wine compatibility

[Kenshin911]

So, I'm looking at building a linux rig, but before I do, I'm currious about wine. It supposedly lets you run windows apps in linux, but from looking at their web site it looks like a signifficant portion of the API is still unimplemented. I read somewhere that you can use windows .dll files to fill in the missing parts of the wine api. I have a spare XP pro liscense. Is it possible to do this and would it give me close to 100% compatibility?

Thanks!

 

[Robor]

Better than using WINE instead load up Linux and install VMWare Server (free) and install your XP Pro license there as a virtual machine.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: Robor
Better than using WINE instead load up Linux and install VMWare Server (free) and install your XP Pro license there as a virtual machine.

That's a bit excessive if there are only a few apps you want to run.

I haven't encountered any problems with WINE thus far. I've had Starcraft, Diablo II, uTorrent and Internet Explorer running just fine. As well as DVD shrink and DVD decrypter. I've heard of Photoshop CS2 running well with the latest WINE.

 

[Kenshin911]

I'm sure there are a lot of programs that it runs just fine. I'm just currious if it's truely possible to use the official microsoft files instead of the open source copies to get maximum compatibility. I have a few applications I'd like to run that I know are quirky as hell: Orcad, ModelSim, Xilinx ISE etc. I bet they'll run at least to some extent, but I don't want to have to wonder if the reason my design isn't working is because of an incompatabilty in wine.

 

[Nothinman]

I don't want to have to wonder if the reason my design isn't working is because of an incompatabilty in wine.

Then do them on a Windows machine. Seriously, as much of a proponent of Linux as I am there's no point in risking your work to run it when you already have a system that works.

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: Robor
Better than using WINE instead load up Linux and install VMWare Server (free) and install your XP Pro license there as a virtual machine.

That's a bit excessive if there are only a few apps you want to run.

I haven't encountered any problems with WINE thus far. I've had Starcraft, Diablo II, uTorrent and Internet Explorer running just fine. As well as DVD shrink and DVD decrypter. I've heard of Photoshop CS2 running well with the latest WINE.

Why is it excessive? VMWare Server is free, the XP Pro license is not in use, and it's very easy to get a VM installed. I use WINE for some things (Irfanview and NewsBin Pro come to mind now) in Ubuntu but GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) doesn't run properly in WINE so I do it in my XP VM.

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

I don't want to have to wonder if the reason my design isn't working is because of an incompatabilty in wine.

Then do them on a Windows machine. Seriously, as much of a proponent of Linux as I am there's no point in risking your work to run it when you already have a system that works.

Oh stop making sense!

 

[xtknight]

I don't think there's any alternative to a Windows VM for multiplatform computing. Small apps run fine in WINE (along with some games, which are just pure graphics calls), but many large applications that use their own custom libraries experience UI issues or run slowly/buggy. If I want to run "Simple Socket File Transfer" I use WINE. If I want to run Visual Studio I use VMware.

It's generally possible to place a Windows VM fullscreen on your second monitor with automatic mouse recognition across the host and guest. This makes it extremely convenient and reliable to use multiple apps on one PC.

Originally posted by: Kenshin911
I'm sure there are a lot of programs that it runs just fine. I'm just currious if it's truely possible to use the official microsoft files instead of the open source copies to get maximum compatibility.

I have a few applications I'd like to run that I know are quirky as hell: Orcad, ModelSim, Xilinx ISE etc. I bet they'll run at least to some extent, but I don't want to have to wonder if the reason my design isn't working is because of an incompatabilty in wine.

Well that's what WINE does if you specify the WINEDLLOVERRIDES correctly. But it's still not reliable.

There's nothing wrong with wine for gaming but I wouldn't be using it for flashing chips.

ModelSim and Xilinx ISE appear to have native Linux versions.

 

[Cogman]

I would look up what app you need to run in the AppDB on their main page before attempting to use wine (A google search should yield a good amount of info for most programs). The best thing of course is seeing if you can get a native version of the program you want to use (or a clone of it)

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: xtknight
If I want to run "Simple Socket File Transfer" I use WINE.

Something wrong with netcat? You could wrap it with a script that also does md5s and then you'd have something native and probably simpler and more flexible.

Well that's what WINE does if you specify the WINEDLLOVERRIDES correctly.

If ever there was a term asking to be misread...

 

[Nothinman]

Something wrong with netcat? You could wrap it with a script that also does md5s and then you'd have something native and probably simpler and more flexible.

I'll bet real money that he didn't mean real "Simple Socket File Transfer" and was just using that as an example...

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Something wrong with netcat? You could wrap it with a script that also does md5s and then you'd have something native and probably simpler and more flexible.

I'll bet real money that he didn't mean real "Simple Socket File Transfer" and was just using that as an example...

Ah, that makes sense I just went out and googled it and thought "wtf would anyone use that on linux?"

 

[wheels619]

WINE is great when it works. If you want an easier solution, Codeweavers sells a commercialized version of WINE that is really easy to setup. www.codeweavers.com
I got IE6 and dreamweaver working in Fedora with it before.

 

[Netopia]

Never having used VMWare, I've a question. I want to create a situation where I can load an XP environment to test things in which 'might' hose windows. Can one simply make a copy of the ??? (VMWare image) and if the one in use gets hosed, simply delete it and make a copy of the copy and get rolling again?


I hope that made sense.

Joe

 

[Nothinman]

Never having used VMWare, I've a question. I want to create a situation where I can load an XP environment to test things in which 'might' hose windows. Can one simply make a copy of the ??? (VMWare image) and if the one in use gets hosed, simply delete it and make a copy of the copy and get rolling again?

VMWare supports snapshots that handle that for you. And yes, you can copy around the VM's file to make as many copies of the installation as you want.

 

[Netopia]

EXCELLENT!

THanks N'man!

Joe

 

[Netopia]

Ok, so I've downloaded the VMWare Player and an Ubuntu VM and am running it on a PCLinuxOS 2007 desktop to play with it.

Before I get any farther though, I need help with one thing, focus and control. Once I'm in the VM, so far the only way to get the mouse/keyboard to switch focus and to interact with the host computer is to shut down the VM.

Is there a key combination to switch back and forth from the virtual machine(s) and the host machine's desktop?

Thanks in advance (because you guys always come through! )

Joe

 

[Netopia]

Never mind... there was an info bar at the bottom of the screen that was hidden:

Ctrl + G for the VM
Ctrl + Alt to escape to the desktop

Joe

 

[Robor]

Netopia - If you install VMWare Tools on the VM you should be able to move between the host and VM.

Edit (without needing to use the hotkeys)