Run Linux on Windows, Simultaneously
Update: Please find direct links to OS.rar/Os.zip below. Care taken to provide the users with appropriate files as not all users have Winrar to unrar the RAR extension compressed files. You can now download RAR and as well as ZIPped files.
What more? You can choose from a variety of Linux flavors.
Many people are afraid of installing Linux, even though it’s free. Why? They think that the installation procedure is quite a complex procedure which would take a geek’s mind in order to get it right. But, that’s not the truth now a days. The installation is a piece of cake as Linux had been supporting GUI for years now. Using the below specified method, you can make Linux run like any other Windows program, just by a double-click.
This method is perfectly reversible and in order to go back to your previous state, all you need to do is, delete a folder and uninstall a program. Sounds quite easy? It is.
1. The first requirement is to download the free VMWare Player which installs just like any other program. No hassles. Just go to VMWare Homepage and download it. Be ready to take on a short survey form there which would take just a couple of minutes.
2. Now download your favorite Linux version. I will provide you with different flavors of Linux, but only one is needed. So, it’s all your choice. The Linux distros would vary by their version specifications and sizes, so the more the size, the more time it would require to download. I prefer settling on Suse Linux. If you prefer to first try on a smaller Linux distro, you can even do that. There are a lot of Linux distributions to test on. So, do not think that these versions are the only ones you can work on.
Suse Linux (680 MB)
Fedora (682 MB)
Damn Small Linux (51 MB)
Puppy Linux (85 MB)
3. Now setup VMWare to talk to Linux. How to get it done? Very simple. Download a little file from Wolphination. Here is a direct link to that file, OS.zip, which you can download OS.zip(ZIP file opens in new window)or a OS.rar file(You can downlaod WinRAR from 9 Essential Tools). Do comment on this post over how hard you have tried to obtain a valid OS.zip file as it had been obsolete from Wolphination Official website. Your comments are what keeps me encouraging. A comment takes less than a minute. 
Now unzip the file into your drive(Say C:\ ) , so now you have C:\OS.
Update: Please find the new links placed to download the required OS file from Wolphination. The earlier provided link had to be discarded as there is no resource there at present.
Place your downloaded flavor of Linux into your OS folder, that is, C:\OS. Yeah, place the .iso file into the OS folder. So, now I have OS.vmx, OS.vmdk and openSUSE-10.3-GM-KDE-Live-i386.iso in the OS folder. Now, you are nearly ready to run for Linux on Windows.
4. You need to setup your VMWare configuration file. This file is nothing but the OS.vmx. Now, open this file using Notepad. On a line that says ide1:0.fileName “C:\Your file” , you need to edit this line and make it point to the Linux version you downloaded. So mine changes to C:\OS\openSUSE-10.3-GM-KDE-Live-i386.iso. Now, save this file and You are ready to blaze your Linux and work on it.
Double Click on OS.vmx and in a min or less time, depending on your RAM, the Linux will start up.
There you are, running Linux like any other windows program. Create a shortcut of OS.vmx on your desktop and you can fire it up from there.
You are done now.
Increase your productivity by enhancing your skillset by working on Linux.
Let Us know if you do follow any other procedure to run Windows and Linux simultaneously. We are all Ears.
Thanks for the post. I too have been loking for this OS.zip. Now I can run my favs while at work.
Perhaps an update to this otherwise fine article about removing the Read only permissions? I was lucky to spot it in the comments. Thanks for the post.
you can try to use another small variant linux from our country, we call it PINUX (pointer linux) from bandung, Indonesia about information just see this link : http://www.pinux.org/ or you can try : Zencafe linux ( http://www.zencafe.web.id/)
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I’ve been looking everywhere for os.zip, thank you very much!
The link for suse linux is out of date
.
We might also want to follow the steps on this wonderful Walk through http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/beginners-guide-run-linux-like-any-other-program-in-windows.html
Under the Heading: Sharing files between Linux and Windows
[Copied from source page]
Sharing files between Linux and Windows
Using Linux on Windows will be much more helpful if you can share files between Linux and Windows. This process is really easy to set up. The first thing you need to do is to create a “New Folder” on your Windows desktop. Right click on the folder and choose “Sharing and Security…”. On the following screen, choose “Share this folder on the network” and “Allow network users to change my files.” This will let Linux read and write to the folder.
In Linux, go to Places >> Network Servers and you should see your computer. Double click on your computer and you will see all your shared folders. Any data you would like to be used in both Linux and Windows should be saved into this folder.
[End Copy]
I however will be attempting to place my OS folder and necessary contents onto a pen drive [8Gig] with the installer for vmware player
it is my hope I can then take the Puppy Linux to any computer, install the VMware Player and run Puppy Linux. The only problem I foresee is having to set sharing for [pendrive]:\shared\ on each computer I wish to run this system on. I will also experiment with other Linus OS in this manner.
whoah… thank you very much, i’ve been looking for OS.zip in Wolphination but to no avail… thanks again.
You’re the man, I have been hunting for OS.zip like anything, everylink out there were taking me to a dead link.
I was so happy to find it here, you made my day.
Thanks Bro!
- Steve
No problem Steve. I have gone through the same pain when I wanted to install VMWare and Linux on my system. But, luckily I had a copy of OS.zip on a DVD. So, shared it for buddies like you.
hi there!
I’ ve tried to run ubuntu according to your tutorial. However, when I start the os.wmx file all I get is an opened vmware player window. Could you give me a hint what might be the reason? thanks
i mean cant find openSUSE-10.3-GM-KDE-Live-i386.iso inside tha rar
Hi, thank you for sharing the wholphination files. I tried the procedure described above using fedora live iso. when trying to launch the OS.vmx file after making changes., my vm player is giving error saying ”
Error while powering on: Unable to open file “C:\OS\OS.vmdk”: Insufficient permission to access file. ”
above is the error mesg ., please help me solve this issue.
thanks,
Raj.
Hi Suneel,
On My Vista it gives “C:\OS\OS.vmdk”: Insufficient permission to access file.”
Amit, it appears as if you are not in the Administrator mode to perform these changes. But, sometimes Windows acts up strange.
If you are logged in as an admin and yet you are facing the problem, then the OS.vmdk file might be in a ‘Read Only Mode’. Right click on it and go to ‘Properties’ and there disable the read-only mode. This should work.
Let me know if you face any probs.
I could not find OS.zip anywhere! I finally found it here on your site. Thank you so much for having it available!
Thanks for visiting and making use of OS.zip file Matt. Post any questions or concerns you have while installing and configuring VM here.
I have to say that the OS.zip isn’t easy to find: Thanks a lot!
hey
thaks
but i get this problem in my pc os xp
it gives “Error while powering on: Check for missing files failed:
Insufficient permissions to access the file.”
plzzzzzzzzzzzzz help me
Madan, please make sure that you are working as an Administrator in order to avoid permission errors. Or at times, the files you have unzipped would have ‘read-only’ permissions which make it inaccessible.
Remove the ‘read-only’ setting from the file’s properties and try again.
i had onther problem plzz help me
it gives “VMware Workstation cannot open one of the virtual disks needed by this VM because it is larger than the maximum file size supported by the host file system. Some remote file systems do not support files larger than 2 GB, even though the file system on the server might.
Cannot open the disk ‘E:\OS\OS.vmdk’ or one of the snapshot disks it depends on.
Reason: The file is too large.”
when i have completed all the measures
plzzz help me
Make sure that the flavor of Linux you are trying to work on using VMWare is not more than 2 GB as the message signifies. I have actually worked on files much lesser than 1 GB to fulfill my requirements on Linux. So, choose a lesser sized flavor which we have discussed above in the post and try again.
Hello
I just begun to install opensolaris and when I start the virtual machine I get on the screen
grub>
what should I do now
Thank You
Mashan, you need to go through the documentation provided by Open Solaris in order to understand. Teaching Open Solaris using a blog is, well beyond my scope. I wish I could be of any help here.
Do comment on this post over how hard you have tried to obtain a valid OS.zip file as it had been obsolete from Wolphination Official website. Your comments are what keeps me encouraging. A comment takes less than a minute
I SWEAR THIS LINK WAS A GEM. THANKS BUDDY !
Thanks for the comment Dheep. I hope you will make good use of OS.zip file provided.
If you get stuck somewhere, let me know. Will try find a solution.
I made it.First I tried with LiveCD Opensolaris and then I downloaded openSUSE and I have succeded.
Thank you anyway
I, too have been search for OS.zip. Thank you kindly for having it available.
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Thanks For Sharing!!!!!
WE COME IN PEACE!!!! LOL
this is complete AWESOMENESSSS ohh and thanks for the os.zip file i couldnt find it for somereason
Hi just wanted to keep you updated that the below mentioned link is not working. Is there an alternate link you can share?
http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/10.3/iso/cd/openSUSE-10.3-GM-KDE-Live-i386.iso
Thanks for informing me Himanshu. I have updated the link now. Please check and download the required version.
Thanks for finding OS.Zip!
Thanks.
It was hard to find OS.zip untill u came…
By the way windows7 does not allow me to make OS under C.
It says there is such a file.
But I do not see it.
Yes I looked for “os.zip” all one afternoon and could not find it. I even googled it without any success. Then when I did find it I started up vmware and it did it all for me without anything else. Go Figure. Anyway I now have kubuntu running in vmware. Thanks for your help. Mel
Thank you for hosting OS.rar. I have been looking for that rascal for a while.
Much appreciated.
Cheers
W00t!!! I have been searching for this file for hours. My first attempt was from wolfination and as you said, its no longer there. All I can say is THANK YOU!!! I truly appreciate you keeping this file alive.
Any mudders out there check out http://www.mageslair.net to mud it up!
I too could not find the os.zip file
Very much yay, Thanks for hosting this OS file
thank you for the article. I have already download the os.zip, but os.rar link returns error … please check
Almost done downloading Fedora. If this works I owe you BIG time!
Thanks for greatly written directions,
and *os.zip* (couldn’t find it anywhere else)
Thanks for the article and the OS.zip file…great work! Appreciate your efforts.
Thanks Kane. Happy that you found what you needed.
Thanks for posting the OS.zip
Glad that you found what you needed. Cheers Yannick!!!
Yes. I was getting crazy to find the OS.zip. Many thanks also for the detailed instructions.
You are most welcome Guido. Glad that I helped you in one way or the other.
Thank you for simplifying the process! Nice to have people who take the initiative.
Thanks for the OS.zip. The wolphination site was useless. And what the heck is SearchIgnighted that takes it over?
Thank you for making OS.zip available. Nice job with the instructions, too. It is much appreciated