Web developer needs MS OS for testing

[liderbug]

Being a LAMP snob, it pains me to even think these thoughts, but ...

I'm running FC-9, and developing websites, mainly using PHP - well the whole LAMP thing. I now find the need to test/code for IE. To that end I'm thinking VMware, VitrualBox, etc. ... loaded up with that "other" OS.

I'm sure others have gone down this path. I'm guessing the answer is Win-7. My main question is: OK, I do a virgin buy and install and register it on my VM. Six months later I want to change from VM-X to VM-Y and I reinstall - what is MS's feelings on VM's.

Thanks

[Adunaic]

Been down a similar route before. I have tired ie4linux and wine but none of these were that good. I found the best solution was to install Windows as a VM. Although I don't know there policy with VM's I would assume its the same as physicaly machines. Only one copy install at any one time. You could always read the EULA it may have the answer in there, I know the answer for insomnia is

[davidvandoren]

Even a third time telephone activation was no problem with my windows XP.

The good thing about vms is that you can copy your vm somewhere and use it as a backup.
Or update them differently.
only one at a time though.
You are not allowed to install several at the same time but backups should not be a problem.

[shaolin]

not sure if you have a copy of XP Pro available to you...but you can always run VirtualBox and install XP as a Guest OS on your Linux Box. Then you can at least test your websites on whatever version of IE you'd like.

[smurffit]

Maybe, you're intrested in this: http://browsershots.org/

[liderbug]

Hmmm, some good thoughts, thanks. Also from another source of help I got vmware.com/appliances and there is a W7 that I tried and it works. So it looks like I just has'ta pick my poison.

Thanks again

[drinkingcoffee]

Until recently, there were these images provided directly by microsoft for free(!)

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

They are VPC (virtual PC) images, but ran just fine (sometimes with minor tinkering) under virtualbox -- the only catch was that they are time-limited, so expire every few months (no big deal). The community rejoiced, and thought 'hey, maybe MSFT isn't so bad after all'.


Unfortunately at some point, they changed it so that the images would only work in VirtualPC (which is windows only). Many people (myself included) are upset. It's not so much the cost of not having to shell out for a copy of windows, but it's so stupidly convenient to just download their images... especially if you are unfortunate enough to need to test under IE 6, 7 and 7.... (just grab an image for each).

There was a friendly and helpful MSFT employee who chimed in on the issue on the virtualbox forums and looked into it a bit, but so far not much has come of it: http://blogs.msdn.com/petel/archive/...vpc-hosts.aspx