god, no.

[Monkelectric]

If their hiring practices are any indicator ... every 6 months or so Citrix calls me and asks if I'll come in for an interview -- I ask what the salary is, and after I stop laughing at them I say no thanks.

I respectfully disagree

[The_Abortionist]

There are two problem with running virtual machines on Linux.

First and foremost, with kernel patches coming out every second week, VM machines become incompatible regularly. Besides, the need to recompile the kernel all the time means a lot reboots for the VM machines. In a sence, Windows 95 running natively is a much more reliable environment than when it's running on top of Linux.

Secondly, the stability of the Linux file system. Or lack thereof. I have discovered recently that if you create a huge EXT-3 partition (over 52GB), and create 12 4GB files, writing the next 4GB file will take forever. This is because of the journaling system. Someone could use another file system since linux supports quite a few, but then there are a lot of HOWTOs to read. So why bother? It's better to use the decade old NTFS which sports the benefits of all the Linux file systems combined, minus the bugs.

Dont get me wrong, I like Linux a lot. I just think it's better when it's run on watches, vending machines, calculators, etc. On a PC, Windows is better.

Obligatory

[aftermath09]

The network IS the computer ;)

Re:Inevitably

[dnoyeb]

Also with such a setup GF could never get help anywhere else. She's locked in, muahahaha.

Re:Inevitably

[KagatoLNX]

She's at a university. She can probably find more help there than most places. Heck, myself and at least five other companies support Linux in a town of less than 500,000 (Springfield, Missouri), so I don't think this nearly as true as it used to be.

Besides, think of the geeks. A girl, at university, that will seek you out because you can fix her laptop--that's running Linux--and who might find out that you DON'T have a tentacle pr0n fetish like her current boyfriend. The romantic possibilities are endless! Don't be selfish...

Non-Geek Wife

[Dareth]

You know you're addicted when your non-geek wife recognizes Slashdot...

My dear wife thought that Linux was black text in a terminal, and that the mud I used to play, Nuke, was green text in a termial. Got alot of mudding in while "learning" Linux to prepare for the future.

But alas, all good things must come to an end. She finally wised up and figured out I could mud in any color text *grin*.

I traded my "Life" for a "Wife". So far in the grand scheme, I have come out way ahead!

Re:Inevitably

[Dare nMc]

>A girl, at university, that will seek you out because you can fix her laptop--that's running Linux--and who might find out

problem is their are 1000 geeky looking guys who will claim to be able to fix the thing, and only 100 who can.

so she may have to tease 5-20 geeks to find the one who's real, hopefully none of the pretenders screw too badly (err screw up the laptop, ya.)
sort of the beauty and the geek without (hopefully for her) cameras.

Re:Inevitably

[Anonymous Coward]

Dude, you must be a total god if you got her to work perfect and seamlessly. Her first husband couldn't, my dad couldn't, and neither could her other two husbands. If you really did fix her I owe you big time man.

Re:Inevitably

[Just Some Guy]

A girl, at university, that will seek you out because you can fix her laptop--that's running Linux--and who might find out that you DON'T have a tentacle pr0n fetish like her current boyfriend.

As I've seen your pr0n collection firsthand, I assume that you're speaking hypothetically?

Re:Inevitably

[Anonymous Coward]

Only first hand? Was the second hand occupied?