New version of VirtualBox also runs under Mac OS X and Solaris

VirtualBox 1.6 is has been finalised, with project sponsor Innotek saying it will be available for downloading in a few days time. The biggest innovation in this latest version of the free virtualisation framework is that it now also supports Mac OS X and Solaris as host systems. Innotek had made Beta versions for both the Apple operating system and OpenSolaris available for keen experimenters to download some time ago. The innovations in VirtualBox 1.6 include a Web Service API, a SATA hard-disk controller (AHCI) and guest system extensions for Solaris. Experimental support is provided for PAE (Physical Address Extension), which allows more physical memory to be addressed.

In its new release, the virtualisation software can also handle the seamless windowing mode for Linux and Solaris guest systems. Previously, only Windows guests were able to use this mode, in which guest system applications are inserted directly into the host system's desktop interface. The appropriate guest extensions must be installed for seamless windows to be used.

Innotek, a German company, was taken over in February by Sun Microsystems, which is presenting VirtualBox as an addition to its own Xen-based virtualisation software, Sun xVM.

(trk)