There are occasions where you probably want to run a different os without really installing it. If you are running windows you probably would like to refresh your linux skills but dislike the idea of installing it on one of your partitions. The guys at wolphination explain an easy way to run on os inside your real os.
All you need are three ingredients. First, you need the free vmware player, then you need os.zip which is used to install the operating system and finally you need a iso file or a cd / dvd of an operating system.
Installation is simple as well:
Install vmware player and unzip os.zip. Change to the unzipped directory and open os.vmx in a text editor.
Change the following lines:
memsize = “512″
ide1:0.fileName = “c:\image.iso�
Edit the memsize line with an amount of ram that you want to provide for vmware and the second operating system. For most Linux distros 256 should be enough, make sure you leave enough for windows. The second line is the location of your .iso file. change it accordingly. If you have it on a cd or dvd edit the following three lines
ide1:0.present = “TRUE�
ide1:0.fileName = “c:\image.iso�
ide1:0.deviceType = “cdrom-image�
into
ide1:0.present = “TRUE�
ide1:0.fileName = “auto detect�
ide1:0.deviceType = “cdrom-raw�
Start Vmplayer and open the os.vmx, as soon as you see the starting screen press ESC to enter the list of bootable devices. Select Cd-Rom and hit enter. The Os should load just fine and you are ready to go.
The vmware site offers some prebuild virtual machines.
[tags]linux, vmware, operating system, os, os.zip, run linux windows[/tags]
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11 Responses to “Run other Oses on your pc”
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[...] I´ve written about virtual computers before and found a nice way program to make the same method available for virtual software installations. Altiris Software Virtualization Solution lets you install every kind of software in a protected environment that prevents access from this software to your core system. This is great if you want to try out some new alpha / beta software or software that you are suspicious about. [...]


Its also possible to use the freeware Colinux
to linux on windows nativly.
I already Have An Installed XP and Ubuntu 8.04 on My Hard Disk. currently I Installed VMware On Ubuntu 8.04 ,
I want to Boot My Already Installed XP Using VMware(I Didn’t Installed Xp Using VMware) And Work on it. Plz Help By Giving Ur Suggestion, i m Desperately Waiting For FollowUp Comments
>I want to Boot My Already Installed XP Using VMware(I Didn’t Installed Xp Using VMware)
It won’t work directly, pluging existing OS into virtual pc usually ends up breaking that OS.
Easy solution – re-install XP under VMWare.
Complex solution – make image of XP partition, restore it to VMware, fix broken drivers and such.
I highly recommend easy way, complex one is total mess that is not guaranteed to succeed. :)
looks like wolphination got suspended. I can’t download OS.zip file. Could anybody provide a valid link for OS.zip file? Many thanks.
I can’t get the files either. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone can find another source of the files or exactly what is needed to build it from scratch maybe.
Thanks
Hi Guys,
U don’t Have to Download It from any where else..
U can create one of your own.
Just Grab an OS CD or DVD..
Make a Virtual Image of It..Using Magic ISO Or any other Deamon Tools..
And then Just load it after Running VMware..And then it will Take care of all those missing or broken Drivers(IN case of XP)..
Hey AaDiTyA_DMW, I’m stuck too, and your instructions are too concise to follow. Where can I get step-by-step instructions for the procedure you are outlining?
Thanks
were you realy interested in sharing knowledge with people, you would have been clever to check up the links your are displaying
I don’t know what is all your problem with showing the same link which ain’t working
OS.zip on that damn linux /linux.wolphination.com is a shit dead end
CHECK IT UP!!!#@~~
I would also like a valid link to the file.
Hi, it wok in windows vista? I try it but is not working, it say: “Error while powering on: Check for missing files failed:
Insufficient permissions to access the file.”
help plz