Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Any Linux with VirtualPC7/Leopard ?

bobesch

bobesch

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Oct 21, 2015
2,144
2,227
Kiel, Germany
This idea drives me nuts! - To run a slick Linux-Distro within VirtualPC7 which is also able to run a Dropbox-Client or even Netflix.

I did not succeed with AntiX and Debian7 'cause the damn Cursor didn't work within the VM.
Read about someone getting Mandrake10 to run within VirtualPC7 but couldn't find an iso yet.
Would a Dropbox-Client run with Mandrake10?

During the last challenge I was lucky to get aware of WinXPFundamental, which helped me to solve an old problem, how to remotely connect my Powerbook to my Win2008Server at work. It was all about running that slick WinXP to use all the software I was used to.
Tonight I'm gonna try to use the same WinXPFundamentals for an alternativ Dropbox-connection, too.

To be honest: any Linux-tweak would be much more welcome...
 
bobesch said:
This idea drives me nuts! - To run a slick Linux-Distro within VirtualPC7 which is also able to run a Dropbox-Client or even Netflix.

I did not succeed with AntiX and Debian7 'cause the damn Cursor didn't work within the VM.
Read about someone getting Mandrake10 to run within VirtualPC7 but couldn't find an iso yet.
Would a Dropbox-Client run with Mandrake10?

During the last challenge I was lucky to get aware of WinXPFundamental, which helped me to solve an old problem, how to remotely connect my Powerbook to my Win2008Server at work. It was all about running that slick WinXP to use all the software I was used to.
Tonight I'm gonna try to use the same WinXPFundamentals for an alternativ Dropbox-connection, too.

To be honest: any Linux-tweak would be much more welcome...
Click to expand...

I don't know if you can but considering that you're emulating x86 on PPC, a better bet may be trying to emulate some version of Android x86. Modern Linux struggles on high end Pentium 4s let alone an emulated Pentium II (III at best).
 
It is possible to run Windows 7 in VPC7 if you press Delete in the Virtual PC BIOS to get to the setup screen, then change "ACPI Aware OS" to "Yes", however it is unusably slow once you get it running, even on a G5 - that tweak may help you to run other modern OSes though if Windows XP is too old for what you are looking to do.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobesch
HFTaylor12 said:
You won't get Netflix working.
Click to expand...

Agreed.
Virtual PC is a strange thing...logic would dictate that the smaller the OS footprint, the quicker it will run, however, out of DOS, Win 95, 98, 2000 and XP, for me DOS is the least operable.
Running Linux is not impossible - a forum member on here has sucessfully done it, but I'm guessing an OS equipped enough to run Netflix would have requirements too high for a PPC/VPC combo.
Something about VPC is processor aware to the point that it never gets beyond a certain performance peak regardless of CPU - in my experience, VPC on my G3 iMac is not dissimilar to VPC on my Quad.
Even a 500 iMac can do surprisingly well:

OS9.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobesch and QSDP-User
Dronecatcher said:
Virtual PC is a strange thing...
Something about VPC is processor aware to the point that it never gets beyond a certain performance peak regardless of CPU - in my experience, VPC on my G3 iMac is not dissimilar to VPC on my Quad.
Even a 500 iMac can do surprisingly well
Click to expand...

Which version of VPC is running there?
...and with virtual memory on in Mac 9.2.2. Looks smooth, no crash or freeze.

And not to hijack bobesch's thread but is that Oliver Nelson's music running in WinAmp?
If so, it's been a very long while since I've listened to that.
I had to run downstairs & pull out the two Nelson LPs I have for a remembrance look-see.
 
QSDP-User said:
Which version of VPC is running there?
...and with virtual memory on in Mac 9.2.2. Looks smooth, no crash or freeze.

And not to hijack bobesch's thread but is that Oliver Nelson's music running in WinAmp?
If so, it's been a very long while since I've listened to that.
I had to run downstairs & pull out the two Nelson LPs I have for a remembrance look-see.
Click to expand...

That's VPC4 and OS9 runs fine.
Yes, Oliver Nelson - arrived at via Six Million Dollar Man 70s TV show :)
 
Dronecatcher said:
That's VPC4 and OS9 runs fine.
Yes, Oliver Nelson - arrived at via Six Million Dollar Man 70s TV show :)
Click to expand...

Cool, I think I have a version of VPC4 somewhere.

Interesting, I knew that Oliver Nelson had TV soundtrack gigs,
but I guess Six Million dollar Man's audio was hipper than I thought ;)

bobesch - forgive the hijack:
I felt compelled to snap a pic of those Nelson LP covers with my hand-me-down iPhone 4 AKA iPod Touch usage.
Then, arrrrgh...now I have to google how to transfer the camera roll into my Mac Pro.
iTunes? nope...Image Capture, yes.
Well, because of this thread I learned another thing about using my casually used iPhone 4 ;)

TB&TAT_cover.jpg
MB&TAT.jpg <-- has Dronemaker's WinAmp track
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobesch and Dronecatcher
QSDP-User said:
Interesting, I knew that Oliver Nelson had TV soundtrack gigs,
but I guess Six Million dollar Man's audio was hipper than I thought ;)
Click to expand...

I love the fact that back then, even ostensibly a kid's show, would have such attention to detail, that even the soundtrack was provided by a respected and successful composer - enough to forge, "the best main title sequence in the history of television."
 
  • Like
Reactions: QSDP-User
A bit off topic but which is the best version of Virtual PC to use on my 1GHz PowerBook G4 17" with 1MB cache and 2GB RAM? I've seen many people suggest different versions.. I'd like to run 98 or 2k to mess around some old games probably. I can use 10.5.8,10.4.11 or OS 9.2.2 on it so most versions should work. As for Netflix on VPC, you may be able to get it with Windows 2000 but I doubt it would run well. Later versions of Firefox (34 works at least) can be forced onto 2k with some hacks so yeah. I'd still try forcing in Android x86 tho
 
KawaiiAurora said:
A bit off topic but which is the best version of Virtual PC to use on my 1GHz PowerBook G4 17" with 1MB cache and 2GB RAM?
Click to expand...

The problem with all things PowerPC is that there's rarely a time when a recommended option will work best across all hardware for all cases. Sometimes you just have to try multiple options and investigate what works best for you.

For myself, if I'm on OS9 it has to be VPC4 - I've tested 5 and 6 but 4 is better.
On OSX, it's VPC7. On both I prefer Win 2000 to XP and for older apps Win95 is very fast.
 
  • Like
Reactions: QSDP-User
HFTaylor12 said:
You won't get Netflix working.
Some of us have tried with G4 Macs, and I think we can assume our G4s are faster than VPC7.
Click to expand...
Ok, no Netflix. Crazy idea after all. But maybe a Dropbox-client...
[doublepost=1491865318][/doublepost]
KawaiiAurora said:
I don't know if you can but considering that you're emulating x86 on PPC, a better bet may be trying to emulate some version of Android x86. Modern Linux struggles on high end Pentium 4s let alone an emulated Pentium II (III at best).
Click to expand...
I believe VPC7 is limited to emulating x86 architecture but maybe anyone can prove me wrong (please...)
[doublepost=1491865475][/doublepost]
647156 said:
It is possible to run Windows 7 in VPC7 if you press Delete in the Virtual PC BIOS to get to the setup screen, then change "ACPI Aware OS" to "Yes", however it is unusably slow once you get it running, even on a G5 - that tweak may help you to run other modern OSes though if Windows XP is too old for what you are looking to do.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that hint. Even if it might be more a proof of concept due to lack of speed. It's goog to know (how) it works!
[doublepost=1491865832][/doublepost]
Dronecatcher said:
Agreed.
Virtual PC is a strange thing...logic would dictate that the smaller the OS footprint, the quicker it will run, however, out of DOS, Win 95, 98, 2000 and XP, for me DOS is the least operable.
Running Linux is not impossible - a forum member on here has sucessfully done it, but I'm guessing an OS equipped enough to run Netflix would have requirements too high for a PPC/VPC combo.
Something about VPC is processor aware to the point that it never gets beyond a certain performance peak regardless of CPU - in my experience, VPC on my G3 iMac is not dissimilar to VPC on my Quad.
Even a 500 iMac can do surprisingly well:
View attachment 695575
Click to expand...
Great screenshot. Yes, VPC is very capable - it's amazing to run os9 with VPC and Win98 or Win2k on the Clamshell and it's really fast! I like the GUI of os9 - much more visable on the Clamshells screen. Do you remember a link to that forum member's posting?
[doublepost=1491866355][/doublepost]
QSDP-User said:
bobesch - forgive the hijack ...
Click to expand...
Oh, no bother at all! I like threads rambling on like this - opening the mind for something interesting new.
... and makes me curios about that musik :)
[doublepost=1491867265][/doublepost]
Dronecatcher said:
The problem with all things PowerPC is that there's rarely a time when a recommended option will work best across all hardware for all cases. Sometimes you just have to try multiple options and investigate what works best for you.

For myself, if I'm on OS9 it has to be VPC4 - I've tested 5 and 6 but 4 is better.
On OSX, it's VPC7. On both I prefer Win 2000 to XP and for older apps Win95 is very fast.
Click to expand...

On my Powerbooks I run VPC7 too. Performance of Win2k is great. But for RemoteDesktop to the Win2k-Server in my office I need XP => WinXPFundamentals is great for that purpose - normal XP-SP2/3 is damn slow...
[doublepost=1491867557][/doublepost]After searching for more information about the different VPC-versions, at Wikipedia I found the hint, that RedHat and Suse Linux had been officially supported by Connectix. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Virtual_PC
What about Dropbox and "old" Linux-distribution. Is it as picky as with OS X Leopard?
With Win2k my effort to get Dropbox running did fail unfortunately...
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Dronecatcher and QSDP-User
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back