Window$ to Linux guide -- with virtualbox to run Window$ appsseamlessly (wow!)
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From: ray on 23 Dec 2009 10:42 On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:09:49 -0500, RodMcKay wrote: > I'd heard of virtualbox during all this change-over period but just > stumbled upon what might be a good guide: > http://lifehacker.com/367714/run-windows-apps-seamlessly-inside-linux > > It's come at a timely moment since in last few days, I've become > dismayed at how much I'd be "giving up" re Window$ apps by switching to > Linux since I kept coming across an app that I'm dependent on that I had > no Linux equivalent for. I'm a very fussy user, admittedly, and have to > have apps that do the job yet also work efficiently and well. It isn't > till you're taking a step that you realize how entrenched something like > the base OS really is. I envisaged having to jump back and forth > between OSs during each session and wasn't looking forward to that. > > But just how good is this virtualization solution, anyone know? What do you want to know about it? You have an instance of MS win running in a virtual machine. The open source virtualbox has some limitations - mostly, as I recall, in the area of USB peripherals. > > Until some of the apps that have taken me years to find, get ported to > Linux, this may be the path I'll have to go. But does anyone have > experience with doing this yet? How would you like to name some of those apps? I've found that there are very few things that most people use which don't have Linux equivalents. Some of the remainders will run on Linux via WINE. > > And what are the security issues? I know viruses aren't common in > Linux, for all the stated reasons, but if we're running Window$ apps > even in a virtual environment, that's going to increase our risks. What > would one be able to do to mitigate those risks? Are there really no > antivirus apps out there for Linux? > > Anyway, any thoughts appreciated. If virtualbox is the answer for those > of us Window$ power users who use many different apps, this may be the > best temporary solution till more Linux ones come out. > > Thanks! :oD
From: J.O. Aho on 23 Dec 2009 07:38 RodMcKay wrote: > But just how good is this virtualization solution, anyone know? Depends on your CPU, if you have vme (intel has another name for it), then you can get to quite close to native speed, of course the graphics won't be great and may be lagish, but there are some drivers (at least to vmware) which would make the guest OS to get better graphics performance. There is always a risk with special crafted code to make the guest os to access the host os and do havoc there. There are other options also, Xen and KVM which you have in a modern Kernel. > Until some of the apps that have taken me years to find, get ported to > Linux, this may be the path I'll have to go. But does anyone have > experience with doing this yet? All apps I use are native Linux and my problem would be huge if I would try to use microsoft, as it lacks 99% of the apps I use and I'm alway worried about the poor security in that crapware. > And what are the security issues? I know viruses aren't common in > Linux, for all the stated reasons, but if we're running Window$ apps > even in a virtual environment, that's going to increase our risks. To minimize risk with standard viruse causing havoc in your Linux, don't use samba, if you have to transfer files between systems, use scp and always scan those files in the Linux environment with tools like clamv. > What would one be able to do to mitigate those risks? Are there > really no antivirus apps out there for Linux? There are antivirus programs to run to check for microsoft viruses, main use is to check incoming mail, so that you can remove those harmful attachments, so microsoft users won't get unwanted viruses. It's possible to use it on shared file systems, but to minimize risks, such should be shared, use instead an upload directory which is scanned after each upload. > Anyway, any thoughts appreciated. If virtualbox is the answer for > those of us Window$ power users who use many different apps, this may > be the best temporary solution till more Linux ones come out. There are also wine and crossover office, if you need some apps to run, here see to not have the Linux file system exposed, nor your home directory. -- //Aho
From: andrew on 23 Dec 2009 07:24 On 2009-12-23, RodMcKay <NoJunkMail(a)No.com> wrote: > Until some of the apps that have taken me years to find, get ported to > Linux, this may be the path I'll have to go. But does anyone have > experience with doing this yet? Perhaps Photoshop is a good example: http://www.andrews-corner.org/samples/photoshop.png This is a Slackware host and Windows 7 guest: works beautifully :). Andrew -- Do you think that's air you're breathing?
From: Phil Gilmer on 23 Dec 2009 09:08 RodMcKay wrote: > > I'd heard of virtualbox during all this change-over period but just > stumbled upon what might be a good guide: > http://lifehacker.com/367714/run-windows-apps-seamlessly-inside-linux > > It's come at a timely moment since in last few days, I've become > dismayed at how much I'd be "giving up" re Window$ apps by switching > to Linux since I kept coming across an app that I'm dependent on that > I had no Linux equivalent for. I'm a very fussy user, admittedly, and > have to have apps that do the job yet also work efficiently and well. > It isn't till you're taking a step that you realize how entrenched > something like the base OS really is. I envisaged having to jump back > and forth between OSs during each session and wasn't looking forward > to that. > > But just how good is this virtualization solution, anyone know? > > Until some of the apps that have taken me years to find, get ported to > Linux, this may be the path I'll have to go. But does anyone have > experience with doing this yet? > > And what are the security issues? I know viruses aren't common in > Linux, for all the stated reasons, but if we're running Window$ apps > even in a virtual environment, that's going to increase our risks. > What would one be able to do to mitigate those risks? Are there > really no antivirus apps out there for Linux? > > Anyway, any thoughts appreciated. If virtualbox is the answer for > those of us Window$ power users who use many different apps, this may > be the best temporary solution till more Linux ones come out. > > Thanks! :oD > I am currently running Windows XP in VirtualBox under Mepis 7.0 (a Debian-based distro). I cannot recommend it hightly enough. Even though I can only allocate 256mb to the virtual machine, XP runs flawlessly and in fact faster than XP runs on the base hardware. This setup allows me to create a quick test version of my production XP VM. I also am able to preview the new Mepis 8.5 version with KDE4, Google Android, and almost any other OS. Install the VirtualBox Guest Additions, and you have seamless mouse pointers in windowed mode with automatic resizing of the Windows desktop, as well as excellent full-screen and seamless application mode. Kinda weird to see IE8 sitting in the middle of my KDE desktop, but it works a treat. I haven't found any software yet that does not work properly. I am actually running Windows Update on my production VM as I write this. Hope this helps. Phil Gilmer
From: VWWall on 23 Dec 2009 14:35
John Hasler wrote: > RodMcKay wrote: >> ...I kept coming across an app that I'm dependent on that I had no >> Linux equivalent for. > > Quit thinking in terms of apps and equivalents and start thinking in > terms of problems and solutions. Problem: Filing my tax returns every year. Solution: TurboTax or TaxCut (runs only on Win.) Anybody know of "solutions" that run on Linux? -- Virg Wall PCLOS, Mepis, Mandriva, Mint, Ubuntu, openSUSE, ... |