Wine

i understand this allows windows programs to run on linux by creating a fake drive. now, does this mean windows viruses could run on here? any chance of damage? my guess is that it would not be able to cause any linux system damage, but may be able to mes the fake drive up? or am i talking absolute rubbish?

i understand this allows windows programs to run on linux by creating a fake drive. now, does this mean windows viruses could run on here? any chance of damage? my guess is that it would not be able to cause any linux system damage, but may be able to mes the fake drive up? or am i talking absolute rubbish?[/b]

I recall, a few years back, of reading a web article by a keen Linux user, who tried to run a number of the more potent MS-Windows virus under Linux (using MS-Windows applications under wine), to see if he could get any to run under wine. Everyone but one failed to run. Some of the time the problem was associated with a failure of the virus to work with the non-existent Linux registry. He did manage to get one (out of a dozen or more) virus to run, but even the one he managed to get to run could not propagate (as Linux was too different, and there were permissions difficulties in propagating), and also this virus he managed to get to run was unable to do anything outside of the wine "environment", basically rendering the virus to be non-functional in terms of its speculated planned function.

It was a humorous read, and I never kept the link.

I recall, a few years back, of reading a web article by a keen Linux user, who tried to run a number of the more potent MS-Windows virus under Linux (using MS-Windows applications under wine), to see if he could get any to run under wine. Everyone but one failed to run. Some of the time the problem was associated with a failure of the virus to work with the non-existent Linux registry. He did manage to get one (out of a dozen or more) virus to run, but even the one he managed to get to run could not propagate (as Linux was too different, and there were permissions difficulties in propagating), and also this virus he managed to get to run was unable to do anything outside of the wine "environment", basically rendering the virus to be non-functional in terms of its speculated planned function.

It was a humorous read, and I never kept the link.
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so it's pretty safe to say that no system damage to my linux machine could be done? i have yet to install wine because i'm gathering it needs root permissions, and that made me worry slightly as therefore a program could have access to system files. but it seems that any damage done would be only to wine, which i could uninstall and reinstall if anything bad was done? how easy to use is wine? and what determines what windows programs can and can't run? for instance i have heard some programs work, and some don't, why is this?

ross.

i have yet to install wine because i'm gathering it needs root permissions, and that made me worry slightly as therefore a program could have access to system files.[/b]

Most linux programs are installed with root permissions. But when you run an application with wine, you run it NOT with root, but with regular user permissions.

So I don't see your "root permission" point. Wine is NOT typically run with root permissions, and its the execution environment (not the install environment) that is important here.

Now users who routinely login as root and do things such as running wine (and other Linux applications) are simply begging to be hacked. And if their PC is on the internet they are a menace to the rest of the internet. Clearly you can see that this (the silliness of logging in as root) is a pet peeve of mine.

i but it seems that any damage done would be only to wine, which i could uninstall and reinstall if anything bad was done?[/b]

A moderate degree of caution, conservatism, and prudence is smart, but IMHO you have given way too much concern and credence about this viral possibility. ... and I mean way too much, credence to the possibility that an virus infected application running under wine can be bad (to the linux user space environment). I think my previous post should have made that clear. Like I noted in my previous post, the article (with a test report) was very humorous, as not one major MS-Windows viral application could be found that did its full function properly under wine.

how easy to use is wine? [/b]

this depends on the MS-Windows application you want to run. Some are as easy as typing: wine application-name.exe

For example, the ONLY application I run under wine is an image panoramic stitch program that the coders refuse to release a Linux version for, because it runs so well under wine. This application is called autostitch. To run it, I type in a konsole: wine autostitch.exe
Thats it. Thats all (for that simple application). Other more complex applications require configuration file tweaking, etc ... and even then many won't run.

and what determines what windows programs can and can't run? for instance i have heard some programs work, and some don't, why is this?[/b]

I think if you wish to get an answer to this, then you are best to go to wineHQ and look at their database of applications (running under wine). http://www.winehq.org/

I do not know if this article is to be found back easily, but using the words 'linux wine virus' in google do proivide you with some interesting and amusing reading :lol: .

I do not know if this article is to be found back easily, but using the words 'linux wine virus' in google do proivide you with some interesting and amusing reading :lol: .
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haha, reading a few articles has pretty much assured me that using wine is fine (no, that wasn't intended to rhyme). and i thought anyway, as long as i only run programs i know to work fine on windows then there will be no problem... it's not as if a virus will dl itself and magically type 'wine virus.exe' or whatever in the command line is it.

thanks guys. i am now using wine with 2 of my most needed windows applications. the only 2 things i need to use windows for now are updating 2 of my gps units