Setting up a VM to run an F12 guest on an XP host

[Marko Vojinovic]

On Monday 30 November 2009 00:16:18 john wendel wrote:
> On 11/29/2009 01:35 PM, Alan Milnes wrote:
> > 2009/11/28 john wendel<jwendel10 at comcast.net>:
> >> I'd like to run F12 on an XP box (so I can get some work done), could
> >> someone point me to the right software. The big problem is that I don't
> >> have admin privs on the XP box so I can't install anything. Is it even
> >> possible?
> >
> > You don't install F12 from within XP so as long as you can boot from a
> > CD/DVD this won't be an issue.  Just boot from a F12 LiveCD and the
> > installer should sort it all out for you - this is called "Dual Boot",
> > each time the computer starts you have the choice to run F12 or
> > Windows XP (one will be set as a default and you will have 10 seconds
> > to make a decision when the screen comes up).
> 
> Unfortunately, there is an intrusion detection system on the network
> that keeps me from setting up a dual-boot system. If I boot the F12 live
> cd, my network connection is disabled and the admins come and beat me
> about the head. So I think running F12 in a VM is going to be the best I
> can do.

Will the admins install, say, VirtualBox on XP if you ask them? If yes, great. 
If not, they probably have a good reason not to allow running any non-native 
OS. You should talk to them about it, and ask them to provide you a way of 
running Fedora.

Depending on the type of intrusion-detection system, you just might be able to 
fool it (if it is stupid enough) --- boot XP, open Control Panel -> Network 
Connections, right-click on the default network connection icon and select 
"status" (alternatively you can double-click on two little flashing monitors in 
the system tray, if they are there). Go to the "support" tab, click on 
"details" and write down all network-related information that is written 
there.

Then boot Fedora Live CD, and reconfigure NetworkManager to use exactly the 
same data. That just might do the trick. OTOH, maybe it won't be enough.

I've seen XP systems which were completely locked up, with no hope of the user 
doing something other than what is allowed by admins. However, given that you 
can boot off a CD, your system is not locked up that tight, and that can give 
you some space for fiddling around. If you are lucky, you might find a hole and 
exploit it.

But do try to talk to admins first, the legal way is always the best way. :-)

HTH, :-)
Marko