Salix64 KDE 13.37 and Windows 7. Advice needed.

[globetrotterdk]

I need to install and learn to use Dreamweaver CS6, for developing and maintaining the website of an organization. I have been on Codeweavers website and as their Crossover product doesn't look like it is able to support Dreamweaver, I either have to install it inside a virtual machine running Win 7, or install Win 7 and Dreamweaver on an extra hard disk on my home made desktop computer. I have a Win 7 install running inside a VirtualBox virtual machine. at this time, but I am wondering whether I could run Dreamweaver in the virtual machine both technically and legally. Does anyone have any experience with a scenario similar to this? I never planned nstalling Windows, so Salix resides on my first hard disk. I suppose I could either physically switch the disk, so Win 7 resides on the first disk (is that still necessary?) I use GRUB, so if Win 7 is to be installed, I would need to reinstall GRUB, etc.

Any and all advice is appreciated. I am quite confused about how to move forward

[mimosa]

Legally you can - the only thing is you need a licence that would allow you to run it on a real machine. So if your licence only lets you have one instance of the product, and you have one on a real machine, you would have to uninstall before using it on a virtual machine. A VM is just the same as any computer for these purposes.

Technically you should certainly be able to; from the point of view of the software (including the OS) the VM looks just like a real machine. The only issue is likely to be speed.

[globetrotterdk]

Thanks for the quick reply. OK, sounds good so far. I would prefer to run Win based products in a virtual machine. RAM shouldn't be a problem either - I believe I have 8GB (not on that macine right now). There may be a problem with everything displaying slightly smaller in the virtual machine (depending on the amount of time spent staring at the screen)...

[mimosa]

You should be able to use full sceen mode. With Virtualbox, you need the Guest Additions to make this work. Can't remember in detail but the various tweaks are on the forum. I used to have XP in a VM and it was very much like using XP IRL, just slower, and no need to configure wireless, because wireless appeared as ethernet and "just worked".

[globetrotterdk]

Even when I use 128 MB on the video memory, I can't get anymore than two thirds of the full screen real estate. I have the guest additions installed and the display set to 1400 x 1050 which is the highest setting I can get in Win 7. It doesn't really take advantage of my Asus 1920 x 1200 monitor.

[Adys]

In you Win7 VM, you need to change the specific screen monitor. It is probably set as "standard" or something similar, and that's why you get 1050/1400=0.75=3/4 (as old CRT screen monitors). Your real screen is 1200/1920=0.625=10/16, so change your "hardware" settings in your Win7 VM as some screen monitor that uses 10/16 resolutions. Then "reboot" your Win7 VM and change its resolution accordingly. There might be other additional barriers, but at least you should be able to get the same screen proportion (10/16).

[globetrotterdk]

Thanks for the quick reply. I have gone through most of the graphics adapter drivers as well as the majority of monitor drivers and no matter what I change to, I am unable to get a resolution above 1400 x 1050.

[Adys]

Getting above 1400x1050 would be a second step in your case. The first step is to "force" Win7 to set the monitor to be compatible with 10/16 resolutions. Don't forget to reboot Win7 and re-check if the setting stays (doesn't change back to a standard monitor).

Once you have the possibility of 10/16 resolutions, in Virtualbox you can try several possibilities, like scale mode for example. Even if this wouldn't be perfect, it would still be usable since it would be using the same screen proportion as your real screen.

If you can't set the adequate screen proportion (the specific resolution is less important in this context), you might need to manually change the size of the VM screen to use only part of your real screen (so to simulate 4/3 screens) and/or then try each "View mode" (scale, full, seamless, auto re-size).

[globetrotterdk]

Thanks, but that is exactly the problem. I have tried setting the monitor to a number of settings. Right now I am using a generic "flat panel" driver with 2148 x 1536 (60Hz.) and 128 MB of video ram, but I am still unable to set a resolution above 1400 x 1050. I have also tried switching graphics cards drivers as well, but no luck. I am using VirtualBox 4.1.12.

[Adys]

2148x1536 is neither 3/4 nor 10/16 (nor 9/16).

Suggestions:
1._ allow even more video memory for the specific win7 VM (unless you don't have enough RAM left for your host OS);
2._ if you can't use 10/16, then use 3/4 screen proportions (remember to reboot the VM if you change screen proportions);
3._ use "scale view" for the specific VM but with the VM window NOT maximized. It should be comfortable enough for general simple tasks inside the VM.

HTH.