Author: Dmitri Popov
As promised at CeBIT 2007, InnoTek has released version 1.4.0 of its VirtualBox virtualization software. Despite the modest increase in the version number, the new release boasts a few new features as well as a host of tweaks and behind-the-scenes improvements.
First off, the new version can handle VMware disk images, which means that you can now run VMware-based virtual machines in VirtualBox. The new version can also give virtual machines access to physical disks and partitions (“raw disk support”). The list of new features also includes full support for 64-bit Linux hosts, RDP, session shadowing, clipboard synchronization, serial ports, and easier Linux host interface networking. The graphical interface adds some polish and tweaks; now you can create a shared folder using the graphical tools instead of command-line wizardry. The new version has been localized into 12 languages, including Arabic, Russian, Japanese, and Traditional Chinese. According to the company’s press release, the new version now officially supports Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and Xandros Desktop 4.1.
VirtualBox 1.4.0 is available both as open source under the GPL and under a commercial license which, in most cases, allows you to use the product free of charge. Compiled binaries for different Linux distributions and Windows are available from the project’s download page.
Dmitri Popov is a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in Russian, British, US, German, and Danish computer magazines.
Category:
- Desktop Software
