Virtualbox is an open source software for emulating one software on another which I recently discovered. To put it simply it allows you to calculate virtual machines on your system. This means that you can install one OS within another. For example you could have a virtual machine with Windows XP on your system. This is what I did. I did this on a Debian Lenny system and am telling how I did it here.
First ensure that you are updated with the debian lenny repository.
1. apt-get install virtualbox-ose virtualbox-ose-source virtualbox-ose-modules-2.6-486 module-assistant
This will install the necessary software including the 486 image. Install appropriate module as per your need and ensure you are in that kernel after reboot.
2. module-assistant prepare
This prepares your module setup ensuring that your headers package is alright because this is the one against whom all the modules are compiled.
3. module-assistant auto-install virtualbox-ose
This installs the necessary modules.
4. modprobe vboxdrv
This loads the module.
5. Open the virtualbox software and follow the gui for making machines. Put type as XP. Ensure you have allowed CDs mounting. You can add XP installation CD and install it.
The new version allows shared folders also. In virtualbox you can decide the shared folders. These can be accessed by settings in My Network places.
1. go to 'My Computer' in WinXP and click on 'My Network Places'
2. select 'Choose another network location' and click 'Next' in service providers.
3. Browse to 'My Network Places' >> 'Entire Network' >> 'VirtualBox Shared Folders'. Here you will find the folder that you shared earlier using 'Devices' menu in VirtualBox VM as '\\VBOXSVR\...' Choose that folder and then click 'OK' to exit. And 'Next' to continue
4, Give a name to it and you are in business!
you may also need to install the guest extensions for that machine.
This gives the stability of linux underneath and an unstable XP inside. It runs really fast on my system!
Virtualbox is an open source software available for Linux, windows and Mac OS X also. But remember its an an x86 virtualization software package developed by Sun Microsystems. So will work on x86 and amd64 machines only.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Talk and Walk
All talk without walk is meaningless. IBM recently had a set of Ads with the tag line Doing it. In one particular one a lady, presumably a high executive is showing their innovation stations and says lots of things. In another one a lot of people are supposed to be "ideating" on the floor but haven't ideated about how they will innovate. At the end the tagline comes saying about stopping talk and start doing. IBM claims to show you how to do it. (no pun intended).
It brings up a very important point. Many people across cultures, jobs and races talk more and work less. This is detrimental to our progress as a civilisation and ultimately manking. We need to be helping each other to become better as a manking. I had read this book called "The Sigma Protocol" by Robert Ludlum (grab it. a good one). The villain makes a very valid point at one place (although i didn't like his solution's implementation!). The tragedy of mankind is that experts in each field have a great learning curve and often when they really become the experts their body is old. So they have very few years to actually give quality work. (Very true. Most nobel prizes are given to scientists for their work done at young ages in their old ages!). This is a global problem.
The only solution for this is to maximise the little time we do have and thus increase the global quality work output.
So help others. Share all that you know (US can start with sharing military and nuclear technology with India ;-) for example). This will help all of us get strong.
So stop talking and start doing.
It brings up a very important point. Many people across cultures, jobs and races talk more and work less. This is detrimental to our progress as a civilisation and ultimately manking. We need to be helping each other to become better as a manking. I had read this book called "The Sigma Protocol" by Robert Ludlum (grab it. a good one). The villain makes a very valid point at one place (although i didn't like his solution's implementation!). The tragedy of mankind is that experts in each field have a great learning curve and often when they really become the experts their body is old. So they have very few years to actually give quality work. (Very true. Most nobel prizes are given to scientists for their work done at young ages in their old ages!). This is a global problem.
The only solution for this is to maximise the little time we do have and thus increase the global quality work output.
So help others. Share all that you know (US can start with sharing military and nuclear technology with India ;-) for example). This will help all of us get strong.
So stop talking and start doing.
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