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  5. How-To: Teach Linux To Do Windows, Part 1: Page 7 of 32
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How-To: Teach Linux To Do Windows, Part 1: Page 7 of 32

Now is the time for system builders and their clients to learn Linux.
September 29, 2004
  1. Do you have a current backup image of your current Windows environment, both OS and applications? When you install a new OS on a workstation, one mistake -- or machine error -- and you've blown your data away. This is especially true if you're planning to share the disk with an existing install, which means repartitioning.
  2. Do you know someone with Linux expertise who can bail you out if anything goes wrong? A knowledgeable friend is a good thing to have. Otherwise, google for a local Linux User Group (LUG); there is a good directory of LUGs here.
  3. Do you have a fairly new computer with a minimum speed of 1 GHz? Because you'll be running Windows emulation, you are going to take a mild hit on speed. More important, you need a relatively recent computer to ensure that the video and audio drivers work out of the box. If you are a Linux newbie, you do not want to discover that getting your video to work right requires recompiling the kernel to install a video chipset-specific driver. While anybody can type make install, it takes experience you don't have to know what to do if anything goes seriously wrong.
  4. Do you have an installable copy of Windows 98SE / ME? This Recipe will work with 9.x/ME, but nothing later. That's not as bad as it sounds: Most current Windows applications will still run under 98SE, and only a few expect XP. So 98SE will be what your Windows legacy applications will see when you run them. More specifically, the 98SE OS operates within an idealized virtual computer running as a Linux session. You will see a Linux window open to a Windows session. In that session, multiple applications can run just as they do within "regular" Windows. While Win4Lin will work with any Windows 9.x including ME, I recommend the latest 9.X versions for new installations. Of course, if you have an installable Windows 95 and it runs all the Windows applications you need, have fun and good luck. Make sure you have (or make) a floppy boot disk, you'll need it when you install Win4Lin and if your Linux install blows up in your face, you'll need it to restore your Windows setup.
  5. Do you have a copy of the current Win4Lin Workstation Edition 5.0? It's available at http://www.netraverse.com for a list price of $90. If you're on a dialup connection, save yourself some serious time and buy the shrink-wrapped box version.

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