For the Windows Only Programmers

[lexvictory]

If there was a way for you to (learn to) program in Linux without leaving Windows would you use it? (and yes, there is a way)
why/why not?

by the way, this is WITHOUT VMware/Virtual PC/etc


EDIT: see below for explanation

[IceSoft]

Theres are lot of ways to use Linux on Windows:
VirtualPC
VMWare
VirtualBox
...

[lexvictory]

whoops, forgot to mention that point

[gnasen]

cross compiler would be absolutely awesome.

I have to compile my server application on a VM to get it running on a Linux server. If there would be a checkbox in the options to compile for Linux while staying in Windows I would save much of time. VM is so slow with 1gb RAM, 500mb for VM, 500 for Windows, nothing for me

[PB]

I don't really understand the question. Do you mean to compile my PureBasic
source under Windows, to create a Linux executable, but without needing to
run a VM to do it? Then yes, I would be interested, but I'd be worried that it
wouldn't run without bugs on Linux without testing it, which means I need a
VM in the end anyway, so I may as well just use the VM in the first place.

[lexvictory]

ok, i better explain..

to start off, it is NOT a cross compiler. but close enough i reckon.

it involves using colinux; which runs linux alongside/under/subservient-to windows.
it uses a modified linux kernel to do this. it seems like a VM, but it's much faster, and doesnt take the whole 500MB of memory in one block if that's what you give it - it takes as it goes as if the linux processes were the same as windows ones.

it appears as though both linux and windows are running at the same time
but linux thinks it's running on its own computer.
(in case you're wondering it uses a windows driver to get all the low level access, etc)

so in short; it means that you can have linux and Windows windows on the same desktop - with almost no lag. (only lag i notice is due to the X server running through a network connection)

linux's "machine" can be set as a service so it starts up with windows (only take a few seconds to start as it doesnt boot a full X environment)

im seeing if anyone is interested to see if it's worth posting a ready made (disk)image to sourceforge (project already approved)

take a look: http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q160 ... queror.png
clockwise from top left: Linux PB, Windows PB, Explorer, Konqueror

and another good thing is the only crashes ive had are PB's autocomplete in certain situations... so nothing major

however colinux wont work on 64 bit windows - so that might rule out a few of you


if you need any clarification, just ask

[Mistrel]

I'm not sure why this is being posed as a question. If you think that you have a great idea then do it and prove to us its usefulness rather than trying to convince us.

[Rook Zimbabwe]

I can program in LINUX with PB! So I already know a small bit!

I ported many of my apps to linux without any problems... Whats the issue? DX?

I haven't tried to port my DX based games there since nothing I have is remotely finished!