How to Run Linux on Windows (Ubuntu)

I would say this is the easiest way to run some of the applications from Ubuntu. The Portable Ubuntu application is not a full fledged install of Ubuntu… it is a trimmed down version.

Virtualizing the operating system with an open source (free) solution on top of Windows is just as easy. And, the virtualization suite from Sun, Virtual Box, allows a “seamless” mode. This seamless mode removes the VirtualBox window frame and displays the guest desktop “seamlessly” with the host operating system.

Well, I tried several times, but this software does not work with me. The only thing I get to see is the splash screen, I do not get further than that.

Some improvements needed here ;)

Hi Chris, just wondering where you “ran across” Pubuntu? Coincidentally I posted a topic on it in your Windows Forum yesterday. Anyway, it is a great little application for those you desire to test out Ubuntu. By the way it is also “persistent” meaning that any changes applied to it including updates or software additions are permanently written to the folder or USB drive on which Pubuntu is installed making it better than a live CD or VMWare option. Also users shouldn’t forget to run the update manager after initial installation.

You could also use the open source VirtualBox to run your favorite distro of Linux. VirtualBox is kind of like VMWare.

I’ve used many virtual environments and here is my experience. My first success running Linux and FreeBSD under WIndows came from running Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, It is free and easy to configure. I was unable to get Solaris for Intel to work under VPC, however, and found that the most recent version of VMWare Server, also free, runs that guest OS quite satisfactorily. I do have VMWare Fusion running on my Mac so I can play with the beta of Windows 7. That seems to work as well, although, my son needed to use Internet Explorer from his Macbook Pro for his job and I was able to help him configure Sun’s free VirtualBox to run Windows XP for that. The most difficult variant I run is Hercules which emulates an IBM Zseries machine on which I run mainframe Linux SLES10.

Why would you want to give Microsoft control of Linux? They already own and have absolute control of Windows (see your EULA).

If you cannot “insert disk” and “follow prompts” (which is all that is necessary to dual boot Windows and Ubuntu), you should (in my opinion) find someone who can do it for you, rather than permit Microsoft own your PC (including Ubuntu).

So I decided to do a little more “playing with” Portable Ubuntu. I was very pleased to be able to install software within the Ubuntu instance, shutdown/restart Ubuntu, and find that the software was still there… ready, waiting, and with all my settings still intact.

One thing that I didn’t stray from when I first installed Portable Ubuntu was the “static-ness” of the download and install. I did use it for SSH purposes. Putty is my favorite, but I REALLY like being able to self-enclose my SSH keys and being able to script the key selection based on host name is a great win. Having the known hosts update from one instance run to the next would have, SHOULD HAVE, been my first clue that the Portable Ubuntu run was organic in its growth and interoperability.

My first install from apt-get commands was to install Konqueror on PU (he he). I also added a user (with useradd) so I “sudo su” to that ID in order to not have to use my “real” ID as the prefix to SSH to other networked hosts (ie. USER@HOSTNAME). Somehow, I don’t think the user provisioning folks would accept “pubuntu” as a synonym for my UID. Nah, I think not.

I digress…

After installing some software, setting up my new ID, and playing with some settings, I shutdown the PU instance. I closed the tray icon and waited for the command/batch file window to fully close. Starting the PU bat file again, I noted that Konqueror was still installed (MY designated homepage intact) and that my new user was still there.

IT’S A GREAT DAY!

(Now, close your eyes and hear through your Scottish ear)

IT’S A GREAT DAY!

A fellow Linux enthusiast asked me today: Why are using that in Windows.

The best I could come up with in 2 seconds or less….

“Because I can…”

That seems to be the point. Now, doesn’t it.

I am currently using Sun’s VirtualBox. It’s free and very easy to use. I have 7 distros running under it and it’s great. It uses the drivers you already have in your host system so you don’t have to deal with drivers in your guest systems. I wonder what the fanboys will say when I say Vista is a great host?

you rock

Of course, one step up is WUBI, which is installed on the Windows main partition (no altering of the existing partitions on your hard drive), then setting the Windows Boot Manager to dual boot the two OSes.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wubi

By all that I’ve heard, WUBI works quite well and has been around for a while.

You could also use the open source VirtualBox to run your favorite distro of Linux. VirtualBox is kind of like VMWare.