Trends > Linux

Presented by:


Databorough - Design Recovery & Modernization with X-Analysis 8

Running WDSC From a Linux Desktop

Now before some of you get too excited about the subject of this article, I must disclose the semi-let-down fact that I have yet to get WebSphere Development Studio Client (WDSC) to run natively on Linux. But what I’ve found is a fairly amicable solution that lets me make the most of Linux while still using my favorite RPG development tool. I’ll be adding more Linux-flavored tips in the future as I’ve received a lot feedback requesting it.

All this Linux pursuit started about a year ago when I set out to completely switch my primary desktop operating system over to Ubuntu Linux and one of my main obstacles was finding alternatives to all of my productive Windows applications. I’ve yet to find an equivalent to WDSC and thus have determined that Windows must stay in my tool belt for now. Around the same time Linux entered my life (for the second time), I was playing around with different “virtual machine” vendors and their tooling, namely VirtualBox and VMWare. These vendors have tools that allow the running of a virtual instance of an operating system right on top of another operating system. Visualizing exactly what “running one OS on top of another” looks like can be challenging so I determined it was best to include a video with this article. This video shows me using VirtualBox and WDSC from my Ubuntu Linux desktop. For those who’d rather look at a screen shot, see Figure 1 for a full desktop capture of WDSC running on my Ubuntu Linux desktop.

Now did that whet your appetite or what? I wanted you to see the possibilities so you’ll take the time to pursue this next part: installing your very own Ubuntu Linux operating system. Ubuntu Linux has become arguably easier than Windows to install. The latest versions include what's called a Wubi installation, which basically boils down to downloading a single Windows executable that will guide you through a short wizard process to completely install Ubuntu Linux on your Windows machine in less than 30 minutes – crazy cool!

First, visit the Wubi Ubuntu Web site. Click the “Download Now” image and save the wubi.exe file to your desktop. I wont elaborate on the rest of the install as the site offers solid instructions. You can leave Ubuntu installed on your machine for as long as you like so you can play with it until you’re comfortable with its feature set. If it turns out that Ubuntu isn't for you or you need to reclaim the hard-drive space (I used 6 GB on my install), you can easily remove it by going to Add/Remove Programs in the Windows Control Panel.

Making Ubuntu a Permanent Tapestry

On the other hand, if you’ve decided you want to give Ubuntu a more permanent place on your machine, you can install it down to the hardware level so you boot directly into it as your primary operating system with its own hard-drive partition. To do this, download the Ubuntu ISO CD desktop image from the Ubuntu Web site to your Windows desktop and then burn it to a physical CD. Microsoft Windows doesn't come with a default way to burn an ISO CD image but there’s a free utility that’s actually recommended by Microsoft in their knowledge base. The utility is called ISO Recorder and is authored by Alex Feinman. You can download it at the ISO Recorder Web site.

After you’ve burned the Ubuntu ISO image to CD, reboot your Windows PC while leaving the newly burned CD in your drive. When your computer boots, the Ubuntu CD will be recognized and will prompt you with a DOS-looking menu where you should select “Install Ubuntu.” From there, it guides you through a wizard process that’s fairly easy to follow.

Once you’ve installed Ubuntu as your default desktop operating system you can go the route I did and install VirtualBox to gain access to the WDSC tooling. VirtualBox is also fairly straightforward to install and use, and is completely free. Start at the VirtualBox Web site and download the installation files to your Ubuntu Linux desktop. After installing VirtualBox, you’ll need your Microsoft Windows operating-system disk handy. You can pop the Windows CD in your CD-ROM drive and use the VirtualBox wizards to install it. Note you’ll need a valid license key for the Windows operating system being installed, though there’s a 30-day grace period, so if you’re just trying it out then you should have plenty of time to play and decide if it works for your development habits.

Thoughts for the Future

As more and more applications move to the browser, the desktop has become more of a place to boot to than anything else. This begs the question: “How long will Microsoft stay at the top of the desktop operating system mountain?” You can only put so many useful features into a desktop until it’s reached a point of being “good enough and I don't need to upgrade.” Today, companies stay with Microsoft because it’s safe and is actually cost effective (because staff is trained and knows Microsoft). But what about kids in schools who are learning about these easy-to-use and free operating systems? Dare I say that things like Ubuntu Linux are becoming “cool” to the next generation because it feels semi-rebellious to embrace Linux? (I even felt it a little – felt good.) Regardless of the reason for moving to Linux – reduced cost, release from the Microsoft grip, rebellion or something else – it's clear that it's gaining ground. Give Linux on the desktop a test run and let me know what you think.