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Description

Contents
Specs

What’s this all about …
VM setup principles

Customizing the Windows guest (1)

References
Linux apps

Windows apps

1. Specs
OS: Arch Linux

Kernel: 2.6.39-ARCH (i686)

WM: XMonad 0.9

screen res: 1920 × 1200px

running apps: xmobar, VirtualBox w/ Windows XP Pro and LiteStep (OTS2) shell, winamp v2.9.1 (?), Explorer file manager, proton editor

          [ ^ ]     [ Contents ]

2. What’s this all about …
Still staying with the simplistic tiler XMonad and a Koreanized xmobar. In focus then was the creation of “well-designed” virtual machines.

          [ ^ ]     [ Contents ]

2.1 VM setup principles
I consider (Arch) Linux to be a much more powerful and trustworthy OS than Windows. Also within Windows, using Linux-tools IMO is a must-have. However when using Windows along with Linux, this depends on the installation situation. These are my configuration scenarios:
Dual boot – both Linux and Windows on encrypted partitions, Linux would be allowed to r/w on Win system partition, but not vice versa, plenty of Linux tools on Windows (like cygwin, or better MSYS/MinGW).

Windows virtual machine guest on Linux host I – despite the usual security patch and update orgy, extended customization of Windows OS with many programs, including more or less Linux tools.

Windows guest on Linux host II – same precautions, nearly no customization or extra Linux tools – usage of the Windows OS just as a “tolerated environment embedding” for necessary Windows proggies (like an “extended wine”, an offline sandbox). That finally means “Linux to Linux, Windows to Windows.”

Well, I also tried both Linux guest on Windows host and Wubi (on Windows7), but wouldn’t become happy with both of them: With the first, because personally I just don’t like to be “Windows-dominated,” and with the latter I experienced some boot and system time troubles. Not to mention that it wouldn’t make Windows more secure anyway.

Now this and the next two screenies are setup according to case 2. The virtual machine program is VirtualBox, together with VirtualBox Extras. It runs the multilingual version of Windows XP Pro.

          [ ^ ]     [ Contents ]

2.2 Customizing the Windows guest (1)
Since I find the Explorer shell pretty uninspiring, I usually replace it with LiteStep. This gives me much more control over my desktop with additional workspaces, individual designs and menus etc.

LS is OpenSource, and there are hundreds of themes around. Mainly I use its fork OTS2, the standard for many years. What’s shown here is its default theme “Austerity.”

Compared to Linux, it’s more a DE then a WM, as it provides many builtin extra functions like a dock, and extensions for the media player winamp or system stats. An LS theme often comes bundled with a wallpaper, own fonts, rainlendar, rainmeter, or window decoration for msstyles for the shareware WindowBlinds.

LS can be easily customized by editing .rc-text files, see the proton-window. Note, that this editor is ISO-8859 only; better use vim for Windows atl.

Note that in the Windows world, theming often is referred to as “skinning.” So LS themes are usually called “skins,” as well as e. g. there’s a program for using individual Windows boot screens “BootSkin”; for examples of the latter look into my other gallery.

          [ ^ ]     [ Contents ]

3. Links and References
3.1 Linux apps

Arch’s XMonad wiki: [link]

Arch’s xmobar wiki: [link]

Arch’s VirtualBox wikis: [link 1] [link 2]

          [ ^ ]     [ Contents ]

3.2 Windows apps

Official LiteStep homepage: [link]

LS developer homepage: [link]

LS OTS2-build archive [link] , (v0.24.7, including Omar’s LS installer and default “Austerity” skin)

Official LS documentation: [link]

Cool LiteStep skins on : [link]

There are lots of other galleries on the net, such mentioned in this [list] .

Wikipedia article on proton: [link] (German)

Download resources for vim for Windows: [link]

          [ ^ ]     [ Contents ]

.: ⟨ previous deviation :: { Windows Matters } :: next deviation ⟩ :.

.: ⟨ previous deviation :: { Crispy Arch Linux Pr0n } :: next deviation ⟩ :.

Comments welcome!

Description

Contents
Specs

What’s this all about …
VM setup principles

Customizing the Windows guest (1)

References
Linux apps

Windows apps

1. Specs
OS: Arch Linux

Kernel: 2.6.39-ARCH (i686)

WM: XMonad 0.9

screen res: 1920 × 1200px

running apps: xmobar, VirtualBox w/ Windows XP Pro and LiteStep (OTS2) shell, winamp v2.9.1 (?), Explorer file manager, proton editor

          [ ^ ]     [ Contents ]

2. What’s this all about …
Still staying with the simplistic tiler XMonad and a Koreanized xmobar. In focus then was the creation of “well-designed” virtual machines.

          [ ^ ]     [ Contents ]

2.1 VM setup principles
I consider (Arch) Linux to be a much more powerful and trustworthy OS than Windows. Also within Windows, using Linux-tools IMO is a must-have. However when using Windows along with Linux, this depends on the installation situation. These are my configuration scenarios:
Dual boot – both Linux and Windows on encrypted partitions, Linux would be allowed to r/w on Win system partition, but not vice versa, plenty of Linux tools on Windows (like cygwin, or better MSYS/MinGW).

Windows virtual machine guest on Linux host I – despite the usual security patch and update orgy, extended customization of Windows OS with many programs, including more or less Linux tools.

Windows guest on Linux host II – same precautions, nearly no customization or extra Linux tools – usage of the Windows OS just as a “tolerated environment embedding” for necessary Windows proggies (like an “extended wine”, an offline sandbox). That finally means “Linux to Linux, Windows to Windows.”

Well, I also tried both Linux guest on Windows host and Wubi (on Windows7), but wouldn’t become happy with both of them: With the first, because personally I just don’t like to be “Windows-dominated,” and with the latter I experienced some boot and system time troubles. Not to mention that it wouldn’t make Windows more secure anyway.

Now this and the next two screenies are setup according to case 2. The virtual machine program is VirtualBox, together with VirtualBox Extras. It runs the multilingual version of Windows XP Pro.

          [ ^ ]     [ Contents ]

2.2 Customizing the Windows guest (1)
Since I find the Explorer shell pretty uninspiring, I usually replace it with LiteStep. This gives me much more control over my desktop with additional workspaces, individual designs and menus etc.

LS is OpenSource, and there are hundreds of themes around. Mainly I use its fork OTS2, the standard for many years. What’s shown here is its default theme “Austerity.”

Compared to Linux, it’s more a DE then a WM, as it provides many builtin extra functions like a dock, and extensions for the media player winamp or system stats. An LS theme often comes bundled with a wallpaper, own fonts, rainlendar, rainmeter, or window decoration for msstyles for the shareware WindowBlinds.

LS can be easily customized by editing .rc-text files, see the proton-window. Note, that this editor is ISO-8859 only; better use vim for Windows atl.

Note that in the Windows world, theming often is referred to as “skinning.” So LS themes are usually called “skins,” as well as e. g. there’s a program for using individual Windows boot screens “BootSkin”; for examples of the latter look into my other gallery.

          [ ^ ]     [ Contents ]

3. Links and References
3.1 Linux apps

Arch’s XMonad wiki: [link]

Arch’s xmobar wiki: [link]

Arch’s VirtualBox wikis: [link 1] [link 2]

          [ ^ ]     [ Contents ]

3.2 Windows apps

Official LiteStep homepage: [link]

LS developer homepage: [link]

LS OTS2-build archive [link] , (v0.24.7, including Omar’s LS installer and default “Austerity” skin)

Official LS documentation: [link]

Cool LiteStep skins on : [link]

There are lots of other galleries on the net, such mentioned in this [list] .

Wikipedia article on proton: [link] (German)

Download resources for vim for Windows: [link]

          [ ^ ]     [ Contents ]

.: ⟨ previous deviation :: { Windows Matters } :: next deviation ⟩ :.

.: ⟨ previous deviation :: { Crispy Arch Linux Pr0n } :: next deviation ⟩ :.

Comments welcome!