Re: [SLUG] Win4Lin vs VMWare

[Anand Kumria <wildfire@nospam.progsoc.uts.edu.au>]

On Thu, Jun 01, 2000 at 04:00:08PM +1000, [-SwM-] wrote:
> Win4Lin actually runs Windows, which is what it really has over VMWare.
> This means speed is drastically increased. 
> 
> VMWare is trying to do something different to Win4Lin: emulate operating
> systems -- not just windows, but many, in a virtual environment. My
> understanding of Wine is that it is a specific *windows* emulator -- that
> is, it emulates the windows environment for a windows application to run
> in it.

I not sure you are correct. Here is how I think it is - someone correct
me if I am wrong.

VMWare: attempts to virtualise the PC by providing software simulations
of most hardware (bar the CPU) and emulates a CPU running in protected
mode by trapping various calls. Fairly slow.

Wine: attempts to map Win32 functions to their X/Linux equivalent. Fairly
fast as it does minimal CPU emulation (it does some because not all registers
are available in user space under Linux)

Win4Lin: provides a set of drivers so that Windows ends up accessing a 
standard X screen/keyboard/mouse. CPU stuff isn't touched; probably
in between Wine and VMWare in terms of speed.

> I have reviewed Win4Lin, though not inlight of VMWare and Wine:
> http://www.linuxworld.com.au/article.php3?tid=8&aid=5

Interesting, thanks for URL.

I think though that if Win4Lin provides .rpm and .deb most people
would say it is a fairly advanced install. I am not sure that providing
a tar file of binaries really buys you anything.

With a .rpm and .deb you can at least ensure they have installed any
dependant programs, etc.

The second disadvantage, SysV startup script assumed, is probably an
advantage. I think only Slackware provides the BSD startup mechanism
(though if you really want to go it alone, you can do the same in 
every distribution). Being able to tell people /etc/init.d/<foo> <command>
is nice and simple.

Cheers,
Anand
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