Run Windows Apps 100% Seamlessly on Ubuntu!

Author: Rami Taibah

I know that most of us Linux user usually cringe whenever we need to *god forbid* use a Microsoft WIndows machine. So we created applications like Wine in an effort minimize the contact with that horrid machine. With Wine a big percentage of Windows only apps could run on Linux, which more or less takes Windows out of the equation and lets us interact directly with our favorite App. Another solution of course would be installing Windows on a virtual machine.

But running an app on a virtual machine doesn’t eliminate Windows from the equation. Right? So I will show you now how to run Windows apps 100% seamlessly on Ubuntu. You know something like this:

Tools

1. Windows installed on Vmware. ( I assume you have one or know how to create one)
2. rdesktop, you can grab that from apt-get or directly download it from their site
3. SeamlessRDP, download it an extract it in your Windows VM in c:/seamless

What to do:

In Windows VM

1. In the Windows VM, get the local IP address of that machine using the Ipconfig command in DOS.
2. Also give that machine a static IP (Not DHCP). This will help you later when invoking the launch command, you won’t need to change the IP everytime
3. Create a new Windows admin user, let’s call it Linux for now (Password:123123)
4. Finally, we want to make Windows launch without a Desktop. So launch your registry editor (regedit in run) and navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> Policies -> Explorer. Once there create a new DWORD entry and call it “NoDesktop” and then change it’s value to 1.

On Ubuntu Linux

Right click on your desktop and choose “create launcher”. In type, keep it as is (application), for name name it whatever you please (I named it Windows-VM), and in command type in “rdesktop -A -s ‘c:\seamless\seamlessrdpshell.exe c:\windows\explorer.exe’ 192.168.1.104 -u linux -p 123123?. Of course you will need to change the IP to your IP and the password (123123) to whatever password you chose. Thats it! Double click on the launcher and you will shortly get a the Windows taskbar on the bottom. Of course if you want to totally get rid of MS nuisance, just enable the autohide option

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The Jaunty Jackalope Hops Aboard Ubuntu’s Ark

By Ashlee Vance

Microsoft has spent years battling an Apple. Now it must go up against a Jaunty Jackalope as well.

The Jaunty Jackalope moniker is the latest animal-themed name used by Canonical, a maker of open source software, to describe an upcoming version of Ubuntu, its flavor of the Linux operating system. Other names used for previous releases of Ubuntu have included Hardy Heron, Dapper Drake and Breezy Badger. While the names may seem silly, they reflect part of the culture that has helped Ubuntu become a legitimate player in both the desktop and server operating system markets.

The geek elite use Linux, which is an operating system built with open source software that serves the same basic functions as Microsoft’s Windows or Apple’s Mac OS X. Of late, members of that geek elite have tended to choose Ubuntu as their favorite version of Linux. (There are hundreds, if not thousands, of variations on Linux, each with their own collections of applications and features.)

In December, Google will host a developer conference around Ubuntu at its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters. One of the main topics of discussion should be Jaunty Jackalope, which will likely ship next April in final form.

Canonical expects this version of the operating system to boast improvements in the speed at which the software boots up. “Let’s see if we can make booting or resuming Ubuntu blindingly quick,” wrote Canonical’s chief executive Mark Shuttleworth, in a note to developers.

In addition, Canonical plans on catering to the “cloud,” where users tap applications stored on central servers rather than firing up something like Microsoft Office right on their desktop. Shuttleworth was very vague about how Canonical intends to ride the cloud but said the company is after “weblications.”

The rabid interest in Ubuntu by both software developers and technology managers has helped the operating system come out of nowhere to rival long-standing Linux operating systems built by Red Hat and Novell.

To be sure, Red Hat remains the dominant version of Linux picked up by large companies. But the grass-roots interest in Ubuntu has opened some doors for the operating system. For example, Google uses a customized version of the software called Goobuntu for internal operations. In addition, PC giant Dell now offers Ubuntu as an option on some desktop and laptop machines.

Besides Ubuntu’s popularity with the tech crowd, the South African-born Shuttleworth is a big reason for the software’s success.

In 1999, VeriSign bought Shuttleworth’s company, Thawte (pronounced “thought”), for $575 million. (Shuttleworth used $20 million of that money to purchase a trip to the International Space Station in 2002.)

With Shuttleworth’s fortune backing Canonical, the company can battle against giants such as Microsoft and Apple without fearing for its near-term survival.

Shuttleworth concedes that the goofy names — a jackalope, after all is a mythical creature — are a personal indulgence.

“No excuse, I’m afraid,” he said in an interview conducted via e-mail. “I deserve the blame for this. The buck / drake / eft / fawn / heron / ibex / jackalope stops here, so to speak. We learned a while ago that our sanity depended on making the names alphabetical, so the next one will be the K* K* but beyond that, it’s not a sophisticated process.”

“K,” he added, “is going to be very, very hard.”

Beyond keeping the Canonical folks sane, you can argue that the names help separate Ubuntu from the crowd.

“I think anything that’s remotely entertaining keeps people interested,” said Dave Rosenberg, the co-founder of another oddly named open source player, MuleSource.

Canonical is expected to release a version of Ubuntu called Intrepid Ibex next month.

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5 Best Free and Open-source Real-time Strategy Games for Linux

StarCraft and Red Alert are two of my favorite real-time strategy (RTS) games. Though these games are closed-source, they are still playable in Linux through Wine. Recently, I have tried a few free and open-source RTS games and was really impressed with some of them. The best thing is that I can play them instantly on my Linux box without the need for Wine and without having to spend a single dime.

If you are into real-time strategy gaming, I highly recommend you check out these Free and Open-source RTS games:


Warzone 2100
Warzone 2100 was originally released in 1999 for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation. In 2004, the source code and most of its data was released under the GNU General Public License, thereby making it a free game. Warzone 2100 can now be played in Linux and is available in most distro package repositories. The game is developed by Pumpkin Studios and published by Eidos Interactive.

Although Warzone 2100 is comparable to Earth 2150 in many significant respects, it does contain certain unique aspects that clearly differentiate the two, including various radar technologies, a greater focus on artillery and counter-battery technology, more frequent in-game cinematic updates as gameplay progresses, and customizable vehicle designs.

Visit game website HERE

Glest
Glest is a free 3D real-time cross-platform customizable strategy game created by a team that is based in Spain. The game is set in a period reminiscent of the Middle Ages and contains two playable and customizable factions, Magic and Tech. Since the release of version 2.0 there have been many changes, including new units, upgrades, and an overall expansion of the game. Version 3.0 added online play over LAN/Internet. Glest has a fairly large community, with custom maps, units, and mods.

Visit game website HERE

Bos Wars
Bos Wars (formerly known as Battle of Survival) is a futuristic real time strategy game (RTS). Bos Wars is a free real-time cross-platform strategy game. Project was started by Tina Petersenand in the year 2004 and the current project leader is François Beerten. The game is written in C++ and Lua and it uses the SDL library.

Bos Wars has a dynamic rate based economy. Energy is produced by power plants and magma gets pumped from hot spots. Buildings and mobile units are also built at a continuous rate. Control of larger parts of the map creates the potential to increase your economy throughput. Holding key points like roads and passages allow for different strategies. Bos Wars create a completely original and fun open source RTS game.

Visit game website HERE

Globulation
Globulation 2 is an innovative Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game which reduces micro-management by automatically assigning tasks to units. Globulation 2 brings a new type of gameplay to RTS games. The player chooses the number of units to assign to various tasks, and the units do their best to satisfy the requests. This allows players to manage more units and focus on strategy rather than on micro-management. Globulation 2 also features AI, allowing single-player games or any possible combination of human-computer teams. The game also includes a scripting language for versatile gameplay or tutorials and an integrated map editor. You can play Globulation 2 in single player mode, through your local network, or over the Internet with Ysagoon Online Gaming (or YOG for short).

Visit game website HERE

Spring
Spring (formerly known as TA Spring or Total Annihilation: Spring), is a full 3D free/open source RTS game engine originally created by the Swedish Yankspankers, intended to bring the gameplay experience of Total Annihilation (TA) into three dimensions. Games are played using one of a number of mods. The standard installation comes with a range of prepackaged mods, some which requires that one own a copy of TA to legally play them, and other Free Content mods which may be used free of charge without owning a copy of TA. Spring’s core game engine is licensed under the GNU GPL.

The game is mainly focused around multiplayer games over the Internet or a LAN connection. There are currently a few single player missions, built on the basic support for this through Lua scripting. There are also many skirmish AIs, allowing for offline play or extra players in an online game.

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