How do I run a windows program in Linux

Once again I praise the Master Gurus!!! I just found this, there were not alerts as I found it in email. I'm off my schedule. Usually pick up email once a day on dial up. So I did not see the primary designation on any of the linux prog yet. I made the partitions originally on windows with easus. So what are 'flags' for and where do you see that 'primary' designation in linux please. This last hurdle to get the boot grub working is all I need to do. All partitions say 'no root files' when I try to install...I only tried on sys [I think that is 1] and sda3 Mint, Didn't try sda2 Windows 7. Should I try windows? Does active mean mounted. I'm learning but I'm a punchy noobe. Sys is at the beginning and has 9MB free. How do I 'point' to Mint part sda3? Mint install does ask but so far we get the 'no root file' message. Just tried again a couple of hours ago. I did as you said. Tried again. Now in the beginning I was told to select the 'something else' option as the install asked for direction so that the whole drive was not overwritten and I lost windows which I need for that astrology program which is critical. I need windows till I get that program working in Wine or Virtual box and then windows is probably out of here. So I need a duel boot. Is the 'something else' option correct? Doing things that way gives me the 'no root files' message. I do have to check to see if the partitions are mounted or not. Do I understand, they should NOT be mounted when installing Mint. I'm re-reading what you reiterated several times thanks nothing mounted during install, got it. I'm off to try again!
 


When using terminal do you need to use it at the start of a command line or is it used just to replace su etc? I'm going to windows to check out the 'primary' designation since I can't find it in linux and also reconfirm usb first boot which it must be as I couldn't be using live otherwise before boot repair. I do need to know how to 'point' the boot because the 1st partition only has 10MB and I'm assuming i want to point to either the windows partition or the Mint partitions.
 
Well Vrai et al, it didn't work. I checked the boot order, it is properly aligned. I turned off firewall and virus. I saw that all four drives are primary and unmounted. I used the Mint install disk which I had verified chum on before I burned it. Windows is booting again and working, yet the message is still 'no root file system', and no alternatives offered. So can someone assist me in my quest to accomplish my goal of a duel boot in which I can choose which OS I want to boot. I do hope we can get this resolved. I've been wanting to kick MS for decades. I sense Wine will work for me these days...yet I have to test things to make sure all works, since they don't give the software on a disk anymore and I can't re-install. So Thanks for saving my lively-hood and I look forward to the success of a duel boot before I must leave hi-speed.
 
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@0p
Wine is no go, we live in year 2020.

There is a good program called CrossOver and it’s free alternative PlayOnLinux. CrossOver is better.

You can run office 2010 32 bit no problem.
WinRar 64 bit no problem.
FruityLoops latest 64 bit no problem.
World of tanks no problem.
etc...

I regularly run subspace continuum on linux.

Wine is like saying arch or gentoo. Good. But why.
 
Thanks u666sa, I'll definitely see if I can get it saved on the Mint live, and I'll note it in my hard copy notes. The rest of your info is over my head...I choose Open Office then Libre after Word 2000. Yet I assume those are robust prog, and I'd imagine any game is a good test. I'll try to get it today as I think I'll have to leave hi speed today. For my boot issue...since I get that message 'no root files' when I try to install Mint, could it be Windows interference, and could it be overcome through the terminal somehow? I'm just trying to get Linus on the hard drive o I can save things. No fun playing otherwise. Any ideas. Now that I finally got some sleep my brain is puzzeling on this, without a base knowledge foundation. Any suggestions on partition settings as a fix. I haven't found much info to read when I enter 'root file system' into the search. I'll keep looking. Thanks everyone for the amazing assist.
 
Sounds to me, vic, you are trying to recreate windows. That will lead you to failure. Linux is many things, from ordinary desktop to cyber weapon. If you want to learn things around, not sure about your distro, it should be manjaro or ubuntu. Further more, fastest way to linux is hacking. Youtube for null byte. It will teach you to git clone source and compile it, that in turn is basic things like windows apps on linux.

It’s highly rewarding.

Would I use linux to let’s say view a pdf from my power company containing my bill?

no. I could. I did, it looked broken. There are windows apps for that. That’swhy you need wine or playonlinux.

Point is, linux is not a replacement for windows. Do have a windows in your household even if it is dual boot. Period.
 
thing is you don't need a boot repair disk; if you can successfully install a Linux OS because the install will put the boot info onto disk so you can boot up that linix OS.
Then for Windows it will be just a case of updating the boot manager to include Windows. i know that works because once I did a dual boot of Windows and a linux os using Lilo boot manager .


if there was one OS i would put on a usb it would be knoppix; it has gparted and some tools.if you want to give it a go look for EN in iso file name file (i.e english)

eg http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/...ux/knoppix/DVD/KNOPPIX_V8.6-2019-08-08-EN.iso

either burn to dvd disc or to usb stick









then you will have to have another usb for the iso you want to install.

this is a good thread that just about involves everything including cooking an omlete

where we attempted to help a user; well worth a read


Hello Captain, I just saw this reply to specific message button. Are you suggesting it might be easier to try another OS? I'm not tied to Mint. Just thought I'd try it since it was suppose to be so easy. My tower has Kubuntu with KDE. So I'm up for any potential that will accomplish my goal of a double boot. Are you saying I should have a live usb like this one Mint and then install from another live usb with another Linux OS like Koppix? If so, sounds good to me. They would like me out of here soon, and I'd love to succeed with duel boot on hard drive so I can save in Linux.
 
thing is you don't need a boot repair disk; if you can successfully install a Linux OS because the install will put the boot info onto disk so you can boot up that linix OS.
Then for Windows it will be just a case of updating the boot manager to include Windows. i know that works because once I did a dual boot of Windows and a linux os using Lilo boot manager .


if there was one OS i would put on a usb it would be knoppix; it has gparted and some tools.if you want to give it a go look for EN in iso file name file (i.e english)

eg http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/...ux/knoppix/DVD/KNOPPIX_V8.6-2019-08-08-EN.iso

either burn to dvd disc or to usb stick









then you will have to have another usb for the iso you want to install.

this is a good thread that just about involves everything including cooking an omlete

where we attempted to help a user; well worth a read


FYI that link connected yet download failed twice. So I'm off to find another OS
 
what i can see is that there may be an element of confusion at "clutching at straws" .
Knoppix is a live distro and its not aimed at installing .What it does allow you to do is boot knoppix from a usb and use Gparted to set up partitons on your PC before you start to try to install any Linix OS.

In terms of your first partition that may have been Windows associated. But if its toast then nothing easily is going to fix it. You don't need to install anything on first partition so don't bother with it. In terms of the first 512 bytes that is a special area thats left for eg MBR

So personally i would take a deep breadth slow down and prepare and work methodically.

The first 512 bytes will be free whatever you put on your partitions.

What ever OS you are going to install its prudent to set up the partitons so during the install ; it will mainly be a case of the install saying "we have found a partiton of swap , at sda/xx can you confirm that " -yes

we have found a partion of file system ext4 , do you want to use that partition as your root install - yes.

Some live OS you can also install. Other linux distros don;t have a live that you install. instead they have an iso file that you burn to a usb. You boot from that usb as part of the install process.
As i previously said this thread goes through everything for someone trying to install mint including how to cook an omlette. I would just stop and read it through all 16 pages . Then come back with questions :
 
Also @70 Tango Charlie is very patient (compared to me) and was a contributer i'm sure he will chip in if you can digest and think about what you read in the thread and approach to installing
 
what i can see is that there may be an element of confusion at "clutching at straws" .
Knoppix is a live distro and its not aimed at installing .What it does allow you to do is boot knoppix from a usb and use Gparted to set up partitons on your PC before you start to try to install any Linix OS.

In terms of your first partition that may have been Windows associated. But if its toast then nothing easily is going to fix it. You don't need to install anything on first partition so don't bother with it. In terms of the first 512 bytes that is a special area thats left for eg MBR

So personally i would take a deep breadth slow down and prepare and work methodically.

The first 512 bytes will be free whatever you put on your partitions.

What ever OS you are going to install its prudent to set up the partitons so during the install ; it will mainly be a case of the install saying "we have found a partiton of swap , at sda/xx can you confirm that " -yes

we have found a partion of file system ext4 , do you want to use that partition as your root install - yes.

Some live OS you can also install. Other linux distros don;t have a live that you install. instead they have an iso file that you burn to a usb. You boot from that usb as part of the install process.
As i previously said this thread goes through everything for someone trying to install mint including how to cook an omlette. I would just stop and read it through all 16 pages . Then come back with questions :
Disk repair retrieved the windows partition. It was working fine after that until I tried to install POP. Then the same thing happened. Download of koppix failed twice. I was just downloading it to another usb drive. I used gparted to set up the partitions, although I am not clear on exact specifics.
I found gtkHash to verify iso files. Works great, so it is confirmed that the second distro I tried to install was also checksum verified. Again I lost access to windows...thank the computer gods for Repair Disk. What I saw with this last attempt as I watched the POP iso try to install was an error with the grub. This is also seen in the Mint install, with both programs ending with the message 'no root files'. Now I am a noobe and can only succeed in following instructions. Yet from what I've been reading it seems that windows is famous for breaking the boot loader. Both programs indicated that the grub had failed. If I could get guidance about what the partition settings should be to achieve a duel boot, I may be able to accomplish my intention. The POP program said that I needed to indicate which partition was root and which was boot. The partitions are Sys ntfs [only 9MB free] , windows 7 ntfs, Linux ext4, and Swap. Can someone please tell me which I should designate what. They are all currently primary. The swap, and I believe, the Linux are the only ones active at present. Can someone guide me in what those settings should be, and perhaps that will achieve success. The other question is how do I get the grub to mount or install. All assistance, suggestions are welcome. You wrote the first 512MB are free, is that on the hard drive or on each partition? Do I understand that the root is the linux ext4. Which partition should be designated boot. And how do I get grub repaired or installed?
 
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ok lets clarify a couple of things ; if you have only Windows and then install any Linux os you will probably find at first you can not boot windows- thats common but not a problem.

The master boot record is at the first section of the hard drive ; i just relalized that you saod that the first partition can not mount , (not read) thus that will probably affect writing MBR

You can put grub info onto the partition of the Linux os; info will go into a directory of /boot/grub


So in simple terms V this is what you are going to do:

the root partition for Mint (if your partitions are still the same as last seem diagram) will be the 253gig ext4 partition. you will tell grub to also install on the 253 gig partition.

hopefully it will boot up. When it does go to a terminal Window and type:

sudo update-grub

hopefully that will add Windows to the grub boot choices
 
I had hoped I could have the programs I need on a usb drive or on the live Mint to take home and finish working this from dial-up.

won't happen. you burned your mint using etcher, and that does not support persistence. once you unplug the stick, all changes are lost.

wizard
 
You can put grub info onto the partition of the Linux os; info will go into a directory of /boot/grub


So in simple terms V this is what you are going to do:

the root partition for Mint (if your partitions are still the same as last seem diagram) will be the 253gig ext4 partition. you will tell grub to also install on the 253 gig partition.
Yes, Grub can be put just about anywhere - But - I do believe there needs to be a 'snippet' or a 'pointer' in the Master Boot Record to tell Grub where the rest of the Grub files are located.

Yes? No?

Edit: just after the MBR and before the first partition (usually).
 
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yes @Vrai stage one is on the MBR first 512 bytes and stage 2 in the grub files ; which in my second paragraph of previous post i alluded that if the whole first partition was toast this might be why there is a problem.

Then i saw in another of V's post that disk rescue had rescued boot and i assumed she meant she could get Windows back running again. If thats the case , during install and telling grub to install on the ext4 should also include grub writing wagt it needs to for stage one boot onto the MBR. if thats not the case i suggest booting OS from usb and fixing that first partition, What do you think ? Do you think thats a way to go ?
 
yes @Vrai stage one is on the MBR first 512 bytes and stage 2 in the grub files
Thanks for the confirmation. :)

Then i saw in another of V's post that disk rescue had rescued boot and i assumed she meant she could get Windows back running again. If thats the case , during install and telling grub to install on the ext4 should also include grub writing wagt it needs to for stage one boot onto the MBR. if thats not the case i suggest booting OS from usb and fixing that first partition,
I thought I read that too. That 'V' was now able to boot into Windows after applying the rescue disk but apparently not able to boot into Linux Mint. I think re-formatting partition #3, the Linux partition, as ext 4 and trying another install from the Live USB would be worth a shot.
 
i think she has to come back and confirm that the first partiton is formated and can be read ; but not sure what thread she is going to use ?
 
Wizard: Unfortunately, I'm back on dial-up. Yes I see I can't save anything on the live stick. I've been using another usb to save what I can.

Vrai: How do I get a 'pointer' into the MBR? Should I use gparted and resize partitions to allow grub to be installed in the First 'sys' partition? That seems a fix if it doesn't mess with the data on the windows partition. Can I move the 'Mint' 253GB ext4 partition between the 1st part and Windows part? I'm guessing not without erasing windows data. If I can put grub boot into the Linux partition which is currently empty, how do I do this. Can I make a new partition just after the first 'sys' partition for the boot or the whole linux system without loosing windows?
Vrai in response to Capt and 'wagt': Are you saying the grub needs to go on the 2nd partition which is Windows?

And to clarify the results: Repair Disk allows re-access to Windows sda2, and Mint live always functions, yet have never attain functioning install of Mint or POP on Linux partition sda3. 'no root files' message persists with no alternative actions that I can see. I did reformat Linux partition ext4 and tried to install...same results. Am I posting in the right place now? Sorry guys.

Captain: I did try reformating the ext4 partition [my intended Linux partition]. Still getting that 'no root files' message with a failed installation and then no access to windows. Repair disk overcomes that issue. So it looks like a grub boot install issue. Would it make life easier if I resized the first partition and installed grub boot there, and how do I do that? The second partition is windows currently and it is still accessible...on it now, since Linux isn't able to access dial-up yet. I'm reading, digesting, and responding to all these wonderful posts before I get kicked off line. So I'm reading that I have to tell grub to install 'wagt' somewhere [MBR? is that likely on the First 'sys' partition?] How do I do that. Can I pause install and access through terminal?]
 
Apologies again gentlemen, I just flipped to the 1st page of this thread and see it is not under the 'duel boot' thread. Can one of the masters put it where it belongs and I'll try to get this protocol straight in the future. I was brought here from email and didn't think to check where I was.
 

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