Here is a little history of how I got involved in the Virtual Linux project..... if anyone cares .............
If not I guess you can just skip the rest of this post...... otherwise here goes........
About 2-3 years ago I started playing with the idea of learning Linux..... because my window machine got hammered with a boot virus and then right after that one I got another..... and that so crippled my machine a complete reinstall was required (sound familiar at all??)
Well if your a windows user, I'm sure most of you have felt my pain.......... anyway my first attempt at linux was a complete washout......... with no idea of where to look for help and not knowing anyone...... I was stuck trying to install Mandrake 6.2 (bought from BestBuy) on my own. No Luck...... just couldn't get it to work........ about 6months to a year later... I found version 7.2 of Mandrake was now out...
I was now a little smarter and bought it from LinuxCentral.com for alot less than BestBuy had it for.......... hey... I was learning :D Anyway..... I did get it to install in a computer and was hooked from then on........ see I'm not much of a command line guy...... windows babied me and I didn't know squat about the command line...... thats one reason I had so much trouble with version 6.2 or was it 6.1 ????????? I don't remember..... but the point being, I finally was able to SEE what Linux actually looked like on my own computer!!
After a little while I started reading more about what other cool stuff you could do with linux. Web Servers, Terminal Servers, Kiosks, embedded applications, and of course a bootable cd based version. I decided the last one would be the easiest to get started with.........so I went and downloaded a linux bootable toolbox.....or something along those lines...but it only had blackbox window manager and not much else..... then I ran into Demo Linux... downloaded it and WOW ..... that one caught my attention..... a full blown operating system that was running from just my cd rom drive! I was at the time just learning about sourceforge.net..... I did a search and came across Crixz project Virtual-Linux..... it was just him and him alone. I emailed him and let him know that I was very interested in his project and wondered if he was even working on it as it had been quite awhile since his last post release or even comment. A few day/weeks later I recieved an email from him and corresponded with him and asked if I could be of some assistance....... but told him I was not a bash programmer or anything of that nature. So we settled on me being the webdesigner since I had some experience in that field.
So then I was off and running..... helping Crixz with the sourceforge.net site and being a VERY vocal member of the team...I asked for help and we started to get some interest...... more because Crixz had just came out with version 1.1 than anything I had done. I edited some docs and continued working on the website.... and before I knew it we actually had a growing list of developers.
I see many uses for virtual-linux in the future..... be it cd based or chip based...... I hope it continues to improve. Eventually I hope it is easy to customise and to add your own mix of apps... perhaps creating a application that creates the cusomised iso files would be another great project...but I'm getting ahead of myself..... Unfortunately, I have tons of great ideas...just not always the technical expertise to impliment them.
Fortunately for you and me..... Virtual-Linux now does have a growing list of developers and they are WAY more adept at programming than I am. The developers have all been great, and have given Crixz some valuable input. The interest is definately there from the users..... downloads continue to move the counters at sourceforge. If you haven't downloaded Virtual-Linux yet.. I urge you to do so. It is quite alot of fun.
I have high hopes for future versions of Virtual-Linux...... since it pretty much follows Mandrake..... you know it will be nice. For now, I am content to help do what little I can to let the rest of the world know about Linux..... the best thing since sliced bread :) Virtual-Linux is probably hands down the best way to demonstrate Linux to a new user without ever having to install the operating system...... they can play around with it and not hurt anything on their computer........ ahhhhhhhh the power of Linux :D :D :D
