Run Windows program without installing OS

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fuelie
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Run Windows program without installing OS

Post by fuelie »

I am new to virtualization software, and just downloaded 3.0.2 VirtualBox to look at it. I believe there are 2 other commercial virtualization products. Apparently all 3 require one to install Windows to run a Windows program on an Apple computer. That requires the necessity to install frequent security updates and install good anti-virus software.

I suggest the VirtualBox developers find a way to allow users to run Windows programs on an Apple computer without installing the Windows OS. That way, there should be no need to install patches constantly and install good AV software.

Maybe this is not a virtualbox design issue but an Apple MAC OS X issue.

Impossible you say? Nothing is impossible when creative human minds get together. Maybe a new universal OS needs to be designed to run all programs regardless of the OS on which they were designed. If a blu-ray player can be designed to play blu-ray, DVD, CD, and other audio-video formats, why can't an OS be designed to run programs created in multiple OS's?
MKhaos7
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Re: Run Windows program without installing OS

Post by MKhaos7 »

fuelie wrote:Impossible you say? Nothing is impossible when creative human minds get together. Maybe a new universal OS needs to be designed to run all programs regardless of the OS on which they were designed. If a blu-ray player can be designed to play blu-ray, DVD, CD, and other audio-video formats, why can't an OS be designed to run programs created in multiple OS's?
Because CD, DVD and Blue-ray are much simpler than full fledget OSes.

Anyway... what you want is not and will never be the design of ANY virtualization software (VirtualBox included).
What you want is called Wine (http://www.winehq.org). This allows SOME Windows programs to work on a *NIX environment without the need to install a full windows OS.
vbox4me2
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Re: Run Windows program without installing OS

Post by vbox4me2 »

fuelie wrote:why can't an OS be designed to run programs created in multiple OS's?
Sure this can be done, but thats not the point of VBox. I'd suggest you download gcc and write/compile a few example programs, then learn how dependecies work and why they are there. After that I'm sure you will find your suggestion a bit weird.
mcp
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Re: Run Windows program without installing OS

Post by mcp »

fuelie wrote:I am new to virtualization software
This is very apparent
fuelie wrote:That way, there should be no need to install patches constantly and install good AV software.
I suggest you turn off the Windows setting which allows automatic installation of updates. This is what I did.

As for needing AV software that should only be necessary if you allow Windows access to the internet. If you disable networking in VB's settings it won't be able to access it, so no worry with any viruses. Then just use the settings to allow access to the drives on you machine and you should be good to go.

MCP
HolgerB
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Re: Run Windows program without installing OS

Post by HolgerB »

Hi there,

where can I start:
I am new to virtualization software, and just downloaded 3.0.2 VirtualBox to look at it. I believe there are 2 other commercial virtualization products. Apparently all 3 require one to install Windows to run a Windows program on an Apple computer. That requires the necessity to install frequent security updates and install good anti-virus software.
Yes, it is very visible that you are new to virtualisation software. There are at least four other VM solutions for x86 based PCs I am aware of.
Ok, in the first place Windows is required to run a Windows program. Dooooh....that is something new.
Similar to gas is required to drive a regular car :)

If you dislike using Windows as "guest OS" to run Windows applications then you might want to look for Codeweavers CrossOffice for the Mac (it´s a Wine port).
Windows guest do not require frequent security updates. Only a good (and free ?) virus scanner might be used. I´m still using WinXP SP2 with some patches here behind a router with free antivir software and never experienced any issues.
I suggest the VirtualBox developers find a way to allow users to run Windows programs on an Apple computer without installing the Windows OS. That way, there should be no need to install patches constantly and install good AV software.
Why should VBox developers find a way to run Windows under apple without installing Windows ? Hey, they are making a virtualisation software. This means running other guest OS under a very different host OS. Try to get a better understanding what virtualisation is used for. Otherwise try out Parallels Workstation for the Mac (which requires Windows in a VM similar to VBox).
Maybe this is not a virtualbox design issue but an Apple MAC OS X issue.
Ever heared about PEBCAK ?
It´s more a problem of MacOS not being able to run Windows apps :)
But that is what virtualisation is good for.
Impossible you say? Nothing is impossible when creative human minds get together. Maybe a new universal OS needs to be designed to run all programs regardless of the OS on which they were designed. If a blu-ray player can be designed to play blu-ray, DVD, CD, and other audio-video formats, why can't an OS be designed to run programs created in multiple OS's?
May be you should get rid of MacOS and try out Linux ?

Just my 2 cents,
Holger
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Re: Run Windows program without installing OS

Post by Entegy »

Geez, I hope your Mac is fully updated. Software Update=Windows Update. They do the same thing to the OS.

Microsoft releases security patches once a month. if you leave automatic updates to auto-install, you'll never be bothered.

Also, you don't NEED an antivirus. If you just want to run a Windows program, just run that program and disable all the network adapters. You can't get viruses/spyware if all you're doing is running a single program locally.
klingoncowboy4
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Re: Run Windows program without installing OS

Post by klingoncowboy4 »

fuelie wrote:I am new to virtualization software, and just downloaded 3.0.2 VirtualBox to look at it. I believe there are 2 other commercial virtualization products.
Actually there are a large variety of VM Products out there.
fuelie wrote:Apparently all 3 require one to install Windows to run a Windows program on an Apple computer...

I suggest the VirtualBox developers find a way to allow users to run Windows programs on an Apple computer without installing the Windows OS....

Maybe this is not a virtualbox design issue but an Apple MAC OS X issue.
What you are looking for is something like WINE which adds a layer so windows APIs will run in Linux. A quick look on their website reveals that although OSX has a Unix Kernal there is no official release of WINE for it. Although similar in result (if all you are interested in is running windows app on a non windows os) WINE and VirtualBox are completely different in their function.
fuelie wrote: Maybe a new universal OS needs to be designed to run all programs regardless of the OS on which they were designed. If a blu-ray player can be designed to play blu-ray, DVD, CD, and other audio-video formats, why can't an OS be designed to run programs created in multiple OS's?
That has been the pipe dream of many a developer for many many many years. It cannot be done. The world of computing stretches far beyond that of the consumer based Mac/Windows/Linux view. There is a need for specialty OSs for embedded devices, or servers. A workstation, a gamer computer, a server, and an embedded device all are doing radically different things and to ask for one OS to be able to handle all of them is insane. All it would do is make that OS less than capable of handling all of those tasks.

There are also many many many hardware platforms beyond the Intel X86 and the X64 line. Different hardware platforms require different OSs to work properly. Part of the beauty of tools like VirtualBox is it opens you to the big wide world of OSs that are out there (even if they are only limited to the X86/X64 platforms).
klingoncowboy4
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Re: Run Windows program without installing OS

Post by klingoncowboy4 »

I found an official page of using WINE in MacOSX, basically if you want it you will need to build it from the source. The website does provide detailed instructions on doing this.
fuelie
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Re: Run Windows program without installing OS

Post by fuelie »

Gee Guys, Mahalo Nui Loa ( Thanks Very Much in Hawaiian ) for all your responses.

I checked out Wine and its variants, Darwine, Crossover by Codeweavers, and even a new one, Bordeaux. It looks like Wine has a future. My main issue has been running Windows apps on a MAC, and Wine may be my answer. No Windows OS needed. Cool! I'm glad to hear about the ways to run Windows on a MAC without exposing it to the Internet or worrying about constantly installing patches or adding strong AV software. I couldn't get Darwine to work, but Crossover did work. I'm all for ridding the world of Windows and using UNIX in all its many forms, whether MAC OS X, Linux, Redhat, Ubuntu, Open Solaris, etc.

Malama Pono ( Take Care )
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Re: Run Windows program without installing OS

Post by Entegy »

Again, every OS needs patches. Both Microsoft and Apple as well as Linux distro maintainers all release patches on a regular basis and I really hope your Mac is fully updated, even if you don't like the idea of applying updates.

And again, if none of these compatibility layers work for you, you can always install Windows in VirtualBox and disable the network adapters in the virtual machine, which would mean the only viruses you would get is if you brought in a program that already had one.
stefan.becker
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Re: Run Windows program without installing OS

Post by stefan.becker »

The chance, that all of the wine* versions are not working, is higher than the chance one is working.

Some popular apps like MS Office or Photoshop work, some games too. But mostly windows apps doesnt work with wine. And have a look at .Net and other trends, wine has no future. The development is too slow to have the same as ms offers.
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