Win XP as Virtual machine in Virtualbox

[Silver Surfer]

Hi Guys,

Geriatric “Silver Surfer” needs your advice again.
Since my migration from M$, and now well into 2 years using my dedicated “Linuxmint” laptop, I ventured to install Virtualbox which was successful, and to make one of the VMs a “Windows XP” VM, which I always liked, prior to the compulsory “Windows 10” as I have some peripherals and software that only runs in “Windows”
I have installed the virgin Windows XP OS from my old installation disc into Virtualbox, also successfully.

However, in view of all the problems with M$ software in the past, do I need to go through all the Windows updates and install SP3, as this is a basic virgin installation, together with installing an antivirus before I use it!. I used to use free ”AVAST”

Silver Surfer

[AndyMH]

No, I've got XP running in a VM and other than installing it I've done nothing with it. Its sole purpose for me is to run Saab's workshop information system (WIS) which only runs under XP.

[Silver Surfer]

Thx AndyMH,
Does that mean therefore, it won't try and update! or be affected by any hackers.
Silver Surfer

[AndyMH]

Mine hasn't tried to update, not sure that updates are available anymore. And I don't use XP for the web, that's for mint and chromium.

[Silver Surfer]

OK AndyMH,
So if you are not using the Win XP browser, how are you getting and downloading and installing required Win XP specific programs e.g. Skype?

Silver Surfer

[AndyMH]

Don't use skype, but if you want that you're better off using the version in mint (install via the software manager). For other stuff, set up a shared folder so that you can share files between mint and XP.

Screenshot from 2018-09-22 08-54-41.png

Any shared folders will appear in XP as a network drive:

Screenshot from 2018-09-22 08-59-15.png

If you want to share stuff on USB sticks/drives you need to install guest-additions into XP and add yourself to the vboxusers group.

[Pierre]

there is a whole pile of software, that really only worked well, on win-xp,
& as such, there is quire a valid reason, to run win-xp inside a VM .. ..

most folks, also don't know, that you can still get win-xp from M$ themselves,
- even these days. it's a definite worth-while project, to undertake.

[Silver Surfer]

OK! Thx guys for your input.
Thanks Pierre. Yes! I agree. That’s why I’m loathe to part with it entirely.

AndyMH... I only want to use Skype because the rest of the family wants to use it still on their M$ OS computers. If I install the “Software Manager” version am I likely to be spied on like I always felt was the case, since it’s an M$ app, and will M$ insist on updating it as they wish?
Back to Win XP VM. I tried to install Firefox as an alternative Browser, but kept being told page was not available to download (Assume this was M$ up to it’s old tricks and blocking me). Am I best not to do this anyway?

Silver Surfer

[Pierre]

if you do use the Skype program, from any source,
then you may run the risk of your use-age statistics, being used for "promotional purposes".

[Silver Surfer]

Mmmm. Yes Pierre! I guess it’s a case of “There’s no such thing as a free lunch” and everything must have a “Payload”.
Ah well! Will keep my “Skype” activities to the minimum.
Silver Surfer

[fruitkiller]

It's a question I've had myself. I only use VM's to hide my "computer name" with a winxp x64..well for a while, now I have one for win7 x64 ultimate, but it's not that often something I can otherwise run wiith CrossOver 17 in Mint itself and as I have tried, most small applications all work very well with wine.

[phd21]

Hi "Silver Surfer",

I just read your post and the good replies to it. Here are my thoughts on this as well.

I cannot determine yet from your post and its replies what your reasons are for installing MS Windows XP into Virtualbox?

If it is just for using Skype, use the "Skype for Linux" application or install "Rambox" and use Skype within that which a lot of Linux users use, perhaps "franz" and Skype within that.

I.) +1 for Skype is not a secure method of communications, but there are "Skype alternatives" that are secure:"Qtox", "Wire", "Ring", "Jitsi", etc... and many posts on this topic in this forum.

Download Skype for Linux
* select Get Skype for Linux deb file, download it, double-click it to install it.
https://www.skype.com/en/get-skype/


II.) "Rambox"
Rambox 0.5.17 Download - TechSpot
https://www.techspot.com/downloads/6893-rambox.html

III.) Franz – a free messaging app for Slack, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram and more
https://meetfranz.com/

Hope this helps ...

[AZgl1800]

I have WinXP installed in a VM, and I did not, and will not, try to apply any of the updates for it.
why should we?
Just using it as a base for another application, it won't be online 24/7 anyway.
and quite honestly, the hackers aren't looking for WinXP anymore, and they surely aren't trying to search for every PC on the planet.

I have a friend a couple miles away. He has 4 desktop WinXP computers running, for his business.
He boots them up, does what he needs to do, and shuts them down.
He has not had any problems with any of them, except for one. a grand-kid came in one day and installed a whole bunch of stuff on it, and it bombed..... I looked at it, and decided it was easier to do a reinstall than try to figure out what the kid did.

After that, we locked it down, and left a Guest Account on it for the grand-kids to use. No installs period for them anymore. funny that.... the kid that screwed it all up came to grandpa complaining that the computer wasn't any good now.... guess what? grandpa said "I have a better idea.... if you touch any of my computers, I will bust your ass, now get out of my office, and don't you ever come back."

Skype?
I won't allow that to touch anything I own.

[Silver Surfer]

Hi AZgl1500,

Yes Grand-kids need keeping an eye on. My 11 year old grandson, often creeps into my “Office” room secretly, but hasn’t found a way to get past my “Password” on that “Windows XP Professional” computer.
I’m a just about still maintaining some “superior knowledge” by being able to do things on his phone that amazes him. Don’t think my “Superiority” will hold for much longer though.

It wasn’t just for “Skype” that I set up a Win XP VM. Many of the useful programs I had, only ran on Win XP Professional, so it would be convenient to have it available on my Laptop.

Ah! now to Skype. As I said in my previous post the rest of the family use it, and although I have Qtox I can’t persuade them to switch over to it, even though it’s cross platform, especially as "Grandad" also uses this weird computing system called “Linux” on his other computers.

Thanks for your thoughts though!

Hi phd21,
Good to hear from you again. You may remember we have chatted on Qtox before, to overcome my “Newbie knowledge” regarding Linux, and very much appreciated it was.

I’ll follow your suggestion and download the Linux deb file for Skype. It will keep the “Peace” in the rest of the family.

Silver Surfer

[Pierre]

Yeah - it's inevitable that grandpa's “Superiority” may not hold for much longer though. ..

so, the New Rule, must change to "I have a better idea.... if you touch any of my computers,
& I will bust your ass, now get out of my office, and don't you ever come back."

they will get in - Eventually - - so a Fall Back Position is Most Desirable.

[Silver Surfer]

Hi phd21,
Further to my last post to you.
I downloaded the Skype package as you suggested. Took along time to get it to respond, obviously required a re boot. Having entered my Skype name and password, I then got asked to generate a Keyring code.
Worried about what this is! Never been asked for this before. Is it something Microsoft are wanting or is it linuxmint wanting this? It wouldn't let me take a screenshot of this panel.

Silver Surfer

[BG405]

If it's KDE Wallet Manager (I assume from your signature that you're using KDE) or Gnome Keyring (with other DEs), it's likely nothing to worry about. What was the name of the keyring which came up?

[Silver Surfer]

Hi BG405,
Don’t know what it relates to.
When I click on Skype icon it loads up and request I sign in. I do this,then this panel appears
It’s just a panel, with a miniature window in top left with a line drawing of a padlock. The request is:-
Enter Password for keyring “Default Keyring” to unlock
underneath this it says:- “An application wants access to the Default keyring”
Then there is a panel to enter this Password.

Underneath this panel are the response radio buttons one says CANCEL the other says UNLOCK.
The computer won’t let me take a screenshot of this dialogue box or allow me to use any other program while it is displayed. It takes at least 2 clicks on the window close “X” to make it disappear, and then it appears SKYPE comes active.
Beginning to suspect M$ is up to it’s old tricks, trying to get at something I don’t want it to!

Silver Surfer

[BG405]

The computer won’t let me take a screenshot of this dialogue box or allow me to use any other program while it is displayed.

This sounds odd, nothing should completely hog the GUI. Maybe a workaround would be to open your Screenshot program & set a delay long enough for this dialog to appear, before attempting to login again? That may work; I use it for capturing popup dialogues & menus.

[AZgl1800]

I can tell you that sometimes a bad link in Firefox consumes 100% of the cpu and does indeed "hog the gui" to the point you can't do anything at all.

I have to use ^Q to exit FF and wait until the cpu finally gets to where it can recognize the 'exit' command.