Slashdot Mirror


Microsoft's Next Virtual PC Will Run Linux

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."

16 of 322 comments (clear)

  1. It will run Linux... by Smork · · Score: 5, Funny

    ..for just $699 :)

  2. Sure it supports it! by SynKKnyS · · Score: 5, Funny
    Linux version 2.4.22 (root@macuser.org) (gcc version 3.2.1) #2 Mon Nov 02 00:08:59 EST 2003
    BIOS-provided physical RAM map:
    BIOS-e820: 0000000000000000 - 00000000000a0000 (usable)
    BIOS-e820: 00000000000f0000 - 0000000000100000 (reserved)
    BIOS-e820: 0000000000100000 - 000000000fff0000 (usable)
    BIOS-e820: 000000000fff0000 - 000000000fff3000 (ACPI NVS)
    BIOS-e820: 000000000fff3000 - 0000000010000000 (ACPI data)
    BIOS-e820: 00000000ffff0000 - 0000000100000000 (reserved)
    255MB LOWMEM available.
    On node 0 totalpages: 65520
    zone(0): 4096 pages.
    zone(1): 61424 pages.
    zone(2): 0 pages.
    Kernel command line: auto BOOT_IMAGE=linux ro root=306
    Did not detect DRM license
    Kernel Panic
  3. "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.

    --


    (\(\
    (^.^)
    (")")
    *This is the cute bunny virus, please copy this into your sig so it can spread
  4. A good indication that american's dont read... by thona · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...expecially the ones from eweek.

    MS has dropped SUPPORT for Linux. VirtualPc could always run linux, but until now (from conectix) ths was official. Means: you could call connectix and ask for help when your linux started to misbehave.

    MS is now dropping SUPPORT for Linux. Means: you CAN run Linux, as this basically is a i386 emulator, but if you run into trouble, don't call Microsoft. Also, dont expect MS to provide the nice (and necessary) accelerated graphics drivers that emulators normally come with. Ms will only support Windows.

    THis is all MS ever said - actually they pretty directly said Linux will run all the time.

    But then, you really had to read to understand this. And eweek seems to have lost this ability.

  5. 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,

  6. Re:Nice! by fr0m · · Score: 5, Funny
    From the bottom of the article page:

    Next page: Microsoft puts focus on security.

    Does THAT sound like something Microsoft would do? heh

  7. Re:wheeee..! by croddy · · Score: 4, Insightful
    No, VMWare runs Linux very well, but VMWare does not run on OSX, whereas VirtualPC will. there was a great deal of concern that VirtualPC would not be able to run Linux, thus the story.

    personally, I find this announcement somewhat foreboding, as it hints that MS may threaten to displace VMWare as the machine virtualization software of choice -- if VMWare goes under... well, VirtualPC may be able to *run* Linux, but it will be a cold day in Redmond before VirtualPC runs *on* Linux.

  8. Question... by shplatt · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now, can you run multiple Vitual PC Linuxes in a Beo... Oh. Crap. Nevermind.

  9. Re:Price-dumping? by thona · · Score: 5, Informative

    ::In case you don't remember, Connectix makes the ::VMWare series of products

    No, they never did.

    Connectix made the VirtualPC series of products, and VmWare made the VMWare series of products.

    Connectix was bought by Microsoft, but VMWare is independant.

  10. It's cold in here... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    iTunes for Windows...
    popup blocking in XP
    Linux on MS VPC!

    yep.. it's a cold day in hell

  11. Re:How does VIrtualPC compare by croddy · · Score: 4, Informative
    VMWare is an unbelievably outstanding product. a couple of the labs here on campus run it on top of RH7 for MS Access (cringe), while the machines continue running their Linux-based neural modeling software without interruption. my personal experience with it has been that it's a rock-solid, very efficient way to run multiple OS'es on a single hardware box.

    deploy an installation image to multiple 'machines'... install from ISO images on HD... bridged, NAT'ed, even local-only networking... hell, it emulates sound hardware! I know a guy that even got a Longhorn beta running on VMWare ;-)

    ...and while MS's VPC Server product isn't yet available, VMWare's GSX Server product is available right now. VMWare's stuff is *well* worth the price of entry.

  12. *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 :-)

    --
    I want a new quote. One that won't spill. One that don't cost too much. Or come in a pill.
  13. 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.

  14. This is so great! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now we can have access to that multitude of Linux applications for not more than the price of VirtualPC and MSWindows, and get the legendary stability and resilience of MSWindows, to boot. And boot, and boot, and boot.

  15. IRONY AT IT'S BEST by burdicda · · Score: 5, Funny

    Running Linux on top of windows...
    isn't that like wearing a raincoat so you don't get wet while riding in a boat with a hole in the bottom
    of it...hehe

  16. Re:What they really mean by IntelliTubbie · · Score: 5, Funny

    You still have to be running Windows or MacOS to use Virtual PC.

    Damn, now if only there were some way to emulate a Linux environment on my Linux box without using Virtual PC ... what a con$piracy!

    Cheers,
    Ari

    --

    Power corrupts. PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.