1 Reply by GaryP

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Re: Recorder under Linux

I think I know the answer to this question but I thought I would ask. I have been experimenting with some 'live' Linux systems. i.e. you can boot off a cd/dvd and have a linux system 'running'. It looks like a good alternative to running a Windows operating system. Looking around the system under Linux you can see and access the files that have been created under Windows. Anyway, my question is, is it an option that Recorder could be run under Linux? If not direct could it be run in some sort of virtual mode? Same question also what about Apple machines? Can you do similar on Macbooks or similar?

Anyway, would be interested to hear some thoughts.

Gary Pocklington

2 Reply by charliebarnes

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Re: Recorder under Linux

I've tried running Recorder using Wine (http://www.winehq.org/), but needless to say I gave up pretty quickly.

I do however use it in a virtual machine under Linux (and in theory on Mac) - you'd need a Windows license, but I haven't had any problems using e.g. http://www.virtualbox.org/

See http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?id=673

Charlie Barnes
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Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership

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3 Reply by GaryP

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Re: Recorder under Linux

Thanks for your reply Charlie.

I thought I would try the Wine emulator with some simple software. The first problem I came up against was that it did not seem to like installing programs from a CD?! I thought that the emulation would be a matter of linking to existing installations. But, you have to install from scratch. I suppose that makes sense but if you can't load from a CD then that rules out most of my software!

The VirtualBox seems to be a better solution. I guess that until I make my main operating system to be Linux then not sure what I gain? The current PC I have is refurbished and runs XP pro but I don't have the installation disks. So switching to Linux and re-installing XP is not a viable option.

I like the way Linux (Ubuntu) runs and the availability of software for it. So, perhaps at the moment if I stick with Windows and have the VirtualBox system setup for Linux I will be able to evaluate it better? Although, it is encouraging to hear that you are running Recorder successfully through Linux/VirtualBox.

Cheers for now

Gary Pocklington

4 Reply by Stuart (edited by Stuart 18-10-2012 14:25:27)

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Re: Recorder under Linux

Not clear what version of Recorder you are talking about. I have Recorder 2002 running happily under Wine on my Asus netbook - which runs a customised version of Ubuntu.

However, you won't get standalone Recorder 6 running under a non-Windows OS. That is because Rec6 uses SQL Server as its underlying database and SQL Server is very deeply entangled into the Windows OS. It will not run in a 'nix environment. But, Recorder is designed to run as a multiuser system on a network, so I see no reason why the Recorder 6 workstation client would not run happily under Wine on a Linux workstaion in network environment with the SQL Server running elsewhere (i.e. on a Windows server connected to the network).

5 Reply by charliebarnes

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Re: Recorder under Linux

Stuart wrote:

Not clear what version of Recorder you are talking about.

6 - I haven't tried 2002.

Stuart wrote:

I see no reason why the Recorder 6 workstation client would not run happily under Wine on a Linux workstaion in network environment with the SQL Server running elsewhere (i.e. on a Windows server connected to the network).

Interesting idea - that hadn't occured. I might have to give it a whirl (albeit with SQL Server in a virtual machine).

Charlie Barnes
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Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership

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6 Reply by RobLarge (edited by RobLarge 19-10-2012 08:17:42)

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Re: Recorder under Linux

I don't see the point in running SQL Server in a virtual machine, under a live Linux system on a machine which has windows installed anyway. Can't be efficient can it?

I've played about with Linux and I love it, but for work it is so much easier to just use windows. One solution I have considered though, is using a redundant machine (maybe an older laptop running xp) purely as a server, with nothing else running on it except SQL Server and the core Recorder application, then running the workstation software under emulation on a faster stabler, linux machine networked to it.

Of course 2002 uses an access database not SQL Server, so that is much simple to implement under emulation.

Rob Large
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Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre

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7 Reply by charliebarnes

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Re: Recorder under Linux

RobLarge wrote:

I don't see the point in running SQL Server in a virtual machine, under a live Linux system on a machine which has windows installed anyway. Can't be efficient can it?

I assumed Garys original post was just a reference to playing with Linux using a live CD, and if it worked switching to Linux "fulltime".

Charlie Barnes
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Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership

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