A Virtualized Linux System For Windows

getupstandup1 writes "Ulteo today unveiled their Virtual Desktop (screenshots, download) which is a free, full Linux desktop that runs seamlessly on Windows. It's interesting because it's not running under Xen or VMWare, but instead uses the coLinux patch, which they claim allows the system to achieve 'great performance, close to a native installation on the PC.' No need to reboot the system anymore to switch from Windows to Linux." We discussed Ulteo when the Ubuntu-derived distro was announced a year back.

As opposed to... andLinux?

Is it just me, or did this already exist [andlinux.org]? Doesn't sound that new to me...

np: Saul Williams - Grippo (Saul Williams)

Re:As opposed to... andLinux?

Yep - and for a very long time, too [phatlinux.com].

I don't know...

But isn't that project you linked more like Wubi?

Instead of being a Windows port of the Linux kernel (yeah... weird) like and/coLinux is, it is a Windows based Linux installer, which stuffs the whole distro's file system into a single file in your Windows' partition.

Re:As opposed to... andLinux?

I'll vouch for the underpinnings of andLinux and Ulteo, which is coLinux. I've been using it for years (an Ubuntu distro) and it's extremely solid, reliable, and efficient. It's a great way to have your Linux dev world near at hand, while needing a Windows box for other reasons. (In fact, I run my home PBX smoothly in a coLinux service on an XP PVR box.)

I hear so little about coLinux, I feel like it's one of Linux's best kept secrets. It's cool that we're starting to see meta-distributions based upon it.

Re:As opposed to... andLinux?

It's kinda amazing being able to get an awful lot of stuff just running apt-get from a terminal, while inside XP. A real VM is far secure of course. Security decent hardware firewalls and no small amount of obscurity doesn't bother me too horible.

I was trying to figure out what the point of this really is.

Running Win apps on Linux is because there isn't a replacement for it or one that interoperates. Running Linux in a VM on Windows is good for things like security, but running Linux apps on Win just because, seems like an odd choice to me. Especially since one can get OO.org for Win, Firefox for win, Thunderbird for win, Gimp for win etc. Ok, so the last one is kind of cludgy. (Or it was last time I checked a few years ago, I'm sure it's much less so now)

There probably are a few which don't have Win versions, but VMs can be had for free, if you're a home or non-commercial user.

Near native performance

It's interesting because it's not running under Xen or VMWare, but instead uses the coLinux patch, which they claim allows the system to achieve 'great performance, close to a native installation on the PC.'

Doesn't VMWare (and most modern virtualization programs for that matter) run near native already? All the new major processors have the virtualization extensions built in. (I didn't mention Xen because it doesn't run on Windows)

In fact, wiki has a list. Look under the "Guest OS speed relative to Host OS" column: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_virtual_machines#More_Details [wikipedia.org]

Most are native or near native.

Can it use your 3d card? stuff on the usb ports?

Can it use your 3d card? stuff on the usb ports? firewire? other add in cards?

Re:Can it use your 3d card? stuff on the usb ports

In order: no, no, no, no.

I've run colinux, it provides you a console and a virtual network interface and that's about it. The console has some slow graphics.

The only one of those I know how to actually get you is to run Cygwin's OpenGL-equipped X server, and then use XDMCP to connect to your colinux VM.

Worst of both worlds

Why on earth would anyone want to run Linux on a Windows box? That's like building your house on a dung hill.

Though I suppose it comes in handy for accessing those Linux only web sites. ;)

Re:Worst of both worlds

But... isnt a house on a dung hill, better than just standing on a dung hill by itself?

Especially since, you can make the air seem a little more fresh with freshners, take a shower, get out of the sun, etc.

Konami unavailable for comment

The Ulteo Logo looks like a dead ringer for Konami's old logo.
I guess this means you need to press Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A to get the thing to boot properly?

Linux on Windows

Finally, the stability and security of Windows with the application availability of Linux.

Re:I Spend Three Weeks..

I'm not sure which is worse, trying to get ubuntu installed through virtual pc or relying on slashdot for all of your technology advice.

Re:I Spend Three Weeks..

Indeed. Everybody knows that we come to slashdot for legal and romantic advice.

Re:I Spend Three Weeks..

go to doctor and have your subpoena replaced by a normal sized poena.

Re:Just wondering

Linuces. The 'x' is only the nominative singular form, for everything else you use c + ending.

Re:Just wondering

So Tux becomes Tuces? :D

it was though...

it was though, a perfectly cromulent word.

Re:Just wondering

You're right, so your post is like fex, and when you post a second time you have feces.

The Humorless Language Nazi Explains it All

Whenever people hear a word that ends with "s" (or that sounds like it should), they assume that there's some silly grammatical rule that they need to know about. There is a rule, but it's so hard to follow, you shouldn't even try.

Here's the rule: a lot of words that end with "-us" (not all of them! more on that in a moment) are borrowed from Latin. In that language, a noun ending with "-us" is a singluar form (dominus, lord; servus, slave) that takes a plural form ending in "-i" (domini, lords; servi, slaves). In theory, it's more "correct" to use foreign inflections with foreign words. So instead of "octopuses", "styluses", and "circuses", people say "octopi", "styli", and "circi".

No, wait, nobody says "circi", do they? It's the "correct" usage, because it's a Latin word, but the established usage is "circuses".

The other examples I gave are commonly used, but are in no sense "correct". "Octopus" does not come from Latin: it's a Greek word, and the Greek plural is "octopods". "Stylus" is Latin, but it's misspelled Latin: the Romans spelled it "stilus". It got changed to "stylus" because somebody thought it was somehow derived from the Greek word "stylos". But it's not, so the "correct" way to refer to that thing that comes with your PDA is "stilus" and "stili".

But to heck with being "correct". It's the tar baby of the literate. Just use the rules you learned in grade school and be done with it.

Re:Just wondering

index => indices
linux => linuces
I think

I prefer the incorrect Linuxen, if only because I can then imagine giant penguins being used as cattle.

I would include a sound effect (i.e., Mooooo~) here, but I have no idea what kinda sound effect Penguins do. Perhaps...

SEGFAUUUUUUUUT~~~~

Re:Just wondering

In fact, indexes is listed prior to indices, which suggests that it is the preferred spelling.

Either that, or that the dictionary is in alphabetic order, as is the norm for dictionaries...

Re:But...

I hope so, Firefox now works great in Wine, so I can run Firefox in Wine, on Linux, on Windows, and if I have that copy of windows running in a virtual machine on my MacBook I'll be a god.

Re:Now, more masculine!

Their application balls just don't appeal to me. Personally, their system tray vagina sounds like something I'd prefer, even if it's not all that pretty.

Re:Now, more masculine!

That sir, is the most disturbing thing I've heard today. My hat is off to you.