With Tom Fenton

This podcast chronicles a multi-state motorcycle trip Itook in the Pacific Northwest . This episode is about the first leg from Washington to Nevada. It is a travelogue of diverse landscapes, from the forested Cascades to the technical curves of the " Little Dragon Tail,” with reflections on a lifelong passion for riding. It incorporates memories of childhood mini-bikes and a previous excursi...

This podcast discusses  VMware Workstation 25H2 , a significant update that introduces a  calendar-based naming convention  to replace traditional version numbers. This change aims to help administrators more easily identify the  software's age  and plan necessary upgrades. Technical improvements include  USB 3.2 support , updated virtual hardware for  ESXi 9.0 compatibility , and support for the...

I created this podcast from a two-part series I wrote for  Virtualization Review , in which I provided a comprehensive hands-on guide to extending the life of hardware left "obsolete" by the Windows 10 end-of-service . I detail the process of transforming a decade-old Dell Latitude into a functional thin client using 10ZiG RepurpOS . I focus on the hardware requirements, installation, and the surp...

After seeing Zabbix at VMware Explore for years, I decided it was time to finally spend some quality time with this well-regarded, scalable, and free open-source monitoring solution . It's a powerful platform used by a wide range of organizations, from home lab enthusiasts to Fortune 500 companies, to track the performance and availability of their IT infrastructure . Zabbix offers impressive flex...

This podcast is about Edit on Windows , an upcoming official command-line text editor from Microsoft that fulfills a long-desired feature for developers and system administrators. This new tool allows users to  edit files directly in the command line , streamlining workflows and reducing context switching, which is crucial for efficiency. While the initial release is basic compared to third-party...

In this podcast, I highlight the unique value of the Project Pavilion at KubeCon, where attendees can engage directly with the developers and maintainers behind open-source CNCF projects. This area presents a unique opportunity to experience emerging technologies firsthand, pose in-depth technical questions to developers, and explore innovative tools before they gain mainstream attention. Pavilion...

This podcast was based on an article from  Virtualization and Cloud Review  titled " Five Start-ups Not to Miss at KubeCon 202 5," authored by Tom Fenton, which highlights five innovative companies attending the conference. KubeCon is a crucial venue for showcasing fresh ideas and projects from startups , fostering their growth, acquisition, or failure. This gives a brief overview of  Te...

This episode provides an overview of a  successful satellite meeting  hosted by the Portland VMware User Group (VMUG) in Salem, Oregon, sponsored by AHEAD . The Portland VMUG leadership used a  membership heat map  to select Salem as a location to better serve members outside the Portland metro area. This strategy proved effective, attracting a large crowd, including  Oregon state government IT pr...

This is an audio recap of an article I wrote for Virtualization and Cloud Review last November, following VMware's announcement that VMware Workstation would be free for everyone, including commercial users! One of the coolest things it can do is Replicate Poor Network Conditions! Listen to the podcast to discover other cool features it offers. You can read the article at https://virtualizatio...

Reflecting on conversations with end users, partners, and VMware employees at VMware Explore this year, it is clear that the community is processing the Broadcom acquisition through the lens of the Five Stages of Grief, defined initially by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. This emotional model, typically used to describe loss, proved uncannily applicable to the corporate transition where the much larger Bro...

This is an overview of the discussion participants had at the World of EUC Amplify 2025 conference, where they had an honest discussion of the challenges they are facing since Broadcom acquired VMware. It isn't just another podcast on the acquisition. It’s a deeper analysis of the less obvious, more impactful consequences that are fundamentally reshaping the industry. It distills the enduring...

This summarizes  five key takeaways  from the KubeCon North America 2019 conference, focusing on the burgeoning field of Kubernetes (K8s) technology. The most significant insights center on advancements in  storage solutions  for containers, the emergence of improved  management and governance tools  for Kubernetes (K8s), and the increasing commitment of  major IT vendors  to integrating K8s into...

With Windows 10's end of support less than a month away , I reviewed my articles on the topic and created podcasts about it. This podcast is based on an article I wrote for  Virtualization Review  last year, detailing the repurposing of an inexpensive mini-PC as a thin client. I found that a sub-$100 device was marginally capable of running Windows 10 for basic tasks. However, it was  unsuitab...

This provides an overview of the  most notable technologies presented at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America 2018 , highlighting key innovations and significant announcements from the event. It covers various aspects, including  advancements from smaller container technology companies ,  Canonical's Kubernetes-related offerings ,  new computer reference architectures from major vendors ,  t...

This episode discusses the last day of VMware Explore 2025 conference, specifically addressing concerns about its future given declining attendance and changes within VMware under Broadcom's ownership. It also highlights several key takeaways from the event, emphasizing VMware's strategic pivot towards the private cloud with VCF 9.0 as its core platform, boasting superior cost-efficiency,...

This provides a hands-on exploration of Tailscale, a zero-trust mesh VPN designed for home and enterprise use. It details the straightforward installation process of the Tailscale agent across various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and cloud-based virtual machines, highlighting its ease of setup for remote access. The piece also delves into how Tailscale functions, explaining its dep...

This podcast introduces Flatcar OS, a lightweight, open-source Linux distribution specifically optimized for running containers and Kubernetes . Emphasizing its secure and minimal footprint, the author highlights Flatcar's recent acceptance as a CNCF incubating project, a significant endorsement from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. Industry leaders like Adobe and Stackit already utilize Fla...

This explains  virtualization technologies , specifically  virtual machines (VMs)  and  containers , using the analogy of a pickup truck and its cargo. It begins by contrasting a  standalone computer  (the truck with a single wooden crate) with the increased capabilities offered by virtualization. The document then clarifies  that VMs  are complete emulated systems, each with its own OS, akin to a...

This podcast outlines the  wedding ceremony  and  love story  of Madelin and Collin Grove. It begins by providing  biographical details  about the bride and groom, including their hometowns and high school activities. The narrative then chronicles their relationship, from their initial  meeting as teenagers  at a youth activity to their  reconnection in college  as mechanical engineering students,...

This is based in part on articles from "Virtualization Review" that chronicle the  KubeCon + CloudNativeCon 2024 conference,  held in Salt Lake City, it offers a comprehensive look at the event. The first piece serves as an  introduction and guide to the conference , detailing its schedule, attendance options, including academic pricing, and the diverse range of topics covered, such as c...

VMware ESXi, a bare-metal hypervisor, is once again available for free  after a period of discontinuation following Broadcom's acquisition of VMware. This reintroduction, although quietly released in update notes, is significant for students, home users, and small businesses seeking to utilize virtualization without incurring costs. The free version of ESXi 8 comes with  certain limitations, i...

  Broadcom VMware Cloud Foundation 9 (VCF 9) is a significant platform designed to  unify the management of private and public clouds . This new version builds on the history of VCF, initially launched in 2016, by offering a  single management interface  to simplify operations across diverse environments. VCF 9 aims to enhance  efficiency by  providing a  single installer  for all components and ...

Amazon WorkSpaces is a desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) offering for companies facing the  end of support for Windows 10  in October 2025. Many devices are  incompatible with Windows 11 , leading organizations to explore DaaS to avoid hardware upgrades or replacements. I propose  repurposing older laptops with ChromeOS Flex  to serve as secure client devices for accessing virtual Windows 11 desktops on...

This chronicles a  multi-state ski trip  I took in February and March of 2025, detailing my  experiences at various ski resorts  across Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. I am an experienced skier and snowboarder, and I provide  personal anecdotes and reflections  on each location, often highlighting the atmosphere, terrain, and the joy of skiing with family and friends. Beyond the slopes...

This provides an overview of  Winget , Microsoft's command-line package manager for Windows, highlighting its utility for  installing, updating, and managing software . It draws a  comparison to Linux's apt-get , emphasizing the long-awaited arrival of such a tool for Windows. The text  details Winget's intuitive commands  for searching, listing, showing information about, and installi...