Linux on an unmodified Windows 2000/XP

[Gordon Darling]

http://lkml.org/lkml/2004/1/25/96

Date Sun, 25 Jan 2004 21:35:18 +0200
From Dan Aloni <>
Subject [ANNOUNCE] Cooperative Linux
Hello fellow developers, kernel hackers, and open source contributors,
Cooperative Linux is a port of the Linux kernel which allows it to run
cooperatively under other operating systems in ring0 without hardware
emulation, based on very minimal changes in the architecture dependent
code and almost no changes in functionality. The bottom line is that it
allows us to run Linux on an unmodified Windows 2000/XP system in a
practical way (the user just launches an app), and it may eventually bring
Linux to a large sector of desktop computer users who wouldn't even care
about trying to install a dual boot system or boot a Linux live CD (like
Knoppix). Screen-shots and further details at:

http://www.colinux.org

Our motto is:

"If Linux runs on every architecture, why should another operating system
be in its way?"

coLinux is similar to plex86 in a way that it implements a Linux-specific
lightweight VM with I/O virtualization. However, it is designed to be
mostly host-OS independent, so that with minimal porting efforts it would
be possible to run it under Solaris, Linux itself, or any operating system
that supports loading kernel drivers, under any architecture that uses an
MMU. Unlike other virtualization methods, it doesn't base its
implementation on exceptions that are caused by instructions. Cooperative
Linux is like the kernel mode equivalent of User Mode Linux. It relies on
the host OS kernel-space interfaces rather than relying on host OS
user-space interfaces.

Currently, it is stable enough (on some common hardware configurations)
for running a fully functional KNOPPIX/Debian system on Windows (see
website screen-shots).

Another project close to achieving that goal is the Windows port of User
Mode Linux (http://umlwin32.sf.net).

Project page:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/colinux

Thank you for your time,

- The coLinux development team.

This Open Source project is sponsored and produced by AIST, 2004
http://www.aist.go.jp/

Regards
Gordon

 

[Bernd Schmitt]

Gordon Darling was another time to fast for me ... are you REAL?
You are serving a brilliant job, please send me your sources.

in awe
Bernd

 

[Bernd Schmitt]

too fast
too fast
too fast
too fast

Isn't there any freeware for that? Yes I know, I have to update my
mozilla to get spell-checking ;-/

Ciao
Bernd

 

[Gordon Darling]

Gordon Darling was another time to fast for me ... are you REAL?
You are serving a brilliant job, please send me your sources.

in awe
Bernd

I just do a lot of reading!! Slashdot, etc

I watch news.freshmeat.announce as well (also carried as
freshmeat.announce on the uni.berlin - freenet server)

Regards
Gordon

 

[Richard Steven Hack]

Cooperative Linux is a port of the Linux kernel which allows it to run
cooperatively under other operating systems in ring0 without hardware
emulation, based on very minimal changes in the architecture dependent
code and almost no changes in functionality. The bottom line is that it
allows us to run Linux on an unmodified Windows 2000/XP system in a
practical way (the user just launches an app), and it may eventually bring
Linux to a large sector of desktop computer users who wouldn't even care
about trying to install a dual boot system or boot a Linux live CD (like
Knoppix). Screen-shots and further details at:

http://www.colinux.org

I too read about this one on Slashdot and was amazed at the technical
achievement here. They're running TWO OS's in ring 0! That would
normally be like two bulls in a china shop.

From their site, it doesn't look like this is perfected yet, but that
it works at all just amazes me. And I thought User Mode Linux (the
hack that lets you run a Linux kernel on top of another Linux kernel)
was a cool - if somewhat limited usefulness, except for kernel
development and security apps - hack.

Definitely a project to watch.

 

[Roger Johansson]

From their site, it doesn't look like this is perfected yet, but that
it works at all just amazes me. And I thought User Mode Linux (the
hack that lets you run a Linux kernel on top of another Linux kernel)
was a cool - if somewhat limited usefulness, except for kernel
development and security apps - hack.

A coexistence of two operating systems must, in the end, involve a fast
change of a lot of things. The windows kernel must stop controlling the
processor and the linux kernel must take over, installing its own routines.

When command returns to windows the linux kernel must stop working, its
routines must be removed from RAM memory to free it up for the linux
routines.

This can be done quickly, in half a second or faster, but in the end you
have to face the fact that the two operating systems cannot work
simultaneously, occupying the same RAM memory, at the same time, without
losing a lot of performance and speed.