Building Your Dev Workstation or Laptop

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volomike
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Building Your Dev Workstation or Laptop

Post by volomike »

I needed to build a new development laptop and I needed it to give me a default Linux boot OS, followed by a way to test IE6, IE7, Opera, FF2, FF3, and Safari. I also wanted to do it all 100% free, including if I needed to install any OSes. And I didn't want to have to pay for a Macintosh. So, there are a few things I learned today that I didn't know.

I installed Ubuntu 8.04 for the boot OS. It's so much nicer than previous versions of Ubuntu -- worked fantastic with my wireless chipset, my audio, and managed to easily give me full video with 3D enhancement effects (to dazzle the ladies looking over my shoulder in the airport).

For IE6 testing, just throw on IES4Linux. I found it handled Conditional Comments and matched up exactly with what I was seeing in a remote desktop with a real IE6 on a real W2KS install I had on the network. I didn't realize that IES4Linux was so stable with IE6 now.

I assume you're already on FF3. For FF2, install it for your root account (or other account) so as not to mess up your FF3's .mozilla folder in $HOME. You might not have known that FF2 and FF3 could end up sharing the same .mozilla folder unless created under separate user accounts, causing havoc with either of those browsers.

For Opera and IE7 testing, I installed VirtualBox. Now, a little-known fact is that Ubuntu 8.04 has a bug with VirtualBox if you do it the Synaptic, Aptitude, or 'apt-get' route to install it. It just won't work. To fix that, go get the version (in a deb file) from Sun's website (since they bought Innotek). Okay, the next thing you'll need is an OS capable of running IE7. That means either XP, Vista, Windows 2003 Server, or Windows 2008 Server. But those cost money, right? Yes, but you might not know that if you go to Microsoft's website, search on Windows 2008 Server, you'll find a Trial Version that lasts up to 240 days. And there is the potential that you might be able to play clock games or other hacks to make that trial last even longer -- I don't know yet.

For Mac Safari testing, there's no need to purchase a Macintosh anymore. Just install Safari for Windows -- it's the same Webkit rendering engine in the Windows and Mac versions. So, in the Windows 2008 Server that you install, just throw in Safari for Windows as well.

And there you have it -- for 100% free, and without needing to purchase an expensive Mac, you can get FF2, FF3, Opera, Safari, IE6, and IE7 testing all on the same system, along with two free operating systems -- Windows and Ubuntu Linux.
alex.barylski
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Re: Building Your Dev Workstation or Laptop

Post by alex.barylski »

When did Windows becomes free??? :P
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omniuni
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Re: Building Your Dev Workstation or Laptop

Post by omniuni »

Actually, for safari testing, it's a pretty decent bet to simply test in the Konqueror web browser. Although the KDE devs have been a bit better about fixing bugs, and safari supports WYSIWYG javascript HTML editors, the two browsers have the same base (KHTML) and display things nearly the same.

On Ubuntu, you can install FF2 and FF3 side-by-side, as well as Opera.

Virtualbox works fine for me using the regular Ubuntu packages.

IE6 is slightly buggy, but it works fine for testing purposes.

I like to use Compiz, though, which might have something to do with IE6's strangeness.
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volomike
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Re: Building Your Dev Workstation or Laptop

Post by volomike »

omniuni wrote:Actually, for safari testing, it's a pretty decent bet to simply test in the Konqueror web browser. Although the KDE devs have been a bit better about fixing bugs, and safari supports WYSIWYG javascript HTML editors, the two browsers have the same base (KHTML) and display things nearly the same.

On Ubuntu, you can install FF2 and FF3 side-by-side, as well as Opera.

Virtualbox works fine for me using the regular Ubuntu packages.

IE6 is slightly buggy, but it works fine for testing purposes.

I like to use Compiz, though, which might have something to do with IE6's strangeness.

Are you using Ubuntu 8.04 yet? If so, then you'll find that Virtualbox will install and load up okay, but when you try to install Windows into it, it will jam up with a known bug. The fix at least for now is to uninstall it and go get the Debian version from Sun's website.
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omniuni
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Re: Building Your Dev Workstation or Laptop

Post by omniuni »

I am indeed on Ubuntu 8.04.

I just installed Windows XP in Virtualbox, no problem.
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volomike
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Re: Building Your Dev Workstation or Laptop

Post by volomike »

omniuni wrote:I am indeed on Ubuntu 8.04.

I just installed Windows XP in Virtualbox, no problem.
Hmm. They must have fixed the package. I even have a bug report that I saw on Launchpad (long since gone in browser history, I'm afraid) where it stated that Virtualbox was DOA in Ubuntu 8.04 and that you have to use Sun Virtualbox in Debian format instead of apt-get install virtualbox.

Well, I guess this is good news.
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omniuni
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Re: Building Your Dev Workstation or Laptop

Post by omniuni »

It would indeed seem that it is fixed. A friend of mine also was able to run my VM after installing Virtualbox on his own laptop* (a newly installed ubuntu 8.04 system).

*If it's about Windows licensing, I know.

P.S. I checked out your website. I am 20, and I have worked with Linux since RedHat 7.3 - HA! lol It looks good, though.
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