Linux is famed for providing an almost unlimited supply of free and open-source software, and many Linux advocates will try to have you believe that you can simply throw out your Windows software collection and migrate to Linux.  Yet this view remains somewhat optimistic.  Whatever your view about Microsoft and the Windows product, the massive range of high quality software available for the platform is undeniable.  The thought of losing access to this is enough to prevent most people from migrating to Linux - despite the attractive claims about its low cost and wonderful stability.  The range of commercial software available for Linux is unlikely to improve significantly until the user base grows: and the user base is unlikely to grow significantly until the range of software available in the stores increases.  A vicious circle you might think.  Perhaps not for much longer...

In this article, the fourth in our series on using a Shuttle XPC and Red Hat Linux as an alternative to a beige tower and Windows, we’ll be taking a look at two commercial offerings for Linux that allow you to run Windows applications directly under Linux without needing to dual-boot.

The first of these products is from NeTraverse and is called Win4Lin.  It is designed to allow you to install and run Windows 9x as yet another X-application under Linux.  Windows sits within its own window on the Linux desktop and runs all the usual Windows software directly - at the full speed of the machine.

The second of these products is actually a pair of products from CodeWeavers called CrossOver Office and CrossOver Plugin.  These products are based on the open-source  WINE project and aim to bring native support for specific Windows office applications and browser plug-ins.  Unlike Win4Lin, this approach doesn’t require Windows to be installed, saving disk space and licensing concerns, as the applications run directly under Linux.

Both projects are extremely ambitious and it will be interesting to see how they  perform.  They have the potential to unlock the power of Linux to a massive number of computer-savvy Windows users looking for a way to migrate away from Microsoft’s increasingly intrusive vision of home computing.  But will they perform?  Read on to find out.

If you are new to Sudhian Media, then you may wish to first read Part I, Part II and PartIII of the series.  Part I addressed the installation of Linux, configuring your sound, graphics and network, email client and instant messenger.  Part II went a little further, looking at mounting a Windows disk under Linux, compiling a new kernel, playing CD’s and MP3 files and watching DVD’s and other digital movie formats.  Part III looked at backups, CD burning and document scanning.

Installing Microsoft Windows on Linux

Installing Microsoft Windows on Linux

For this review I used Windows Millennium Edition.  Having inserted the CD, the Win4Lin installer told me that it required a Windows Me bootable floppy disk.  Having lost this long ago, I went to bootdisk.com and downloaded an OEM Windows Me boot disk image and built a pristine boot disk (sadly, these images are designed to run under Windows - you'll therefore need to do this from a Windows machine!  Catch 22).  I inserted this in the floppy disk, the Win4Lin installer read it, and all was happy.  The installer then copies all the Windows Me installation files to your hard disk, so that the subsequent installation stage runs completely from the hard disk.

You will then be asked to log out of root and log back in the user account under which Windows will be run.  Type "/usr/bin/win4lin-install" and then the system will start the installation of Windows in the user account.  If you are using a Windows upgrade CD-ROM, then the installer will ask you to insert the full installation CD for the previous Windows version.

You will also be asked by NeTraverse to choose your preferred means of networking support.  If your Linux machine uses a network interface card (NIC) to connect to an ethernet modem or local area network, then you should choose Virtual Networking (VNET) as this provides full support for the usual web browsers, chat clients and other networking applications, Microsoft Windows Network Neighborhood, Microsoft Exchange Server and Virtual Private Networking (VPN).  If your machine doesn't have a NIC then you should use WinSock, that allows you to use a modem, cable modem or DSL connection - but you will no longer be able to use Microsoft Windows Network Neighborhood, Exchange Server or VPN.  It is possible to change networking methods after installation using the "win_network" command.

The installation of Microsoft Windows will then begin, just as on a normal computer - but with a Windows.  You will be impressed by the speed of the whole process - it seemed to install considerably faster than normal.

Windows installation begins ... in a Gnome window!

Windows Me installation in progress ... more innovative Microsoft boast


Windows setting up hardware and finalizing settings...

It's at about this stage that the true power of Win4Lin begins to dawn on you.  Here is Microsoft Windows, busy installing itself and telling you how innovative it is and how easy it will make your life ... yet blissfully unaware that it has now been reduced to the status of a mere application running under an open source operating system.  I admit to getting a perverse feeling of pleasure from the thought...

After ten minutes or so of disk churning, Windows Me installation is complete.  Along the way, Windows Me had to reboot a couple of time - but this meant no more than the window on the Linux desktop closing and reopening.  Poor old Windows didn't know that the machine hadn't really rebooted, and happily carried on installing, configuring and boasting about itself without a care in the world.  This is one of the really nice features about Win4Lin: booting and shutting down Windows takes no longer than opening or closing any other Linux application.  Very quick and very slick.

And that was that.  Windows Me installed without a hitch.  When the installation was complete, I was left with a new icon on my desktop, that launches Windows with a single click.  Somehow, Windows already knew about the network connection, so Internet Explorer and Outlook Express worked straight away, and so too did the sound.  I basically had nothing more to do than sit back and enjoy the Welcome to Windows video tour.

All done!  Welcome to Windows Me!


Windows Me in action under Gnome on Red Hat 8.0

In case you were wondering where exactly Microsoft Windows Me had installed to, Win4Lin created a directory called win in my home directory, beneath which sits the whole Windows installation.  This is the Windows "C:\" drive.  Win4Lin also created a directory called mydata within my home directory ($HOME) which maps to a drive "D:\" under Windows.  NeTraverse recommend that all personal data is stored on "D:\" to ease the sharing of data with Linux applications and to simplify the backing up of Windows data.  Little does Windows know that it is now using a proper, journalling file system!

Screenshot of Nautilus showing Windows files under $HOME/win and $HOME/mydata


The first thing I did after installing Windows Me was to run Windows Update.  I was slightly concerned at this stage that I might break something by installing updates to Windows.  However, I can happily say that Windows Update worked perfectly.  Just to prove that I updated and survived, here's a screenshot.

Windows Update in Action

• Testing Win4Lin (0 of 23)
• CrossOver Office Conclusions (0 of 23)
• CodeWeavers CrossOver Products (0 of 23)
• Installing Microsoft Windows on Linux (0 of 23)
• CrossOver Plugin Conclusions (0 of 23)
• PowerPoint and Visio under CrossOver (0 of 23)
• RealOne, Trillian and Education (0 of 23)
• Win4Lin Description (0 of 23)
• Macromedia Authorware & Shockwave (0 of 23)
• Installing the other applications (0 of 23)
• Office XP and Money 2002 (0 of 23)
• CrossOver Plugin (0 of 23)
• Installation of CrossOver Office (0 of 23)
• Using Win4Lin (0 of 23)
• Windows under Linux Conclusions (0 of 23)
• IE 5.5 and Outlook under CrossOver (0 of 23)
• Win4Lin Conclusions (0 of 23)
• Win4Lin Installation (0 of 23)
• Other plugins (0 of 23)
• Word and Excel under CrossOver (0 of 23)
• Encyclopedias and Adobe Products (0 of 23)
• QuickTime and Media Player (0 of 23)
• Installing Office 2000 under CrossOver (0 of 23)