[HOWTO] coLinux - running Linux in Windows

1,348 · January 26, 2005

There have been several requests for information on how to run coLinux (including by myself), and it seemed useful to me to write a little guide.

It's a work in progress, as still haven't gotten everything running ;-)

1. Get the necessary files (www.colinux.org ==> go to downloads).

2. Run the installer (just go through the installation, and select the Debian or the Gentoo file). I installed everything to c:\coLinux , and will refer to it as if you do it the same way.

3. Decompress the Debian or Gentoo image. (It'll look something like gentoo-i586-ext3-2g-deluxe or Debian-3.0r0.ext3.1gb .) You can use WinRAR for this.

4. Decompress vmlinux-modules (use WinRAR again).

5. Open default.colinux.xml in Notepad.

You'll see several parts that need to be adapted.

My file looks like this:

&lt;?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?&gt;
&lt;colinux&gt;
    &lt;block_device index="0" path="\DosDevices\C:\coLinux\Debian-3.0r0.ext3.1gb" enabled="true"/&gt;
    &lt;block_device index="1" path="\DosDevices\c:\coLinux\swap_256Mb" enabled="true"/&gt;
    &lt;bootparams&gt;root=/dev/cobd0&lt;/bootparams&gt;
    &lt;image path="vmlinux"/&gt;
    &lt;memory size="64"/&gt;
    &lt;network index="0" type="tap" name="TAP"/&gt;
&lt;/colinux&gt;

    &lt;block_device index="0" path="\DosDevices\C:\coLinux\Debian-3.0r0.ext3.1gb" enabled="true"/&gt;

This part links to the image file (in this case the Debian file). It needs to point to the correct directory, so make sure not to make any mistakes!

    &lt;block_device index="1" path="\DosDevices\c:\coLinux\swap_256Mb" enabled="true"/&gt;

This part points to the swap file. A swap file is optional.

If you don't want to use it, change "true" to "false".

If you do want to use a swap-file, download one from this location and uncompress it (and make sure the directory is displayed correctly in default.colinux.xml!).

    &lt;memory size="64"/&gt;

This is the last important part of the file. Don't use too much of the memory, or your computer can slow down. Don't use too little, or Linux won't run well. 64 Mb should do well, if you're not running anything like KDE or Gnome.

Save default.colinux.xml and close it.

6. In the Windows Start Menu, search for the 'File Prompt' (good old DOS), and start it.

Type

cd c:\colinux

You are now in the correct directory.

7. Type

colinux-daemon.exe -c default.colinux.xml

This will start the colinux-daemon.exe file, using the defaults chosen in default.colinux.xml.

8. You're running Linux in Windows! Next part: going graphical!

So, how does my explanation look?

edit 1: changed part 7

Edited January 26, 2005 by Mathiasdm

25,201 · January 26, 2005

Looks pretty darn good! :)

Let me move this to the HOWTO & FAQ section. :yes:

* thread moved *

4,096 · January 26, 2005

yes ... seriously... darn good... Mathais... can u add some screenshots to make it more appetising for me ... i am starting to dig this concept slowly.

1,348 · January 26, 2005

Thanks, guys :D

Well, I'm not going to add screenshots yet. Maybe once I get the GUI working (might take me a little longer).

I didn't post this thread in the FAQ section, since it seemed unfinished to me.

But then again, you CAN use Linux already :p

25,201 · January 26, 2005

I didn't post this thread in the FAQ section, since it seemed unfinished to me.
But then again, you CAN use Linux already :p

585363067[/snapback]

Don't get hung up on the word "completed" in the title of the section. This is Open Source, and everything is constantly fixed and improved by the community. :yes:

The "completed" was added to prevent people from posting new general questions in here, like "How do I do xxxxx in Slackware?".

8,141 · January 27, 2005

This the right place to ask for help? :p

I've installed it, with Gentoo, but how do I get it so I can access the internet, do I need to bridge the connections in XP?

1,348 · January 28, 2005

This the right place to ask for help? :p
I've installed it, with Gentoo, but how do I get it so I can access the internet, do I need to bridge the connections in XP?

585369011[/snapback]

I'm still working on that ;-)

I've tried several methods already, but I can't figure it out :blush:

Maybe take a look at this page: http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=1...ghlight=colinux

8,141 · January 29, 2005

Hmm...

It always seems to want to not bring eth0 up >_<

Edit: right, I can get eth0 up, but can't ping anything

Edited January 29, 2005 by M2Ys4U

1,348 · January 29, 2005

Hmm...
It always seems to want to not bring eth0 up >_<

Edit: right, I can get eth0 up, but can't ping anything

585378227[/snapback]

Well, if you get it running, can you post how you did it?

I'd help you, but I can't figure it out either :no:

8,141 · January 29, 2005

Yeah... if I can get it running, I'll tell you

8,141 · January 29, 2005

I can only get eth0 up my assigning it a statis IP address, otherwise it borks while trying to get one by DHCP

2,664 · February 6, 2005

sweet i was just about to post about problems i was having. this helped me fix the problem. their site sucks when it comes to explaining setup.

July 3, 2005

i installed it and have it running, but i cant log on...how do i set up logons?

July 3, 2005

i figured it out...its username:root & p/w:root

2,664 · July 5, 2005

tried this awhile ago. could never get it to work.

3,503 · July 5, 2005

Don't get hung up on the word "completed" in the title of the section. This is Open Source, and everything is constantly fixed and improved by the community. :yes:

585363098[/snapback]

Damn right mark! That coLinux thing sounds pretty cool, maybe a part on setting up Internet with the host (Windows)?

10,295 · July 5, 2005

when it asks to enter login and pass i can enter login but when i get to pass, it just wont let me type :s

3,663 · July 5, 2005

when it asks to enter login and pass i can enter login but when i get to pass, it just wont let me type :s

586166279[/snapback]

You do realize that there is no onscreen indicator as you type in the password, right? No characters, no asterisks, no nothing.

10,295 · July 5, 2005

yep just found out, sorry i am n00b to linux.. anywho here is my problem.. after i enter the login info.. it just sits there it does nothing.. is there somthing i have to type i have tried:

startx

kde

go

start

but it says "command not found"

3,663 · July 5, 2005

Well, what have you installed? You can only run what you've installed on it ;)

10,295 · July 5, 2005

ok here is what i did,

i downloaded it, i picked Gentoo, i then downloaded the images needed

then i went to the directory, opened the files that need extracting with winrar, extracted them to the colinux folder and the edited the xml file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<colinux>

<block_device index="0" path="\DosDevices\C:\Program Files\coLinux\Gentoo-colinux-stage3-x86-2004.3" enabled="true"/>

<bootparams>root=/dev/cobd0</bootparams>

<image path="vmlinux"/>

<memory size="256"/>

<network index="0" type="tap" name="TAP"/>

</colinux>

then i simply typed in dos: colinux-daemon.exe -c default.colinux.xml

then it asked for the login and pass typed that in.. and now i am sitting here waiting :s

3,663 · July 5, 2005

ok here is what i did,
i downloaded it, i picked Gentoo, i then downloaded the images needed

then i went to the directory, opened the files that need extracting with winrar, extracted them to the colinux folder and the edited the xml file:

then i simply typed in dos: colinux-daemon.exe -c default.colinux.xml

then it asked for the login and pass typed that in.. and now i am sitting here waiting :s

586166576[/snapback]

Now you have the base system. You have to specifically install stuff on it that you want. Gentoo is a somewhat advanced distro - it doesn't come with much more than the bare essentials to get the OS running by default, and then you go from there. If you want a pretty gui like kde or gnome, you'll have to install them yourself. I've never used colinux, nor did I read the docs, but you might be able to use "emerge sync" if you have network connectivity, and if that works then just start emerging whatever you want to run on it ;)

1,442 · July 5, 2005

4. Decompress vmlinux-modules (use WinRAR again).

585362659[/snapback]

Might be a dumb question, but where do I uncompress it to? I've got it running, but it gives me lots of errors due to missing modules and module cache.

13,692 · July 5, 2005

I got like 2 errors about symlinks or something when i extracted vmlinux-modules but it still worked.

I tried installing xorg and gnome with apt-get but it just dies when it tries to startx :pinch:

10,295 · July 6, 2005

please teach me to install this, as i said i am still a n00b

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