[Gllug] Re: Linux on desktop

[Christopher Currie]

On  Sat, 03 Feb 2007 09:50:10 +0000 Tethys <sta296 at astradyne.co.uk> wrote:

>
> Besides which, I haven't heard many claims that people are using
> Windows on the desktop. What I've heard is a lot of criticism about
> someone installing Linux on a company machine against the wishes of
> that company. Seems fair to me. Yes, *some* companies will be OK
> with that if you can demonstrate sufficient ability to perform your
> normal work.

I face a company policy which forbids installation of any software on the PCs, 
which of course run Windows (now XP rather than 98...)

I  have a fairly desperate need to run multiple desktops because of the nature 
of my work: i wickedly set up Virtual Dimension after reading a favourable 
review of it from a KDE user. It substantially improves my productivity. But 
if non-techie bosses were to notice it, I'd be in trouble. (The successive 
tech companies' network managers know what I do and so far have been happy 
with it; so I try not to abuse their confidence or push my luck).

 I need to run OoO sometimes because people occasionally send us .odt  
or .sxw/.sdw files by email and M$ Office of course won't read them. I also 
need to run Firefox occasionally to test people's grumbles about our website. 
But installing either would be very noticeable and a clear breach of &c.

So I've looked at stuff that will run off a USB stick, both Windows and Linux. 
I used to use QEMU-Puppy, which would run in emulator mode from USB under 
Windows without altering the PC setup at all, but (i) owing to the way 
QEMU-Puppy sets itself up I couldn't get at data on my computer (though I 
could get at other people's on the network:-)) and (ii)  with successive 
versions it's worked less well, and QEMU-Puppy 2.12 won't run at all. 

I have tried a U3 stick and more recently a Personal Apps one, but both leave 
settings files on the hard drive, though they don't put any executables there 
and I don't think they affect the register. U3 is buggy.

The PC only has 256MB RAM and won't run VMware player effectively; everything 
slows to a crawl. Also there is no Windows version of it that you can run off 
a USB stick, AFAIK.

I've looked at self-booting Linux USB sticks, but you can't boot them without 
changing the drive order in the BIOS every time; although it returns to 
default if the PC is rebooted after the stick is removed, I don't know how 
much rope is left in the CMOS, and would not want to do this on a regular 
basis. 

Also if a colleague comes round and wants to 'look at something' on my PC (a 
file that I maintain, that they need to use: they don't understand that we 
now have a central server and they can get into my directory on it from any 
PC in the office) they are likely to have a fit if I'm running Linux, so I 
can only do that at the end of the day.

Any suggestions?

Christopher Currie
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