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Introduction

If you really need to run Microsoft Windows applications, but do not want to bother installing, configuring and maintaining an entire Microsoft Windows system, you can use a non-persistent Microsoft Windows XP image for VMWare.

The image contains:

  • Access to:
    • your samba-directory on samba.cs.kuleuven.be (Department of Computer Science)
    • your home-directory on samba.cs.kotnet.kuleuven.be (Computer Lab)
  • Access to the printers via the same samba server(s)
  • Office XP Professional
  • SAP GUI Client
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Acrobat Reader
  • Anti-virus software
  • Visual Studio

Starting non-persistent Microsoft Windows XP with VMWare

Such a Microsoft Windows XP session is started with the command /usr/local/bin/vmware . This starts vmware, initiated with a running version of Microsoft Windows XP.

What does non-persistent mean?

This means that when you save data local on the virtual machine, including installing extra software, that data will be lost when closing the vmware application. You should always save your data in your directory that is available via the samba server. Or copy your data with scp in the Cygwin-bash shell to a safe place.

Accessing directories and printers via the samba-server

The default user when starting the Microsoft Windows XP session is Minnie (girlfriend of Mickey). There is no password for that user. The user minnie does not exist on our Unix-machines, including the samba-servers. This means that for using the samba-server you have to provide your credentials (login & password) before access to the printers or directories is possible. When double-clicking on the samba-icon on the desktop you will be asked for your login and password. Remark:
  • In the Computer Lab the login is your m/s account, and the password is the password you use on the LUDIT Microsoft Windows based PC Labs.
  • For the Department of Computer Science, look at the Samba servers
After login in on the samba-server you can access your (samba or home directory) as H:\$USER (replace $USER with your m/s account number) and print on the installed printers.

If the file or directory you want to access is not available via any Samba server, you can use (one of) the secure shell file transfer tools. Plain old ftp software does not work with the departmental computers, but the more secure alternative sftp works in just the same way.

If you regularly need to access files/directories, it is up to you to decide whether to store them in a Samba accessible place, or to use the sftp way to get to them.

Known problems

  • Printing does not work. Probably because you did not provide your credentials to the samba-server yet.

  • When firing up vmware with the Microsoft Windows XP image sometimes the network is unreachable. This is because the dhcp-server is confused about dhcp-leases. This happens when starting a (vmware image containing a) Microsoft Windows XP virtual machine to soon after another Microsoft Windows XP session.

    Solution:

    • type the command ipconfig /renew on the DOS-prompt
    • wait for half an hour, until all dhcp-leases are expired
    • use another host-machine