Red Hat Open Sources SPICE Desktop Virtualization

laxl writes "Linux vendor Red Hat has open sourced the Simple Protocol for Independent Computing Environment (SPICE) virtual desktop protocol it acquired last year with Qumranet, which used SPICE for its own commercial desktop-virtualization product, called SolidIce. SPICE can be used to deploy virtual desktops from a server out to remote computers, such as desktop PCs and thin-client devices. It is similar to other rendering protocols used for remote desktop management such as Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol or Citrix's Independent Computing Architecture. SPICE supports rendering virtual instances of Windows XP and Windows 7, as well as Red Hat Enterprise Linux. According to Red Hat, SPICE has advantages over other protocols in that it can dynamically customize desktop instances to fit specific operating environments. According to the article, most of the SPICE code is available under the GNU GPLv2, though parts are also licensed under LGPL- and BSD-styled licenses."

Stop overloading common tech acronyms!

[Octorian]

Seriously, SPICE stands for "Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis" and is a circuit simulator.

(If this was a couple years ago, I'd rant that UML stands for "Unified Modeling Language" (not User-Mode-Linux), or that X stands for "X Window System" (Not MacOS 10))

VDI here we come

[gedw99]

This really solves the last remaining hurdle for VDI thin client vertical engineering domain. Going to grab the git source tonight and test it out. Would be cool if an in browser NSAPI based plugin architecture was built on this. Run your thin clients on Google OS ( or something else), and then you can run all your legacy fat clients on your virtual servers and your uses just access them through a browser. I noticed that people have even worked on Javascript level RDP and No-machine client implementations. Obviously a bit slow for real world. Anyone know if KVM has dedicated VDI infrastructure servers yet ? Ged

SPICE is a circuit simulator

[Chirs]

Why would they take the name of an existing well-known software program?

Re:SPICE is a circuit simulator

[cowboy76Spain]

Because it does not matter as both programs are not related at all?
I don't know the fuss about it, I am a IT professional, did some exercises with SPICE (circuit) while in the university and now SPICE (VM) may be interesting for my job as sysadmin. As a sysadmin, I do not need to design circuits anymore, so I don't think I will be ever confused.

Of course, my apologies if your post was just a joke...

Re:Stop overloading common tech acronyms!

[Speare]

Yeah, and while we're at it, NASA: "Orion" means exploding nukes under a blast plate, not providing a cushy crew cabin. :)

Red Hat == "GOOD GUYS!"

[mcrbids]

This is yet another example of too many to name, of Red Hat being an all-around bunch of warm and fuzzy penguins, guys! And this is so typical of them: buy a proprietary product, and as soon as they decide to do something with it, they open source it first!

RedHat has NEVER deviated from their policy of releasing SRPMS for all their stuff. You can very literally roll your own distro simply by taking their SRPM and compiling them! And a number of groups have done just that: White Box Linux [whiteboxlinux.org], CentOS [centos.org] and Scientific Linux [scientificlinux.org].

Red Hat employs some of the most prolific contributors to the Linux Kernel and is a vital force in making Linux what it is today. Go Red Hat!

PS: No, I don't work for them, just a very happy customer!