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During my time at University, I have come across many useful tools available in Linux that are not available in Windows. I know what some of you are thinking. I could simply switch to Linux, as it is more-or-less as easy to use as Windows. But I require some programming tools in Windows that make the switch impossible. I really did not want to reboot every time I required a Linux-only program. For a long time I would use a VNC client to remotely log into a Linux PC to use the tools I needed, but that left me with two locations with current files. Not ideal.
I first started to use Cygwin to make the tools I needed available, while I was running the Windows programs I liked, or needed. This worked well, but it is a little tricky to set up and it frustrated me that I was limited to the programs that Cygwin supported (these were often not the latest versions).
After trying virtual machines and a brief stint with andLinux (also quite nice), I have now found an easy way of using Linux programs in Windows. Portable Ubuntu is a distribution that, like andLinux, is based on the coLinux kernel. It allows you to use Ubuntu 8.04LTS while you are booted into Windows. Another major advantage is that, like the name suggests, the folder created by the installation file is portable. You can simply copy it to a flash disk or another PC and have the same functionality where ever you go. You can easily reach your files on the C drive via /mnt/C/. When you run the program, you end up with a small task bar that you can move as you wish. If you somehow manage to break it, you simply delete the folder and start from scratch. It is really easy and does not leave any traces on your Windows drive.
Draptik has written a easy-to-follow articles on how to upgrade Portable Ubuntu to v8.10 and how to access other partitions. I suggest you read them. Increasing the size of the default disk image is almost a must.
Update: The project is now called Portable Ubuntu Remix and is in version DOS (as in Spanish for 2, not the Microsoft product). It is currently in Release 4 and runs Ubuntu 9.04 with updated Colinux and Cygwin. There is a lite version available (now in Release 2) which creates with a smaller disk image (2GB vs 3.7GB) without the office, media, graphics and Gnome themes.
I have not tried it yet as my version UNO with a larger partition and upgraded to 9.04 is working smoothly and I cannot afford to have problems with a new install at the moment.
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Alternatively, you can use the LiveCD virtual appliance with the VMware player and mount any Linux live CD/DVD. The disadvantage of this, vis a vis Portable Ubuntu, is that Linux won't have access to files on any volume that is already mounted by Windows (though a 2GB virtual drive can be formatted and mounted should you need persistent storage). The advantage is, Linux won't have access to any volumes mounted by Windows. So, this is either a nuisance or a security feature - you choose.
1) Download and install the VMware Player
www.vmware.com/products/player/
2) Download and unzip the LiveCD virtual appliance
www.vmware.com/appliances/directory/284
3) Download any Linux live CD (or DVD).
www.puppylinux.org , e.g.
The author's instructions are fine. Instead of overwriting the dummy virtual CD with your Linux .iso file, though, I suggest that instead you
4) start the LiveCD virtual appliance,
5) eject livecd.iso from the virtual CD (See the icons at the bottom of the window? Click the one that looks like a CD.)
6) mount your Linux .iso as the new virtual CD and
7) reboot the virtual machine: VMware Player > Troubleshoot > Reset (an odd place to keep it, don't you think)
The LiveCD appliance starts with 256MB of virtual memory, which can be changed from the VMware Player menu.
If you want to run a Linux live CD from within Windows, then the LiveCD virtual appliance is the way to go. If you'd like to install Linux Ubuntu but want it to run as a Windows application, then Portable Ubuntu is your ticket.
Your completely barking up the wrong tree here. You don't need to run one OS inside another to get the tools you need. Just mention a Windows programming tool or environment and we will give you a list of alternatives. Makes the whole article as pointless as running one OS inside another.
Please consider supporting the efforts made by all the voluntary editors here by offering to contribute yourself. If you're able to spare a little time for this please drop me a PM via the forum
MC
Good Way - "My Way" - I use Live-CD Images and MobaLiveCD - and newly the "jack of all trades"
Gizmo Central (Drive);) http://arainia.com with more Image formats (incl. VHD !)
salü @thehop
"jack of all trades" ... master of none then? That Gizmo site looks better than that.
Sadly, Vista 64 users will have to wait for a portable 64 bit version that includes signed 64 bit Vista kernel mode drivers, as this version will not work.
Still, Jaunty runs a treat under VMWare and browsing with Firefox is faster inside the VM than out of it!
Rik Mayell
Running Firefox under Portable Ubuntu uses a mere FRACTION of the system resources that it does under Windows. That's why I use it.
A neat little trick I discovered if you're running Portable Ubuntu: if you open a command line in your Ubuntu root directory and link your Windows font directory as ".fonts" you will have access to all of your compatible Windows fonts in Ubuntu. Just type "ln -s /mnt/C/Windows/Fonts .fonts"
Consider this:
Last week my wife's windows xp laptop got hit by a virus. I'm pretty good with computers and keep up with anti-virus and spyware protection faithfully. The virus was a pain to remove and I didn't want to go through that again. Here's where portable-ubuntu is perfect: it doesn't take over the windows xp desktop but only adds a little toolbar at the top. I was able to show my wife how to use this in about a minute, so when she's randomly poking around the web her 'real' machine is safe.
Thanks for putting this up!
I don't understand why is everyone is afraid of changing, I first tried linux two years ago when my hard drive let me down and without me to know my son had damaged my cd rom so I couldn't reinstall XP. I followed the instructions from the pendrivelinux website and I created usb stick with PCLINUXOS 2007 on it and from that time never looked back to windows. I replaced my hard drive and cdrom later on and I tried all major Linux distribution, I now use XUBUNTU and run XP on virtual box to run my mobile's applications (back up)once a month.
Give it a try it looks great, it feels great, it's the same feeling I had when i got my first pc 15 years ago.
As for the dual boot you can easyly set it up to boot authomaticaly in windows or Linux.
"it's the same feeling I had when i got my first pc 15 years ago."
Let's see, 1994, that would have been a 100MHz Pentium 3 running Windows 3.1 (or maybe a beta copy of Windows 95 if you were a developer). Yeah, I guess it can feel like that at times.
I signed up on the Portable Ubuntu forum at portableubuntu.demonccc.com.ar. When I tried to make my first post, Firefox NoScript popped up a clickjacking alert when I clicked on the [Post] button. Doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling about the whole ting.
Don't overlook Wubi as a way of trying out Ubuntu.
This from the website:
Wubi is an officially supported Ubuntu installer for Windows users that can bring you to the Linux world with a single click. Wubi allows you to install and uninstall Ubuntu as any other Windows application, in a simple and safe way.
No need to burn a CD. Just run the installer, enter a password for the new account, and click "Install", go grab a coffee, and when you are back, Ubuntu will be ready for you.
http://wubi-installer.org/
Richard
Thanks Richard, I have tried this and it works very well, but it still leaves you with the dual-boot problem. What I like about Portable Ubuntu is that I can use Linux IN Windows.
I have now upgraded my Portable Ubuntu from v8.10 to v9.04. No problems yet.
How to you use VMware ? The vmware player is free but the other bits to create a virtual system aren't.
I'm using Windows XP SP3. Last week I downloaded the latest VMWare player (v2.5.2) and found a ready made virtual machine image in VMWare's appliances section for Ubuntu 9.04:
http://www.vmware.com/appliances/directory/147323
The download in the above section points to a torrent file here:
http://chrysaor.info/?page=ubuntu
So I downloaded Ubuntu 9.04 desktop. I'm using FreeDownloadManager on Windows which asked me if I wanted to turn on BitTorrent when I'd downloaded the .torrent file. Neat. I left BitTorrent turned on for a few hours to help seed others' downloads.
I unzipped the 1GB file using 7zip. This resulted in a 3GB tar file that I then untarred with 7zip (under Windows). That resulted in a 3GB vmdk VMWare virtual machine image file plus a few other small files. I had to delete/move the zip and tar files due to lack of space.
Ubuntu 9.04 ran as advertised. The VMWare player has been improved since I last used it - very nice handling of USBs now (networking is also painless). It doesn't seem to use a lot of Windows resources but Ubuntu is a little sluggish inside the VM, not bad though. The nice thing about a VM is you can leave Ubuntu running when you exit the VM. Next time, once state is restored (relatively quick) you're in: don't have to wait for Ubuntu to boot.
I installed KeePassX and Launchy, applied all the latest updates and added some of my favourite Firefox addons. It's taking a total of about 4GB of Windows filespace now.
My other Ubuntu 9.04 is on a USB which was easy to install by following:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/usb-boot-cd-for-ubuntu-904/
The USB Ubuntu feels slower than the VMWare version due to slower "disk" access. The USB version was faster than a LiveCD and you can save state: ie install apps and add ons and have it remember your preferences.
What I'd really like is a lightweight Linux running under VMWare: with just a (standard) Firefox and KeePassX installed. I tried Damn Small Linux (DSL) but it has a non standard browser - it is Firefox-based but v2 and it's not called Firefox. In DSL's favour, it only takes 200MB total for the VM and ancillary files.
I like the response posted here, but the other option is to look for vmware server 1.08 or older. It's still on the vmware archives and runs like vmware player. The newer 2.0 version doesn't run on xp an is a pain to work with.
See TechWandering: How to Create Your Own Virtual Machine Using VMWare Player
http://www.techwandering.com/2006/11/22/how-to-create-your-own-virtual-m...
Another Option is to use a 'Live Distribution CD' Like Fedora, Ubuntu, Vector etc, It won't be as fast as a fresh installation but it will give an idea of what you'll get. Try Puppy or Tiny linux, either of which will load to ram and on a new system will run relatively fast. I have an old Thinkpad 700 running Tiny much faster than it ever ran Windows (ME). I was once a real Windows fan, but became disenchanted about 2 yrs ago, so switched to Fedora and have loved every minute, the only issue I ever had was printer drivers for Canon Printers, but that was solved with the purchase of Turboprint.
The best way to test Linux, is to INSTALL it. Not on virtual machine, and not with coLinux kernel. There are many disadvantages when using such installations, the MOST important - performance.
You can't get the real feel of Linux in this way, and you will be forced stick with windows, thinking it works "faster".
Ubuntu (as well as every major Linux distribution) works perfectly when you install it alongside Windows on a separate partition (it can even import some of your user preferences from windows - browser bookmarks, wallpapers etc.). It's not so hard or scary to simply create one 5-6GB partition. And it's enough for Ubuntu. The installer can do it for you, if you read the instructions carefully.
If you just click next, next, next without reading what you are doing... (in the windows style...) you may end up with you hard drive wiped out (and it will be entirely your fault) :) So - don't be ignorant.
Did I mention that the installation takes ~8 minutes (without a single restart)? And when it's ready, you will have fully working desktop environment, with all the software you need. No need to go to different web sites to download programs and drivers (and spyware, of course). Just use the Synaptic Package Manager.
And remember - Linux is not Windows. Don't expect everything to be the same as in Windows and to work in the same way. If you want this, just use Windows.
"...you may end up with you hard drive wiped out (and it will be entirely your fault) :) So - don't be ignorant."
Thanks for the warning, but I'm not sure the fact that the disaster is entirely my fault will be much consolation. Especially since I haven't found a reliable cure for my ignorance yet.
Been there, done that. The DH was furious that his network copnnection disappeared - again....I can't figure out how to dual boot and lost everything. (Yeah, I'm one of those who tries things out on my "main" machine- sigh. )
heheh amen to that!
@FrankO:
Can you list the Linux programs that you cannot run under Windows?
I would like to know what I am missing!
I like to use XFig to draw vector diagrams for my dissertation. I do not know of any other free software that integrates so well with LaTeX and GnuPlot. Inkscape is probably the next step in vector graphics, but it does not integrate with LaTeX as well as XFig does. And I am simply more comfortable with XFig. I suppose that if there were a free Windows version of XFig, I would not need to do this.
That are my main reasons for using this. It lets me produce the best quality output I can get for free. Kile is also a great LaTeX editor. There are also other command line converters (ps2eps, ps2pdf, etc.) that I occasionally make use of.
I am certain other readers could point out other software that they use in Linux that does not have a free equivalent in Windows. But, I would guess these are getting fewer as more developers produce multi-platform software.
I haven't made the jump to Linux (yet) in any way shape or form, but had in the past researched it a bit and came across this site. Some of you may find it useful to determine which distribution of Linux could right for you, out of a dozen or so. It looks as though they've finally/recently updated the page/test. Just click on "take the test," answer questions and follow prompts. Matches your reported skill/interest level with various Linux distro's.
http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/index.php?firsttime=true
-John
Nice, thanks!
The best way to test Linux or Coexist with Windows is to install the Linux (any version) on a virtual machine. Virtual machine creates a virtual hard disk and a new OS can be installed on that without changing any setting of your current Windows.
VMWare(1) and Microsoft Virtual PC (2) are two popular Virtual machines for these purpose. The users may check the specification as per their requirement. (1)http://www.vmware.com/technology/virtual-machine.html
(2)http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/products/winfamily/virtualpc/default.mspx
Chiradip Das
Bangalore, India
I never understood why people say the best way to try Linux is using virtual machines. I have used Virtual Box 2.2 and it is very good, but the way I try different version of Linux is using a removable hard drive (Icy Dock is very good http://tinyurl.com/cg2sbu) and switching out a old 20 or 40 gig hard drive of which I have collected many over over the years.
I think it is a much more accurate way to really test a Linux release.
my 2 cents
^_^
weird the tinyurl above didn't work....
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817994023
that should do it.
I use VMWare for my Ubuntu VM... works pretty well except a program or two has problems with the network. Going to have to fix that...
btw, did you guys notice that the next version of Ubuntu is coming out in just a few days (AFAIK, 2 days to go...)? I, for one, could not be more excited... :D
I think the idea is great and loaded Ubuntu as a portable application on a USB, works OK but what do you do with it then?
Ubuntu makes a great operating system and I still have it running on an old PC to see what it can do. If I did not have a Windows OS I would go for this in a hurry.
The only problem was with getting a printer to work. (so?)
I had no problems with installing it on XL or Vista and using the dual boot function. did not conflict and caused no problems in loading, operation or uninstalling.
Beware! on uninstalling on both XL and Vista it also removed all my restore points, I found about this when next time I needed to system restore.
A great OS and if you do not need the proliferation of programs available on Windows it gets an A+++++++++.
Bundy Don
whats it for?
Before I take 2 days (yes, 2 days on my slow 56kbps connection) to download this, just a quick question: is this *really* Ubuntu? In other words, if I download & run this, will I have the same Ubuntu & the same Ubuntu abilities I have in my Ubuntu VM? This is going to be important, as I use some very specialized software in my Ubuntu VM and I'm only going for this if I can still use my apps. ;)
Thanks for another great program!! Man, do I love your site... :D
Hi Anonymous,
You dont have to download it, Ubuntu will ship installation CD for FREE ! Tried it once and got them 10 days later... cant complain about that. You can request versions for 32 and 64 bit at the same time.
L.
I do not have the expertise to answer your questions, but I have not run into any problems with the packages I installed via apt-get or the Synaptic Package Manager. However, I do suggest increasing the size of the virtual drive it creates. This is the first release, so I would guess there are still bugs to be ironed out. A virtual machine running Ubuntu is likely to be more stable, but it is less convenient.
I suggest you have a look at their forums and post your questions there. Otherwise, you can contact the developers directly.
You can also discuss it on our forums.
You can find another "how to" article on Portable Ubuntu at http://www.tipsfor.us/2009/04/11/another-easy-way-to-try-linux-portable-.... (For the record, I have no affiliation with the tipsfor.us site, I'm just an occasional visitor.)
Now, this is one cool tip!
Thanks a lot, Gizmo :)
I'm recommending your site to my frnds..
dude, this is amazing, thanks a million
Yeah, that,s great idea! Im gonna give it a try, thanks for sharing.
cool, gonna check it out
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