Win4Lin
Encyclopedia
Win4Lin was a proprietary
software application for Linux
which allowed users to run a copy of Microsoft Windows
95
, 98
, Me
, 2000
or XP
applications on their Linux
desktop.
, in that it provides an environment for the Windows operating system to run, and as such one must have a copy of Windows to use with it.
The Win4Lin application in essence displayed a window on a Linux desktop which contained the Windows desktop environment. As an alternative, the Windows environment could be run full screen, outside of the desktop environment to save on desktop real estate.
Win4Lin was designed with business users in mind, and as such, did not support features such as MIDI, in favor of support for Microsoft Office
-style application compatibility.
software developed by engineers at Locus Computing Corporation
, founded by Gerald J. Popek
and others in 1982, which was later taken over by a company called Platinum Technology
. 'Merge' was originally developed to run DOS
/Windows 3.1 under UNIX System V Release 2 on an AT&T 6300+ personal computer that contained an Intel 80286
processor. AT&T announced availability on October 9, 1985, referring to the bundled Merge software as SimulTask. Later Merge was enhanced to make use of the VM86 mode
provided by the Intel 80386
processor; that version was offered with Microport
SVR3 starting in 1987, and subsequently with SCO Unix
.
The Merge technology was then bought by a company called DASCOM
which was in turn bought by IBM
. A company called TreLOS was then spun off that continued the development of the virtual machine software and created Win4Lin. TreLOS and LastFoot.com merged in 2000 to form NeTraverse, Inc.
In early 2005 the assets of NeTraverse were purchased to form Win4Lin Inc. which introduced Win4Lin Pro Desktop - this was based on a 'tuned' version of QEMU
, and KQEMU and it hosted [Windows NT]-versions of Windows. In June 2006, Win4Lin released Win4VDI for Linux based on the same code base. Win4VDI for Linux served Microsoft Windows desktops to thin clients from a Linux server.
Win4Lin Pro used "full" virtualization, whereas Win4Lin 9x was an example of paravirtualization
. Many users reported that the 9x version ran windows software at near-native speed, even on quite low-powered machines, such as Pentium-IIs.
Virtual Bridges discontinued support for Win4Lin 9x in 2007. The product Win4Lin Pro Desktop, itself, ceased to be supported in March 2010. Virtual Bridges now sells a VDI product, VERDE with antecedents in Win4VDI for Linux.
Proprietary software
Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary...
software application for Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
which allowed users to run a copy of Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
95
Windows 95
Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...
, 98
Windows 98
Windows 98 is a graphical operating system by Microsoft. It is the second major release in the Windows 9x line of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on 15 May 1998 and to retail on 25 June 1998. Windows 98 is the successor to Windows 95. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid...
, Me
Windows Me
Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows Me , is a graphical operating system released on September 14, 2000 by Microsoft, and was the last operating system released in the Windows 9x series. Support for Windows Me ended on July 11, 2006....
, 2000
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...
or XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
applications on their Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
desktop.
Overview
The system worked by acting in a similar way to a virtual machineVirtual machine
A virtual machine is a "completely isolated guest operating system installation within a normal host operating system". Modern virtual machines are implemented with either software emulation or hardware virtualization or both together.-VM Definitions:A virtual machine is a software...
, in that it provides an environment for the Windows operating system to run, and as such one must have a copy of Windows to use with it.
The Win4Lin application in essence displayed a window on a Linux desktop which contained the Windows desktop environment. As an alternative, the Windows environment could be run full screen, outside of the desktop environment to save on desktop real estate.
Win4Lin was designed with business users in mind, and as such, did not support features such as MIDI, in favor of support for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office is a non-free commercial office suite of inter-related desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in August 1, 1989. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of...
-style application compatibility.
History
Win4Lin was based on MergeMerge (software)
Merge is a software system which allows a user to run DOS/Windows 3.1 on SCO UNIX, in an 8086 virtual machine.Merge was originally developed to run DOS under UNIX System V Release 2 on an AT&T 6300+ personal computer...
software developed by engineers at Locus Computing Corporation
Locus Computing Corporation
Locus Computing Corporation was formed in 1982 by Gerald J. Popekto commercialize the technologies developed for the LOCUS distributed operating system at UCLA...
, founded by Gerald J. Popek
Gerald J. Popek
Gerald John "Jerry" Popek was an American computer scientist, known for his research on operating systems and virtualization.With Robert P...
and others in 1982, which was later taken over by a company called Platinum Technology
Platinum Technology
Platinum Technology Inc. was founded by Andrew Filipowski in 1987 to market and support deployment of database management software products and the applications enabled by database management technology and render related services...
. 'Merge' was originally developed to run DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
/Windows 3.1 under UNIX System V Release 2 on an AT&T 6300+ personal computer that contained an Intel 80286
Intel 80286
The Intel 80286 , introduced on 1 February 1982, was a 16-bit x86 microprocessor with 134,000 transistors. Like its contemporary simpler cousin, the 80186, it could correctly execute most software written for the earlier Intel 8086 and 8088...
processor. AT&T announced availability on October 9, 1985, referring to the bundled Merge software as SimulTask. Later Merge was enhanced to make use of the VM86 mode
Virtual 8086 mode
In the 80386 microprocessor and later, virtual 8086 mode allows the execution of real mode applications that are incapable of running directly in protected mode while the processor is running a protected mode operating system.VM86 mode uses a segmentation scheme identical to that of real mode In...
provided by the Intel 80386
Intel 80386
The Intel 80386, also known as the i386, or just 386, was a 32-bit microprocessor introduced by Intel in 1985. The first versions had 275,000 transistors and were used as the central processing unit of many workstations and high-end personal computers of the time...
processor; that version was offered with Microport
Microport
Microport created the first version of AT&T UNIX System V for the IBM 286 and 386 Personal Computers, as well as IBM's PS/2 systems...
SVR3 starting in 1987, and subsequently with SCO Unix
SCO Group
TSG Group, Inc. is a software company formerly called The SCO Group, Caldera Systems, and Caldera International. After acquiring the Santa Cruz Operation's Server Software and Services divisions, as well as UnixWare and OpenServer technologies, the company changed its focus to UNIX...
.
The Merge technology was then bought by a company called DASCOM
DASCOM
The DASCOM group was founded 1988 and is established in Hong Kong. In June 2009, DASCOM acquired the key assets of TallyGenicom AG and TallyGenicom Computerdrucker GmbH in order to establish its European operation, which is named DASCOM Europe...
which was in turn bought by IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
. A company called TreLOS was then spun off that continued the development of the virtual machine software and created Win4Lin. TreLOS and LastFoot.com merged in 2000 to form NeTraverse, Inc.
In early 2005 the assets of NeTraverse were purchased to form Win4Lin Inc. which introduced Win4Lin Pro Desktop - this was based on a 'tuned' version of QEMU
QEMU
QEMU is a processor emulator that relies on dynamic binary translation to achieve a reasonable speed while being easy to port on new host CPU architectures....
, and KQEMU and it hosted [Windows NT]-versions of Windows. In June 2006, Win4Lin released Win4VDI for Linux based on the same code base. Win4VDI for Linux served Microsoft Windows desktops to thin clients from a Linux server.
Win4Lin Pro used "full" virtualization, whereas Win4Lin 9x was an example of paravirtualization
Paravirtualization
In computing, paravirtualization is a virtualization technique that presents a software interface to virtual machines that is similar but not identical to that of the underlying hardware....
. Many users reported that the 9x version ran windows software at near-native speed, even on quite low-powered machines, such as Pentium-IIs.
Virtual Bridges discontinued support for Win4Lin 9x in 2007. The product Win4Lin Pro Desktop, itself, ceased to be supported in March 2010. Virtual Bridges now sells a VDI product, VERDE with antecedents in Win4VDI for Linux.
See also
- Comparison of platform virtual machines for a list of related virtualization software products
- Popek and Goldberg virtualization requirementsPopek and Goldberg virtualization requirementsThe Popek and Goldberg virtualization requirements are a set of conditions sufficient for a computer architecture to support system virtualization efficiently. They were introduced by Gerald J. Popek and Robert P. Goldberg in their 1974 article "Formal Requirements for Virtualizable Third...
- x86 virtualizationX86 virtualizationIn computing, x86 virtualization is the facility that allows multiple operating systems to simultaneously share x86 processor resources in a safe and efficient manner, a facility generically known as hardware virtualization...