Win32-loader (Debian)

Infobox_Software
name = win32-loader


caption = win32-loader fetching the Debian Installer under Windows Vista
developer = Robert Millan
latest release version = 0.6.7
latest_release_date = release_date|2008|06|22
operating_system = Windows 95 / 98 / 2000 / XP / Vista
status =
genre = Debian-Installer loader
license = GPL (version 3)
website = [http://goodbye-microsoft.com/ goodbye-microsoft.com]

win32-loader is a component of the Debian-Installer that runs on Windows and has the ability to load the actual installer either from the network (as in the version used in [http://goodbye-microsoft.com/ goodbye-microsoft.com] ) or from CD-ROM media (as in the version included in lenny CD images).

win32-loader was born as an independent project, for which only the network version was available. Later the code would go through a long review and polishing process to become part of the official Debian distribution.

Influences

win32-loader strongly relies on projects such as NSIS, GRUB 2, loadlin and Debian-Installer to perform its task. Additionally, it has drawn inspiration and ideas from similar projects such as Wubi and Instlux.

Features

* Auto-detects 64-bit (amd64) support in host CPUs, and automatically selects amd64 flavour of Debian whenever supported, completely transparently to the user.
* Detects a number of settings from Windows environment (timezone, proxy settings, etc) and feeds them to Debian Installer via "preseeding" mechanism so that user doesn't have to select them.
* Translated to 28 languages. Selected language is displayed for user interaction since the first template, and is transparently passed on to Debian Installer via "preseeding".

imilar projects

* Topologilinux: uses coLinux to run on Windows.
* Instlux, included on openSUSE since the 10.3 release. [ [http://en.opensuse.org/Instlux Instlux - openSUSE ] ]
* Wubi.
* UNetbootin.

See also

* NSIS

References

External links

* [http://packages.debian.org/lenny/win32-loader Package description in Debian]
* [http://goodbye-microsoft.com/ The network version]