Topic: Windows 2k inside Ubuntu Linux

[Geekboy]

I don't know how many Linux users use this forum, but I think there's a few. Just having some fun this afternoon and decided to try to install Windows inside my Ubuntu distro.

My specs:
Processor: Pentium M 1.4 GHZ
Ram: 512 MB

Modest specs....

I have a Windows 2k laying around, but the install can be done with XP as well, but it will be slow.

Now for the steps:

1) Install QEMU. In Ubuntu, it's as simple as typing sudo apt-get install qemu

2) After QEMU is installed, you need to create a file to store where your Windows will be installed. Run the following command in a terminal:
 dd of=win2k.img bs=1024 seek=2000000 count=0

(This creates a 2 gb file, you can make it bigger if you want to)

3)Now it's time to install Windows. Put the Windows Install CD in your cd drive and type this command in terminal:
 qemu -boot d -cdrom /dev/cdrom  -hda hd.img

Now.....wait, depending on the speed of your computer and how much memory you have, you just run the install. It took me about an hour for the install. FYI, it takes forever at detecting hardware and a few other places in the install so don't think it locked up.  I also got one error, but just clicked it away,.....everything works perfectly.

After the install was finished....and it took a while. I adjusted the screen resolution to 1024 by (I forget the number) so that the screen was normal then it came time to reboot. Just do the normal Windows shutdown.

In terminal run this command to boot up:

qemu -soundhw all -hda win2k.img -boot c

the soundhw all just make sure that all sound devices are enabled. There are a lot of other commands that you can pass.......including changing the amount of ram to devote to qemu.

Some useful commands:
ctrl-alt-f changes the qemu window to full screen mode.....hit crtl-alt-f to go back. In full screen mode, it is IMPOSSIBLE to tell by looking that you are not using Windows 2k.

Crtl-alt grabs the qemu mouse arrow, crtl-alt again releases it.

All you need to know...for now. Oh yeah, networking was seamless, didn't have to make any changes.

I do not know how it does playing games, maybe I can test it out tomorrow, but just about everything can work with it. You can also have as many images as you want, you are only limited by hard disk space...and for running concurrently...you are only limited by your ram.

Anyone else tried this?

 

[hero]

Anyone else tried this?

No.  Was there a point or was it one of those exercises just to try and see if it can be done?



"... because it's there!"

[hero]

Hee hee don't even start me on Macs - what a waste of money, and all that trying to justify the price tag by claiming it to be something it isn't when we all know that Mac users buy them 'cos they look nice.....

I use a couple of different Linux distributions and Windows and am very happy.  Oh and my box cost two-thirds of the price of a Mac with less power.  I believe Mac's do offer something for graphical designers or video editors.  I am neither!

[hero]

Well I spend far too long tinkering with my machine - Ubuntu looks great and flies, I'm very happy!