Virtual Windows98
Oh, you have to be a masochist. Perhaps merely a flinty cheapskate. Windows 98 is insecure, slow and inefficient, and, well, is Windows (I am an unabashed Linux user).
On the other hand, Windows 98SE is the only Windows OS that can be used without constantly contacting Microsoft (which consumes a huge amount of network time in aggregate). (It also does not require registration to run and is not linked to specific hardware, as are other versions of Windows). It also allows the modicum of networking required for CPRS.
Further, many old computers have a copy lying around (with a license) that can be co-opted for the purposes of using in a virtual machine. Our organization had a closetful of old unused computers with Windows 98 licenses gathering dust.
Using Windows 98SE in VirtualBox
VirtualBox doesn't really like Windows 98. The guest additions don't work well (if at all), and there are no intrinsic device drivers in VirtualBox to support the antique Windows 98 drivers.
With a few tweaks, however, Windows 98 can be made to run in a VirtualBox virtual machine suitably enough to run CPRS.
- Install VirtualBox.
- In my (K)Ubuntu system, I used
sudo apt-get install virtualbox-ose virtualbox-ose-source virtualbox-guest-additions
- Start VirtualBox and create a Windows98 virtual machine. I gave it 1024 RAM and 4 Gb virtual hard drive space. (I'm not sure if these are ideal, but it's what I could afford.)
- Place the Win98SE setup disk in the CD-ROM drive and start the virtual machine. Install Windows98 as usual. I do a custom install and don't include all the "extra" programs to save space. Internet Explorer, VPN, and the networking modules are required so I leave those alone.
