by Jeremy Matthews

Created on: May 06, 2010

Linux is an "open-source" operating system.  By open source, it is freely open for manipulation of code or configuration and is also free for distribution.  There are a few versions of enterprise Linux distributions; however, the majority of Linux distributions available are free of charge.  This is what makes Linux such a alternative for user's looking to try a new operating system or even migrate from Windows altogether.   Since most Linux distributions are free, it only comes as no surprise that there is a huge library of free applications that can be run on a Linux system and are available for download via repositories that you can access via your distributions Package Manager.  Great, we have a free operating system and all the free applications we could ever want, what's the big deal?

In talking with people about Linux, many find it a very viable alternative to running a Windows based operating system; but they still can't completely move over to Linux because they need access to applications that are 'Windows Only'.  In the past, this was a huge concern.  Now this gray area is slowly shrinking.  With the use of tools such as: WINE and VirtualBox you can focus more on moving into Linux with less compatibility concerns than you may have previously had.

The first option is to use WINE (aka: 'Wine Is Not an Emulator').  What is it, and what does it do?  WINE allows a user to run Windows based software on other operating systemts (not just Linux; MacOS X, FreeBSD and Solaris are also available).  WINE is a rather simple program loader that simply allows you to install a native Windows app and run it as if it were on a Windows machine, without the slowdowns of using an actual emulator.  WINE is also freely available for download and use.

Great!  But not so fast, WINE is constantly in development and not every Windows program works with WINE.  Their webpage is an excellent resource for starters: http://www.winehq.org/ and a great compatibility database for common apps and whether they work or not at: http://appdb.winehq.org/.  There are several WINE front-ends, one popular one being PlayOnLinux; which is aimed at playing Windows based games under WINE on Linux, but other apps work as well.  Cedega is another option which is also targeted at gamers (however, it is a subscription based service)

The second solution: a virtual machine.  Take for example, you already have a

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