How to Emulate Windows on Linux
Open-source may be the “in” thing for many computer users, but most people who are used to Microsoft Windows may still be tentative to use it, or do not have enough knowledge or skills to handle the different commands used in operating systems like Linux. Some people may still need the functionality and versatility of many programs developed by the Windows operating system. Here are some ways to emulate Windows on a computer system powered by Linux.
Why Emulate?
Emulation is a computing technique where many elements - which may include visual and programming elements - of an operating system or a program is applied to another platform. A popular example of emulation can be found in computer games, where consoles and hand-helds like the PlayStation and the GameBoy Advance are emulated in personal computers to run ROM games or directly from PS CDs. Emulation allows you to keep the features and functionality you have from one operating system, and achieve a similar effect in the computer.
Aesthetic Emulation
One way to emulate Windows is to change the way Linux operates by changing the desktop environment. Some Linux distributions offer or support the K Desktop Environment (KDE), which is a graphical user interface that shares more in common with Microsoft Windows than the GNOME Desktop Environment found default in many distributions. You can even find packages that applies visual themes and cues that set KDE to look and work exactly like Windows.
System Emulation
System emulation assumes that you have both Microsoft Windows and a distribution of Linux installed on a single machine. There are two ways to emulate Windows on this level:
VMWare. VMWare is a program that allows Linux and Windows to be ran concurrently, or at the same time, on a single machine. The method is often referred to as a “virtual machine.” It is not exactly “emulation,” since both systems are running on the computer at any given time. VMWare then acts as a mediator between two operating systems by allocating system resources between each OS as they run. Virtual machines are great for programmers and developers who want to check code and protocols between two different systems.
Win4Lin. Win4Lin runs Windows on top of Linux, and creates a platform to emulate Windows based on the resources you have on your system. While the resources and speed of the emulated Windows environment may be significantly reduced because of the way Linux is configured to run for low-end systems, Win4Lin allows you to switch platforms very conveniently.
****. Unlike VMWare and Win4Lin, **** is an all-UNIX system that emulates the protocols that makes up Windows. The program detects a library (DLL) system in **** that it recognizes as Windows, and runs the program as if it were Windows. The emulation is not as perfect as VMWare or Win4Lin, but it is quite effective if you want a quick (but modified) install of a Windows program on a Linux platform.
Emulation may not be recommended for some users, but it allows you to manipulate and control Windows programs on the fly if you’re running Linux, or you’re booted into a Linux system. With a bit of configuration, you can run some of the most useful programs in Windows without ever having to leave the Linux platform.