Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> Our VMware "expert" claims that pre-allowating the HD image can result 
> in reduced load on the HD subsystem (obviously at the expense of more 
> disk space eaten).

Probably.

> Given that the main disk image is 1.5GB but the snapshots are only 300MB 
> each, I figured it was doing some sort of compression.

No, it's just keeping a list of sectors you've ever written anything to.

> Oh, definitely. And that's why I was hoping that the VMware Tools might 
> include a tool to zero unused sectors. But apparently not...

Linux does.  I don't know of anything in vmware to deallocate sectors, even 
if they're all zeros.

> Ooo, hey. Crazy idea: I could set up my VM how I want, and then boot 
> from the Ghost boot CD and take a Ghost image! It only copies used 
> sectors, and has compression built-in.

That would probably work, yes.

> More annoyingly, to get VMware Player they demand that you register an 
> account using a real name, etc.

Why is that a problem?

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   Human nature dictates that toothpaste tubes spend
   much longer being almost empty than almost full.

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