Running Windows on Linux?
 

Hello there,

I have heard that it is possible to run Windows inside, or on top of Linux, so that even Windows crash, it doesn't matter.

So how can I do that? To run Windows itself inside linux?

I already have a dual boot system installed. I think it would be handly that I don't need to restart the computer everytime I want to switch the system just to run ONE program.

I have heard of VMware, but is there a open source solution to this?

My distro is Fedora Core 3.

Thanks in advance.

You need to use a virtual computer -- VMWare can aide you in this.

Or you could try that ONE program to run under Wine, if you really, really need it. Usually Linux has an open source alternative. Check this list to see if your program is in there and it's equivalent:

http://linuxshop.ru/linuxbegin/win-l...en/table.shtml

Regards!

I tried WINE... doesn't work too well with Programs like Flash, Dreamweaver, etc... they are really really cruscial to me as I love scripting in flash.

There are three free (I think) programs on that list:
Bochs.
Plex86.
User Mode Linux.

Any recommendation?

For Flash and Dreamweaver, none :). The very best one in this case should be Crossover Office:

http://www.codeweavers.com/

Dreamweaver and Flash MX should work just OK. If you still want to give Wine a second shot, here you will find tutorials to help you to get those programs up and running:

http://frankscorner.org/

If you've been around here long enough, you'd notice that I'm a Wine hater :). However, the new versions seems to be more mature and it's quite usable actually.

If you are still going with the Virtual Computer option, I would take scuzzman's advice with VMWare though. I myself never used any thing like this, so I'm not really in a position to suggest other applications... sorry :(

QEMU. ;)

(Bochs is too slow. Plex86 is nowhere near properly/easily usable. UML is for running Linux.)

Well I'd say qemu too and hope you have at least win2k cause otherwise the kqemu accelerator module won't work. And though it's not as slow as I reckoned it would be it's still not so fast for me that I'd use it for things like dreamweaver.

I hear VMware uses less CPU as well and works at 95% of the windows speed so you might want to look at it. Don't know if those figures are correct but qemu will use close to 100% cpu.

NVU is an open source program similar to dreamweaver and F4L is a flash program. Don't know if these work as well as their macromedia counterparts but you should at least give them a try.

The Macromedia Suite (I have MX) does NOT work under Wine or anything else.. However, judging from the sheer numbers of those who fill up the wine e-mail user group with requests to "help me make Dreamweaver/Flash work" .. if we would petition Macromedia maybe would convince them to make a Linux-friendly version?

I actually have set up a separate computer just for using DW/Fireworks, etc. It would be great to do everything on ONE computer.

Ohh I think alot of you misunderstood me, I initially wanted to run Windows under Linux so I can access Windows-only programs easily.

Nevertheless thank you very much for the recommendations of similar Linux programs for DW and Flash.

I still would really like to try to run Windows on Linux first, if the speed isn't too bad then I guess it is ok...

So QEMU is good that that kind of stuff? Is this the site for it?: http://fabrice.bellard.free.fr/qemu/

Yes that's the site.

There was a guide for installing it here recently. it was made for debian but it's useful for other distro's too. Here is the link.

Ummm this starts to confuse me now...

I already have Windows installed on my hard drive, isn't there anyway to just boot it up on Linux?

I read through some of the solutions mentioned in this thread, but all of them are about having Linux to act as a Virtual Machine, then install Windows on it.

I don't really want to install yet another Windows... I just want to run the one that has been installed on my hard drive... is that possible???

Qemu can do it but I think it's not really recommended. if you have nothing to lose in there I'd say it doesn't hurt if it breaks.

You can start it like "qemu -hda /dev/hdxx" Where hdxx is your windows partition.

What do you mean? It may corrupt my XP Partition?

I read that somewhere. Haven't tried it myself since starting my previous windows install failed so I had to install it on a linux partition. If you just want to use it there was an option that it wouldn't write to your hard disk but to temporary files. I think it was -snapshot but I'm not completely sure.