Just this morning, VMware announced that it will be opening the source code for the VMware View Client to anyone that wants it. The move is targeted to allow partners to more easily share advances in hosted desktop clients based on the most pervasive hosted desktop system out there – VMware View. The client is licensed under LGPL v 2.1. Some details from the press release:
VMware View Open Client is available under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 2.1 (LGPL v 2.1) and is accessible from http://code.google.com/p/vmware-view-open-client/. Some of the features included in this release support secure tunneling using SSL, two factor authentication with RSA SecurID, Novell SLETC Add-On RPM package and a full command line interface. Support for the source code distribution is available through the VMware View Open Client community at: http://code.google.com/p/vmware-view-open-client/.
This is an incredible leadership move by VMware to give a kickstart to the true universal client. Just judging by the numerous joint quotes from partners in the press release everyone is really excited about this. Now partners can freely develop on and embed the client into all sorts of devices from cell phones to set top boxes to PCs and laptops. It will be interesting to see how much development takes off in this exciting space. But enough about my excitement. What do you think?
UPDATE (February 3, 2009): I updated the links to the code. It appears it got moved and the press release was wrong. Should work now.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:00 am
I was hoping this was something like an OSS Vi Client… I can still dream tho
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:06 am
Yes a VI Client that could be run on OS X or a Ubuntu Box would be fantastic as VI is one of the very few reasons I run Windows. This is certainly a positive step though.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:25 am
Yes, an OSS VI client would be cool as well. Don't worry, cross platform VI client is coming soon. I run a Mac full time and feel your pain.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:25 am
Yes, an OSS VI client would be cool as well. Don't worry, cross platform VI client is coming soon. I run a Mac full time and feel your pain.
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:43 am
Shouldn't the URL be http://code.google.com/p/vmware-view-open-client/ ?
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:46 am
respectively http://vmware-view-open-client.googlecode.com/
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:53 am
[...] http://www.mikedipetrillo.com/mikedvirtualization/2009/02/vmware-announces-open-source-desktop-clien... Written by MeAgain in: VMware | In real live MeAgain is Anne Jan Elsinga. He’s a Technical Consultant for Centric Managed ICT Services in the Netherlands. He spends his working hours with a lot of virtualization stuff, from feasibility to implementation for server virtualization/consolidation and desktop virtualization. In the night time he dances latin, ballroom and salsa and he recently discovered the pleasure of diving. [...]
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:00 pm
I was hoping this was something like an OSS Vi Client… I can still dream tho
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Yes a VI Client that could be run on OS X or a Ubuntu Box would be fantastic as VI is one of the very few reasons I run Windows. This is certainly a positive step though.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Yes, an OSS VI client would be cool as well. Don't worry, cross platform VI client is coming soon. I run a Mac full time and feel your pain.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Yes, an OSS VI client would be cool as well. Don't worry, cross platform VI client is coming soon. I run a Mac full time and feel your pain.
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Shouldn't the URL be http://code.google.com/p/vmware-view-open-client/ ?
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:46 pm
respectively http://vmware-view-open-client.googlecode.com/
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:18 pm
[...] Published in Server I think by now most of you have read Mike D’s scoop on the “VMware View Open Client“. If not here’s a outtake from the press [...]
February 10th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
[...] employees have also blogged about the new VDI client. Check out Mike Dipetrillo’s post VMware View Open Client and John Troyer’s VMware releases open source desktop client. addthis_url = [...]
February 12th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
[...] employees have also blogged about the new VDI client. Check out Mike Dipetrillo’s post VMware View Open Client and John Troyer’s VMware releases open source desktop [...]