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Old 02-01-2007, 08:37 AM   #1
Bjwebb
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Question How to run Windows and Linux simultaneously


Hi there,

I am thinking of installing Linux (probably Kubuntu) onto a PC that is currently running Windows XP. I know a bit about Linux, having installed it on an older machine, so I know one of the major drawbacks - the inability to run Windows programs. I have had a look at Wine, and it seems to be able to run some programs, but there are others that it won't.

I know that true microsoft windows can be accessed by dual booting (which I could easily do), but this takes up a lot of time waiting for the computer to restart. Is there anyway I could set up my PC so that Linux and Windows will run at the same time. I know that there is virtualisation like VMWare etc. but I do not want to have to reinstall Windows. Is it possible to run Windows in Linux but from a partition (rather than a virtual machine).

Thanks in advance
Ben Webb
 
Old 02-01-2007, 09:23 AM   #2
pixellany
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Quote:
Is it possible to run Windows in Linux but from a partition (rather than a virtual machine).
No. An OS has to be "in touch" with the hardware. A virtual machine simply creates a virtual PC for the guest OS to talk to.

You left out one option: 2 computers and a KVM switch. Now you can have a task running on #1 while you check your e-mail on #2. This was my first Linux setup.
 
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Old 02-01-2007, 12:57 PM   #3
Bjwebb
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The KVM switch would mean having another hard drive (and more probably), wouldn't it. I'm not prepared to do this, as I could really just have two separate computers just as easily.

I had seen this video - http://youtube.com/watch?v=GIs9getNpDQ - on youtube. Could the same be done with XP and Linux. Would the fact that I have a dual processor help?

If not, would there be any easy/legal way to copy my XP disk from the hard drive into a virtual machine.

Ben Webb
 
Old 02-01-2007, 02:10 PM   #4
pixellany
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The KVM approach needs two computers.

Dual processor does not help--you also need all the interfaces, memory, etc.

The You Tube video could have been using a virtual machine--or it might have been dual boot.

Do you have an XP install CD? If so, you should be able to install XP whereever you want. I have heard various stories about newer versions of Windows having restrictions on where you can install. (One of the many reasons MS gets no more of my money) Windows 2K has no restrictions--although I obviously cant make multiple copies for different users.

If you do not have an install CD, I would be figuring out how to get one. I would not want to be running any OS and have no way to re-install.
 
Old 02-01-2007, 02:52 PM   #5
rickh
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I think it could be done with virtualization. I'm not sure if the free version of Xen supports Windows as a guest OS, but I'm pretty sure you could install Linux in some kind of Windows virtualization environment.

Another possibility is Parallels. Not free, but very reasonably priced, and I've heard it works great.

Edit: Sorry. I read too fast to catch the part where you specifically stated that you didn't want virtualization.

Last edited by rickh; 02-01-2007 at 03:07 PM.
 
Old 02-01-2007, 02:54 PM   #6
saikee
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You don't need to copy XP from the hard drive into a virtual machine.

You have a VMware version using XP as the host and install Linux inside as its guests.
 
Old 02-01-2007, 08:07 PM   #7
louieb
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Really like my KVM switch.

I really like my 4 port KVM switch. Its <scroll lock> <scroll lock> # and boom i am on another computer.
 
Old 02-02-2007, 02:29 AM   #8
saikee
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Between VMware and a KVM switch I would say KVM is miles better.

If it has 4 ports then the switch links 4 real computer boxes with one set of keyboard, monitor and mouse but able to jump from machine to machine.

Virtual machine manager like VMware does it a lot slower. Guests are confined inside their own files not able to communicate with each other except the host, at least in the free versions.

ALso do not forget within the four PCs controlled by the 4-port KVM we could load VMware or other virtual machine manager to any or all of the real machines.
 
Old 02-02-2007, 02:39 AM   #9
nx5000
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I like qemu and its free.

At work where I HAVE to use windows, I plug my harddisk from my linux laptop and launch qemu. It boots from the external usb2ide interface.

Its another method for accessing ext3/xfs/reiserfs files from windows.
 
Old 02-02-2007, 06:18 AM   #10
Bjwebb
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nx5000
I plug my harddisk from my linux laptop and launch qemu. It boots from the external usb2ide interface.
So do you mean that qemu is actually running linux from the hardisk, rather than from a virtual disk.

I want to be able to boot both Windows and Linux separately. But I also from time to time might want both simultaneously. Could I use Qemu of Windows to load Linux off my partition and vice-versa?
 
Old 02-02-2007, 06:27 AM   #11
nx5000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bjwebb
So do you mean that qemu is actually running linux from the hardisk, rather than from a virtual disk.
Yes I'm getting into my Grub of my external drive without modifiying anything. It depends on your linux setting (naming of drive, geometry of disk,..). Its not trivial if you run into problems!
Now I use an alternate method, I boot from a linux pre-made image and mount my harddisk as hdb. The FAT and NTFS harddisk partitions of the disk are also seen in windows.
Code:
qemu -L . -hdb //./PhysicalDrive1 -append "console=ttyS0 root=/dev/hda sb=0x220,5,1,5" d:\debian-31r1a-i386\sarge.img
Quote:
I want to be able to boot both Windows and Linux separately. But I also from time to time might want both simultaneously. Could I use Qemu of Windows to load Linux off my partition and vice-versa?
Vice-versa I don't know.
The qemu host version of linux is more stable but I haven't tried windows as a guest, eventhough people are using it.

What do you really need under windows?

Last edited by nx5000; 02-02-2007 at 06:29 AM.
 
Old 02-02-2007, 01:20 PM   #12
Bjwebb
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Just to say, thanks for your help everybody.

I've found a GUI app. called QEMU manager, I think this will do the work I want perfectly.

Ben Webb
 
Old 02-02-2007, 01:32 PM   #13
inspiron_Droid
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What you require is a parallel boot system which is a nothe tower or desk top on which you can run linux withou out touching your windows hard rig
 
Old 02-03-2007, 04:17 AM   #14
Bjwebb
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Quote:
Originally Posted by badboy88
nothe tower or desk top on which you can run linux
I don't want to have to have another tower though, I could just as easily have a new computer if I were to go to that trouble.

Is it possible to run a qeumu virtual machine from a different partition on the disk that the host machine is on. Because, I would find that a lot easier and more convenient for my needs.
 
Old 05-22-2007, 05:19 PM   #15
chm0dvii
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bjwebb
Hi there,

I am thinking of installing Linux (probably Kubuntu) onto a PC that is currently running Windows XP. I know a bit about Linux, having installed it on an older machine, so I know one of the major drawbacks - the inability to run Windows programs. I have had a look at Wine, and it seems to be able to run some programs, but there are others that it won't.

I know that true microsoft windows can be accessed by dual booting (which I could easily do), but this takes up a lot of time waiting for the computer to restart. Is there anyway I could set up my PC so that Linux and Windows will run at the same time. I know that there is virtualisation like VMWare etc. but I do not want to have to reinstall Windows. Is it possible to run Windows in Linux but from a partition (rather than a virtual machine).

Thanks in advance
Ben Webb
You cannot load Windows natively in Linux, but you can install Linux "inside" Windows without having to use Virtual machines or repartitioning the hard drive. There are several projects in the making that have matured enough to use in an everyday solution.
1. Colinux
2. Cygwin
3. AndLinux
4. Topologilinux
 
  


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