[clug] Linux and City News Canberra

[Scott Ferguson]

On 08/04/14 15:11, steve jenkin wrote:
> 
> On 8 Apr 2014, at 2:51 pm, Scott Ferguson <scott.ferguson.clug at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Thanks Bob
>>
>> http://citynews.com.au/2014/open-source-gives-new-life-old-windows-xp-machines/
>>
>> (originally published in The Conversation)
>>
>>
>> Kind regards
>> -- 
>> linux mailing list
>> linux at lists.samba.org
>> https://lists.samba.org/mailman/listinfo/linux
> 
> +1
> hadn’t seen the article. Scott: thanks for the link.
> 
> Bob & Eric Well done. my congrats.
> 
> Anyone got comments on ‘RoboLinux’?


https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=46798
http://www.vagrantup.com/


Take a look at ReactOS before committing to XP.


> 
> It’s Debian + VirtualBox with some tricks.


It's *based* on Debian.
As in "chips are based on potatoes".

> “Stealth Mode” to revert Vbox back to a known snapshot _and_ revert an ‘E:’ drive (mapped folder on host?) as well. [He charges $5 for the slick parts. Good OSS business model?]

Easily scripted.

> 
> he has ported his .deb to Ubuntu and another distro (can’t recall). Available on sourceforge.
> 
> He’s got a 5min demo video on his website of adding two viruses to an XP image, then reverting.
> I’m unconvinced by his claim of complete security with VBox: “keyboard loggers CANNOT read your Linux host”, or some such.

Good, because it's, um, complete bull (not Blue Pill proof).

"keyboard loggers CANNOT read your Linux host" is only true (or relevant
to security) when you get to define "keyboard loggers" and decided that
"keyboard loggers" are the worst of your security concerns.


* Is there Windoof malware access the host?  Maybe.

* Will Windoof XP malware be developed that can access the host? Maybe.

* Can you guarantee that Windoof XP malware won't be developed that can
access the host? *No*

> It’s either the claim of someone not entirely up across things “security”, or he’s done an incredibly good job of hardening his install.
> I suspect it’s naive hope or hype.

Dangerously naif?  Criminally liable? Future target of vexatious litigation?

> 
> ==> I have a question with this setup: the hardware needed to run Vbox.
> 
> Would an old PC that runs XP be capable of running VBox at a _reasonable_ speed?

Define "old" and "capable of running".
Better still, describe what you want to run on Windoof under VirtualBox
*and* what you'll run on the host (plus an actual description of the
host). :)

> I’m thinking there are issues with 2005 CPU’s support for Virtual Machine Extensions _and_ sufficient DRAM.
> 
> Any hints, clues or experiences? [OK to reply to this on-list, if my Q is not just noise.]

My Debian VirtualBox Server:-
HP Kayak PC Workstation XM600/933
(dual) Pentium III Type 0, Family 6, Model 8, Stepping 10 (no virtual
extensions)
2 x RIMM 512 MB
Debian 7.2 i386 (headless)
virtualbox-4.3 4.3.10-93012~De i386  Oracle VM VirtualBox
phpVirtualBox 4.3-0 -/- VirtualBox 4.3.x compatible

Happily runs Windoof XP at half system RAM (512MB), W7, OSX Snow Lion.
Or multiple VMs with increased swappiness.

> 
> cheers
> steve
> 
> --
> 
> 
> 
> 
>

Kind regards