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Run Linux as a Windows Screensaver

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the you-really-can-put-it-anywhere dept.

zornorph writes "A software engineer at IBM has come up with a way to 'construct and package a Linux® LiveCD so that it will install using the standard Microsoft® Windows® install process and will operate as a standard Windows screensaver.'"

68 of 259 comments (clear)

  1. Why not stand-alone? by xorbe · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The article doesn't make it clear why it should run as a screensaver... is the ISO interactive? How does one escape the screensaver? Why not just run it stand-alone?

    Also, this was surprising: "OS/2 is finally being withdrawn on December 23, 2005. According to the IBM Web site on OS/2 Warp migration (see Resources), there is no replacement product from IBM. IBM suggests that OS/2 customers consider Linux." They should at least recommend a specific product, else the remaining OS/2 userbase will entirely fragment. Recommendations are not irresponsible, only the customer blindly accepting it would be.

    Following the instructions in the article is not for the faint of heart!

    1. Re:Why not stand-alone? by MoxCamel · · Score: 5, Funny
      If you have to ask why...you really don't belong here. :)

      Mox

    2. Re:Why not stand-alone? by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 5, Funny

      The article doesn't make it clear why it should run as a screensaver... is the ISO interactive? How does one escape the screensaver? Why not just run it stand-alone?

      No no no, you don't understand, while it runs as a screensaver, it's building Gentoo. Only after it's done can you run it standalone...

      --
      "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
    3. Re:Why not stand-alone? by Stan+Vassilev · · Score: 3, Funny

      "The article doesn't make it clear why it should run as a screensaver... is the ISO interactive? How does one escape the screensaver? Why not just run it stand-alone?"

      It's made for educational purpose, once it starts it captures the mouse and keyboard so that you can't exit to Windows, and you're forced to use Linux until you nail it.

      A caveat was quickly discovered however: if you stop so the Linux screensaver turns on, you're back to Windows. Go figure.

    4. Re:Why not stand-alone? by aichpvee · · Score: 5, Funny

      Why? So when someone says, "nice screen saver, but does it run Linux?", he'll be able to say yes.

      --
      The Farewell Tour II
    5. Re:Why not stand-alone? by rjstanford · · Score: 4, Funny

      They should at least recommend a specific product, else the remaining OS/2 userbase will entirely fragment.

      What, both of them?

      --
      You're special forces then? That's great! I just love your olympics!
    6. Re:Why not stand-alone? by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 5, Funny
      Only after it's done can you run it standalone...

      What, I have to wait until next week?

    7. Re:Why not stand-alone? by afidel · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Uh, two years ago I did a MASSIVE rollout of OS/2 under Virtual PC. The client was replacing dual workstation and KVM's with single, more powerfull machines running OS/2 under VPC. This was for tens of thousands of seats nationwide with single sites consisting of several thousand workstations. And then there all the ATM's which run OS/2 which will now have to be converted to much crappier, more failure prone windows models. Of I don't know why IBM doesn't steer people to eComStation. It's the product of the company that bought the rights and code to OS/2, so if you have a custom app and need it to run on more modern hardware they are the people to talk to.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    8. Re:Why not stand-alone? by kstillson · · Score: 2, Funny

      do. or do not. there is no "why"

    9. Re:Why not stand-alone? by TubeSteak · · Score: 4, Funny

      Because it sounds like he may be a little new here:

      "but does it run linux" was the question asked of the first new Windows release since Linus coded Linux.

      Finally, we have an answer.

      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
    10. Re:Why not stand-alone? by egburr · · Score: 2, Funny
      How does one escape the screensaver?

      I haven't read the article; this is just my preference...

      Figure out the root password.
      Figure out how to login.
      Issue a shutdown command.

      After completing the shutdown, you'll get your windows desktop back.

      --

      Edward Burr
      Having a smoking section in a restaurant is like having a peeing section in a swimming pool.
    11. Re:Why not stand-alone? by rapidweather · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The Damn Small Linux folks have a version that runs inside Windows. I have not tried it. There's a link to it on their main page. DSL linux is a remaster of Knoppix linux. I note that some of the versions of the IBM screensaver linux are also based on Knoppix, if not all. Might be able to use any knoppix remaster or linux based on knoppix. IBM's documentation looks like it would work, if one wanted to go to the trouble. The DSL version puts a functional linux in a window on your Windows desktop. One time I did find a screenshot of that, but can't locate it now.
      Kind of crazy, really, to put a little linux in a window on a Windows XP desktop, I would rather just dual boot. I have a couple of boxes that do that, using loadlin and a batch file from Windows 98 F8 choice 5 bootup to access a /KNOPPIX folder on the hard drive. I remastered DSL for those, so it looks very nice, and does what I want it to. That setup does not run knoppix within Windows, once you exit knoppix, that's it.

      --
      Rapidweather's Linux Screenshots.
    12. Re:Why not stand-alone? by c_forq · · Score: 5, Funny

      What, I have to wait until next week?

      I know this is slashdot, but you don't have to rub in how much faster your state-of-the-art processor is then mine. I'll have to wait until next YEAR!

      --
      Computers allow humans to make mistakes at the fastest speeds known, with the possible exception of tequila and handguns
    13. Re:Why not stand-alone? by afidel · · Score: 3, Informative

      A lot of banks internal politics won't let them run a solution that isn't supported by a "major vendor". Besides which Diebold no longer loads new ATM's with OS/2 so they would have to develop their own or work with a smaller player who would.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    14. Re:Why not stand-alone? by cHiphead · · Score: 4, Interesting

      This article seems a bit late and the screensaver angle makes it useless. I've been running colinux as a service on my windows 2000 box for almost a year. I can apt-get anything from a debian/compatible repository...

      where's the news?

      Cheers.

      --

      This is my sig. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
    15. Re:Why not stand-alone? by dryeo · · Score: 3, Interesting

      OS/2 supports lots of modern Hardware. Its true that your v3 and v4 won't install out of the box. V4.5+ will install on most hardware and with a fairly new kernel even the fastest P4s and 64 bit AMds (in 32 bit mode). Pretty well all display drivers are supported (by scitech), even under winos2, though only 2D. IBM paid for ALSA to be ported so pretty well all sound cards supported under Linux work under OS/2. USB support is pretty good as well.
      Same with Printers, pretty well if they work with Linux they'll probably work on OS/2.
      Basically if hardware works on Linux it'll run under OS/2.

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
    16. Re:Why not stand-alone? by Trejkaz · · Score: 4, Funny

      I think the phrasing in this scenario is usually "I happen to know both of them."

      --
      Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
    17. Re:Why not stand-alone? by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 2, Insightful

      A lot of banks internal politics won't let them run a solution that isn't supported by a "major vendor". Besides which Diebold no longer loads new ATM's with OS/2 so they would have to develop their own or work with a smaller player who would.

      I've seen ATM machines running Linux. In fact, Banrisul
      in Brazil replaced all of their MS-DOS-based ATMs with Linux some time ago. What defines a 'major vendor'? Is Red Hat? Is Novell/SuSE? What defines 'support'?

      The thing is I often find the knee-jerk reaction of "We can't run something that isn't supported by a 'major vendor'" to more or less translate to "We can't run something that isn't supported by a vendor who's not giving us kickbacks."

      --
      My blog
  2. Proof of concept? by cytoman · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Is this just a "proof of concept" and not really something useful? I mean, if it shows Linux running in screen-saver mode, any disturbance of the keyboard/mouse will bring back windows...am I missing something?

    Still, pretty cool!!!

    1. Re:Proof of concept? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You've never used any of the after-dark screen savers have you? They are fully interactive.

  3. Awesome by c0dedude · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is cool, as long as you don't need to use your keyboard or mouse.

    --
    Since when has this country used intellectual elite as a pejorative term?
    1. Re:Awesome by CastrTroy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      That's OK, just use the joystick to control Linux. For some reason windows doesn't think the joystick is primary input, so if you're using it for an extended period, then the screen saver turns on. This feature is great during games. Always seems to pop up at the most inopportune moments.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
  4. I wanna be the first to say it by suso · · Score: 2, Funny

    I run Windows as a Linux screen saver all the time. Or at least the major parts. ;-)

    And with the new modularized X, if it crashes it won't bring down the fonts.

  5. So... by FusionDragon2099 · · Score: 3, Funny

    To boot Knoppix, I'm going to have to wait 5 minutes?

  6. funny feeling.. by kerpal2005 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why do I get a feeling Microsoft's spyware program will detect this as malware?

  7. IBM confirms it - OS2 is dead by tomhudson · · Score: 2, Insightful

    FTFA :

    OS/2 is finally being withdrawn on December 23, 2005. According to the IBM Web site on OS/2 Warp migration (see Resources), there is no replacement product from IBM. IBM suggests that OS/2 customers consider Linux.

    ... and the replacement runs under Windows. :-(

    oh, the irony.

  8. What a pain® by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 5, Funny

    Am I the only one® to find non-legal documents® polluted by legalese bullshit® extremely annoying®?

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
    1. Re:What a pain® by Urusai · · Score: 2, Insightful

      A trademark holder might pepper their missives with (R) and TM to assert their trademark. In my non-lawyerly opinion, you have no obligation to preserve someone else's trademark; you just can't use it on your own products/services. I can mention Coca Cola and Mickey Mouse all I want without such qualification. Disney, however, might refer to "Mickey Mouse (TM)" to let you know they claim a trademark on the name and to prevent you from claiming ignorance of the claim in court.

      A similar foolishness runs through the media with the term "allegedly". Yes, they don't want to make a false accusation. But when you have a headline such as "Cops Arrest Man for Allegedly Smoking Crack", it's stupid. Allegedly smoking crack is not a crime and would not be a cause for arrest; smoking crack would be.

      Pardon me, there's a knock on the door, brb...

    2. Re:What a pain® by ari_j · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually, while I am not a lawyer and have no particular expertise in trademark law, I suspect that it may be helpful to use (R) and TM to avoid being sued. For instance, if I talk at length about Coca-Cola and never point out that it's trademarked, someone may be stupid enough to think I am using Coca-Cola as my own term. If enough stupid someones thought that, Coca-Cola Inc. would probably sue me.

      But in general, I don't think excessive use of trademark symbols helps anyone. Use it once per term per document, at most, and put in a footnote about all trademarks being the property of their respective owners. More than that gets on my nerves.

  9. Maybe there is a point... by fmaxwell · · Score: 5, Interesting

    A distributed computing project (ala SETI) which relied on Linux could run this way.

    1. Re:Maybe there is a point... by _|()|\| · · Score: 3, Informative
      A distributed computing project (ala SETI) which relied on Linux could run this way.

      If this were Cooperative Linux that might be an avenue worth exploring. However, the article describes running Linux under QEMU, which the author admits is "slooooooooowwww."

  10. RTFA Please! by ThatGeek · · Score: 5, Informative

    The submitter referred to this software as a "screen saver", but if he had bothered to read the story at all he would have realized it should in fact be classified as a "computer saver".

    Still, it's a very interesting story!

    --
    What are you eating? isItVeg?.
  11. So what happens when... by CaroKann · · Score: 5, Funny

    You run Windows and the screen saver kicks in...
    And it runs Linux with Wine, and the screen saver kicks in...
    And it runs Linux with Wine, and the screen saver kicks in...
    Ad Infinitum...

    1. Re:So what happens when... by JFMulder · · Score: 5, Funny

      This reminds me of a funny thing with Virtual PC. Trying to install Virtual PC on a Windows virtual machine running under Virtual PC popped up "You can't run Virtual PC under Virtual PC. You just had to try, didn't you?"

  12. Screen Saver Fun by LordofEntropy · · Score: 2, Informative

    You can pretty much make any exe a screen saver. I remember a coworker doing this once with logon.exe on Win 2k. Funny thing is, that the screen saver ran as admin, this was a pretty big security hole, and quite amusing.

    --
    Entropy just isn't what it used to be.
    1. Re:Screen Saver Fun by carleton · · Score: 3, Informative

      Actually, there's a bootable floppy (running Linux) that will let you edit the registry. The dox for it recommend doing so (specifically, running cmd.exe as the logonscr(eensaver) and then bringing up the password gui tools) to reset the password on a box running Win 2000 with Active Directory. (the tool can just blank out the password for non AD-based systems, but AD is trickier)

  13. i bet MS is happy by amazon10x · · Score: 3, Funny

    Finally. A reason for the screensaver function in Windows.

  14. Why? by AgentAce · · Score: 2, Informative

    Damn Small Linux already runs on top of Windows.

    Of course running Linux on Windows is similar to driving a BMW around inside of a Triumph.

    1. Re:Why? by radiotyler · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Unless you're a guy like me, that's trying to hone some very, very, very rusty *nix skills (4 years of Army Windows.. *puke*) and all you have available is a USB Drive, a Windows box, and 8 more months in the desert.

      I think it's a great idea. I'm chomping at the bit for this download to finish.
      -t

      --
      hi mom!
  15. What happens when you try to get out? by colinbrash · · Score: 2, Funny

    When you try to get out of the screen saver, does it give you a black screen with "LI" up in the left corner?

  16. Isn't this just the same thing... by Ruff_ilb · · Score: 3, Insightful

    As saying that Linux and windows can run at the same time on the same hardware, with quick switching between the two? Depending on how easy that is to do, this either makes the story a lot more or a lot less interesting.

    --
    http://www.TheGamerNation.com/Forums
    1. Re:Isn't this just the same thing... by tyler_larson · · Score: 3, Interesting

      They're using Qemu.

      --
      "With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. However, this is not necessarily a good idea...."
      RFC 1925
  17. Strange to see by oztiks · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Whenever you see a screenshot of MacOS its always with a shot of Safari, ITunes or Corel Draw. Whenever you see a screenshot of Windows its always the Control Panel, Windows Media Player, MS Office, or IE.

    Whenever you see a screenshot of Linux its always with shots of people using Fractial Apps, drawing PCB Diagrams, or something to do with the planets orbit.

    All they need to do now is to be able to the same with MacOS and then you'll be able to download mp3's and draw pictures with one os, watch porn and write word documents with the other, and lastly be able to discover the cure to cancer the last os and the great thing is you'll be able to do this all off the same computer.

  18. finally! by theodicey · · Score: 5, Funny
    Now i can get my Windows friends to run Linux by emailing them!

    Subject: Hi!

    Body: How are you ?
    When I saw this screen saver, I immediately thought about you
    I am in a harry, I promise you will love it!

    Attachment: Linux.SCR

  19. I'd rather run winows... by theheff · · Score: 4, Funny

    as a linux game. It's pretty fun... if you don't get a virus in 14 minutes you win!

    1. Re:I'd rather run winows... by Bradee-oh! · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's pretty fun... if you don't get a virus in 14 minutes you win!
       
      Uggh... I can't stand another game with an unreasonably high difficulty level =/

      --
      "This is Zombo Com, and welcome to you who have come to Zombo Com" - www.zombo.com
    2. Re:I'd rather run winows... by ShaLouZa · · Score: 3, Funny

      I almost made it once. But I screwed up : I connected my box to the net at the 12th minute. Silly me.

  20. Infected With Linux?? by protolith · · Score: 2, Funny

    Good Lord this machine has been infected with Linux... Doh, Wait!!! I Think I want That.

  21. One good reason... by rkaa · · Score: 4, Insightful

    to use this, would be to in effect run Xscreensaver on Windows! Using XP, I really miss those. And they will never be ported.

  22. Re:woah! by IdleTime · · Score: 2, Funny
    That is awesome. What would you use it for?
    Screensaver?
    --
    If you mod me down, I *will* introduce you to my sister!
  23. With roles reversed... by Sathias · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does this mean I can run 3D Pipes as an OS?

    --
    Blessed are the 1337, for they shall pwn the earth.
  24. Re:what do you call this distro? by Gryle · · Score: 5, Funny

    "the [thing} you can see but you can't touch?"

    Girls?

    --
    Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not entirely sure about the universe - Einstein
  25. Into the looking glass... by suitepotato · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now you can let the screensave run and go into another OS and then the screensaver on that runs and you go into another OS and then the screensaver on that runs and you go into another OS and then the screensaver on that runs and you go into another OS and then the screensaver on that runs and you go into another OS and then the screensaver on that runs and you go into another OS and then the screensaver on that runs and you go into another OS and then the screensaver on that runs and you go into another OS... ARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!!!

    --
    If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
  26. This caught my attention by johansalk · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This Linux screensaver is from Nathalie Carrie and Arnaud Verhille, science teachers on Reunion Island, a French colony in the Indian Ocean. Verhille asks "Does anyone know where I can get a free Java," because he is concerned about encumbering his pupils with Sun®'s license conditions." Does it really matter? I'm of the opinion that schoolchildren on a remote Indian Ocean island are unlikely to do anything that would cause Sun to chase after them.

    1. Re:This caught my attention by vmcto · · Score: 2, Funny

      I would think the Sun would be particularly strong on an island...

  27. Re:As a Windows user by chronicon · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Um, never heard of Knoppix, or the million other live linux distros out there I assume?

    ...or running Knoppix in Windows via QEMU? Or quick Damn Small Linux in similar fashion?

    What makes this newsworthy today? The bizarre "run it as a screensaver" factor? What's the point?

  28. this just goes to show... by Petronius · · Score: 2, Funny

    how robust Windows is.

    --
    there's no place like ~
  29. In other news by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 2, Funny
    Steve Ballmer hurdled a chair through his office shouting, "Fucking Samuel J. Palmisano is a fucking pussy. I'm going to fucking bury that guy, I have done it before, and I will do it again. I'm going to fucking kill IBM."

    To wich Bill Gates replied, "and this time we fucking make sure IBM stays dead."

    Oh god, the world is upside down. IBM the new and happening company, MS and Intel as "the man". Apple is still a bunch of new age hippies right?

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

  30. What does it do exatcly??? by elgatozorbas · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Am I the only one who doesn't understand xhat this thing does exactly? Does it
    A) install Linux during the screensaver?
    B) run Linux during the screensaver? What happens to windows? Why would you want to wait for the screensaver?
    C)show a linux slideshow. What's the use of that?

  31. Good idea, but I like coLinux better by n2rjt · · Score: 3, Interesting

    According to the article, this runs Linux in emulation mode, which is slow. CoLinux runs Linux as a Windows application, which is faster. CoLinux, however, lacks a graphics interface. I use it with X, but that doesn't work out of the box with existing live CDs.

  32. Re:You know... by ChrisA90278 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    No, I figure you'd use something like "shutdown -h now" or "init 0" to exit. The creen saver stops when the process terminates. The big news here is simply that someone got Linux to run as a Windows userland process. OK not 100% new but then they thought to call it a "screen saver". It's cool to be the first to think of something.

  33. Now, to reverse it... by winphreak · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'll have linux use the BSOD screen saver. Mocks windows perfectly.

    --
    "I'm a well-wisher, in that I don't wish you any specific harm."
  34. Re:The Point? by martin-boundary · · Score: 2, Funny

    Think! The _point_ is that if Linux is running instead of a screensaver, then you can finally run XScreenSaver on Linux on Windows!

  35. Re:A screensaver.. or not? by Slack3r78 · · Score: 4, Informative
    As a user who would try this out, it sounds fishy in terms of any practical use. You type something, the screensaver vanishes.

    Not really. Windows screensavers are just executables with the file extension changed to .SCR. The program itself dictates what causes it to quit. Now, most screesavers do exit when there's any kind of keyboard or mouse activity, but it's nothing built into the screensaver framework itself.
  36. Already exists! by DavonZ · · Score: 4, Informative

    OK. When andLinux (http://wiki.gp2x.org/wiki/AndLinux) was released to the public over a week ago, Slashdot flagged it as uninteresting and ignored the news. andLinux is a Debian based Linux distribution that runs in Windows. It uses CoLinux, Xming and several other technologies to work.

    So, is it that LordDavon (yes, me!) is just a john-q-public open source developer and doesn't matter... but if Big Blue does something similar they matter!? Is it that Dynamism is supporting andLinux and not IBM? I really am a bit pissed on this one! I really believed that Slashdot would want to promote a project made for the public, by the public. I guess I need to try and make money off of Linux for them to care.

    Honestly, I just don't know. What I do know is that I don't need a screensaver to run Linux in Windows, I was first and Slashdot and IBM can kiss my ass!

  37. Running IBM 370 VM on an IBM 370 VM by billstewart · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Back when I was in college, and we had to walk uphill both ways in the snow to get to the punch-card computer center, my freshman roommate was a ham radio operator, and was friends with another ham, Phil Karn, KA9Q, who you might remember from TCP/IP on DOS and other projects. Phil had a job one year as a computer operator. The computer was a mainframe that lived out near the airport, and there were a bunch of punch-card/printer computer centers around campus that needed operators to feed them. The mainframe was an IBM 370 with VM and a variety of guest operating systems on top of it, including CMS and several batch systems. Phil guessed one day that the password for the backup administrator account (a 4-character uppercase password) might be BKUP, so he was able to access a copy of VM and run it on top of the main VM. The client OS on top of that ran v...e..rrrr..yyyy s...l...ooo...wwww...llll...y, and remember that that's a definition of "slowly" that considers punchcard access to a ~1 MIPS mainframe to be "not slow" :-)

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  38. Shock! by DollyTheSheep · · Score: 2, Insightful

    A screensaver, that may make your more productive than the whole rest of your OS!

  39. I want my ten minutes back by emm-tee · · Score: 2, Funny

    Please can I have back the ten minutes I just wasted trying to work out what the hell this article is about.