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Microsoft's Next Virtual PC Will Run Linux

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the say-it-ain't-ain't-so dept.

Fallen Kell writes "Contrary to previous reports, eWeek is reporting that Microsoft's new version of Virtual PC will support Linux as a virtual OS. I for one am very glad that MS did not strip out all the capability from this great product."

4 of 322 comments (clear)

  1. "will support Linux" misleading by a.koepke · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The technology will run almost any x86 operating system in a Virtual PC environment, Huffman stressed. "So Linux can be installed on a virtual machine on Virtual PC. There has been some misunderstanding about this: You absolutely can run Linux in Virtual PC," she said.

    The Virtual PC software can run Linux as it can run any other OS that works under the x86 systems. This does not mean Microsoft supports people running Linux. They even state this later on in the article

    "We don't support Linux, and we also don't support third-party applications. We direct customers to their Linux providers if they have an issue running Linux on Virtual PC, and if that Linux provider triages that issue as a Virtual PC bug and submits a bug report, we'll work with them to fix the problem. We're treating them like we treat third-party applications," she said.

    As it says... they do NOT support Linux but are not going to do anything to block Linux from running under it. Allowing it to run is not the same as supporting it.

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  2. Never Trust A Smiling Cat... by Freidenker · · Score: 5, Insightful

    With everything history has told us (DrDos etc...),
    who can really believe it will run any non Windows Operating System without any personalized Glitches.,
    introduced by "pure hasard"...
    Regards,

  3. *yawn* by davmoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Microsoft isn't doing anyone any favors here, or tossing us a carrot.

    The job of Virtual PC is to emulate a x86 environment. The job of the most common version of Linux is to run on a x86 environment. Doing anything that would willfully prevent Linux from running would most likely also break a hell of a lot of other applications that Microsoft loves.

    About the only way Microsoft could stop Virtual PC from running Linux (or any other OS for that matter) without breaking other apps would be to put code in that explicity looks to see if its Linux you're installing, and if so Blue Screen. Even Microsoft isn't going to be that openly blatant.

    For me personally, this doesn't really matter. I'm sticking with VMware, and I don't much give a damn what Microsoft does with Virtual PC. VMware ain't broke, so I ain't fixing it :-)

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  4. What the hell? by Talez · · Score: 5, Insightful

    2 weeks ago: "we do not support the Linux platform but you can try and run it"

    This was defined as: "MICROSOFT IS RIPPING LINUX OUT OF VIRTUAL PC!"

    Today: "we do not support the Linux platform but you can try and run it" which is now being defined as "YOU CAN STILL RUN LINUX!"

    Can someone explain this to me because I am totally confused.