Ubuntu 12.04 and Windows XP ? The Best of Both Worlds

It's only been a few days since I started ditching Windows for Linux and I'm loving it. I'm using Ubuntu 12.04 LTS as the host operating system and Windows XP from within VirtualBox.

Happy to be Wrong

All of the things I did to prepare was a good idea except for one and that's only because I didn't know in advance that my Logitech USB headset's microphone would actually work. I had gone out and bought a PC mike to set on the desk just in case. It cost me a whole 150 pesos (a little over $3.50), the same amount I spent on my last cup of coffee at Starbucks.

The last time I tried to do the Ubuntu thing, I ended up going back to Windows XP because having the audio working correctly in Skype was absolutely required. I can happily say I now have a backup of my "old" system on an external hard drive that I'll probably never need.

Installing Ubuntu

The CDs I'd burned for everything were bad for whatever reason. It happens ? some blanks work well and others don't. I ended up creating a bootable USB stick on Windows on my old 2 GB USB flash disk. I don't remember how long it took, but it was less than 30 minutes and that included downloading update files during the installation.

The Unity interface took a little getting used to, but not more than an hour or so. I had to figure out how to unlock and remove what I didn't need and then add and lock what I needed that didn't have a launcher. Confusing at first and simple once I got the hang of it.

Installing Skype

I downloaded and installed the package directly from Skype. Double-clicking on it from the download box brought up the Ubuntu Software Center and the installation completed in short order.

Audio worked instantly when I tested it, but I had a problem with the video from my Logitech webcam. I found instructions on the web on exactly how to make that work. All I had to do was create a text file with

#! /bin/sh
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libv4l/v4l1compat.so /usr/bin/skype

and move it to /usr/local/bin (with the name of "skype-cam-fix") and then edit the properties of the launcher with the "Main Menu" package to run it as "skype-cam-fix" instead of just "skype".

Installing VirtualBox

I downloaded the latest version and the extensions from Oracle's VirtualBox website, installed VirtualBox and then installed the extensions using VirtualBox. After I created the Windows XP virtual machine and installed Windows XP on it, I found that I did not need the guest additions. I don't know if it's a bug or not, but it's a good bug if it is.

Everything within VirtualBox worked well and the only issue I had was having it recognize my USB drives.

Installing Windows XP in VirtualBox

The installation worked like any other installation, but within the VirtualBox interface. The first thing I did was to use Microsoft Update to update the software and then I optimized the drive using CCleaner and MyDefrag. I removed the paging file before defragmenting and put it back in place afterwards.

Since VirtualBox didn't want to recognize my USB drives, I fired up Internet Explorer, downloaded the Dropbox software and intalled Dropbox. I then set up Dropbox on my Ubuntu installation. I copied the software files I needed to Dropbox from within Ubuntu and then copied them from Dropbox from within the Windows virtual machine.

I wish I didn't need to use Windows at all, but there are software products that I need to use that aren't designed for anything but Windows. The software I used to prepare my tax return every year is one of them. Needless to say, I will rarely be using Windows for anything (probably just during tax season every year).

Linux Versions of Windows Software

I can honestly say, right here and right now, that I'll never be going back to Windows as my primary operating system. Here's a list of the Windows software I replaced with Linux software:

• Skype ? Skype
• Firefox ? Firefox
• Google Chrome ? Google Chrome
• FileZilla ? FileZilla
• PuTTY ? a custom launcher using Expect
• Microsoft Word and LibreOffice Writer ? LibreOffice Writer
• Microsoft Excel ? LibreOffice Calc
• ?Torrent ? qBittorent
• UltraEdit ? Geany

As you can see, most of the Windows software products have Linux versions. Skype for Linux won't store phone numbers, however, so I have to either memorize them or keep them listed in a text file (I prefer the latter). I can't use Pageant with PuTTY because there isn't a Linux version of Pageant. I have to do my SSH logins the hard way until I figure out how to do it automatically.

The Best of Both Worlds

I hope that it will be one world eventually, but I won't hold my breath. Windows is the most widely supported operating system on the planet and that's how many developers earn their living. The number of developers for Linux who actually make money by focusing on Linux alone is going to a minuscule fraction of the number of developers who make money by focusing on Windows exclusively, even when developing for Linux in their spare time.

The Windows XP extended support end date is August 4, 2014 (giving dedicated Windows users time to upgrade to Windows 7 or beyond) and the long term support for this version of Linux ends in 2017. I'll probably be doing my taxes, as well as a bunch of other things, on the web by then.

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