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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.'"

41 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    Also, this was surprising: "OS/2 is finally being withdrawn on December 23, 2005.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 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!
    8. 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
    9. 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.
    10. 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.
    11. 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
    12. 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!
  2. 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.
  3. So... by FusionDragon2099 · · Score: 3, Funny

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

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

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

  5. 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
  6. 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."

  7. 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?.
  8. 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?"

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

    Finally. A reason for the screensaver function in Windows.

  10. 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)

  11. 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
  12. 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

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. 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.
  16. 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
  17. 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)
  18. 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?

  19. 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?

  20. 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.

  21. 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.
  22. 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!

  23. 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