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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.'"

16 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    Also, this was surprising: "OS/2 is finally being withdrawn on December 23, 2005.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 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
    4. 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?

    5. 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
  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?
  3. 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
  4. Maybe there is a point... by fmaxwell · · Score: 5, Interesting

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

  5. 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?.
  6. 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?"

  7. 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

  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. 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