Internet Explorer 7 on Linux

An anonymous reader writes to mention WebExpose is running a quick guide to get Internet Explorer 7.0 running on Linux. From the article: "Microsoft conditional comments do work, unlike the standalone version of IE on Windows, so you will be able to develop and test webpages across almost all major browsers (IE 5-7, Firefox, Opera) on one Linux box! Also note that we will avoid Microsoft's Genuine Advantage download validation checks, so pure-Linux users will be able to finish the process without having to find a genuine Windows machine to download the IE7 setup file (the check is avoided legitimately, by the way)."

Just use a VM

[Anonymous Coward]

I only test on the actual OS it will be running on. Even the summary mentions different behaviour on Linux. Sheesh, I would never trust that setup.

I use VMware or similar to run on the target OS. It's the only way to be sure it will work as intended.

Can I ask an obvious question without being flamed

[djh101010]

Seriously. WHY? Why would I want to do that? What is so compelling about IE7 that I'd want to go through any effort at all? I'm using Firefox 2.0something, it meets my needs. If I were to jump through hoops to install this on my linux box, what would that get for me?

Jokes aside here guys, but what's the point?

Insanity

[Bogtha]

I just don't see how anybody can think this is a good idea for debugging websites. If you see problems with a design, how on earth are you going to be able to tell which are caused by bugs in Internet Explorer and which are caused by bugs in WINE? I know Internet Explorer is exceptionally buggy, but in my experience, WINE is a hundred times worse.

If you're going to need to test in Internet Explorer on Linux, then full-machine virtualisation with a genuine copy of Windows is going to be far more reliable than a partial implementation of the Windows libraries. Yes, it uses more resources, but at least it's not likely to make you chase phantom bugs. The article points out that there are already problems with displaying GIFs - how many other problems like this are lurking waiting to be discovered?

This hack is useful if you really need to use an Internet Explorer-only website, but it just seems crazy to think this is useful for debugging websites.

Re:Can I ask an obvious question without being fla

[Anonymous Coward]

For web developers to test out their sites.

Some websites still only work in IE

[CheddarHead]

As well as the development reasons noted above, there are still some websites that only work correctly in IE. I normally use Firefox, but occasionally I need to switch to IE to get a website to work. Now if I don't care that much, I don't bother, but if you really want something (info, a product whatever) from these sites you pretty much need to have IE available.

Re:Just use a VM

[Anonymous Coward]

No different than differences in the "real hardware". You think all video cards use the same driver?

Plus you're only talking about the raw video rendering. With WINE you have to deal with a lot more issues than that.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:I have a much easier way

[AJWM]

3) /bin/rm removes all files, including /lib/libc.so and /bin/rm (remember they are run from memory not disk..

Yes on one, irrelevant on two.

The 'rm' just decrements the link count to the file. As long as a process (any process) still has an open file descriptor for that file, the file is in fact still there. It only really disappears when the link count is zero and no processes still have the file open. True for all 'nixes, AFAIK.

(You probably know this, other readers may not.)

Re:Just use a VM

[TheRaven64]

Virtual machines expose a simple framebuffer interface (typically VESA) to the OS. What you see is exactly what the OS would output on a VESA display. WINE, on the other hand, re-implements the whole GDI. It may have slightly different rule for drawing lines that aren't perfectly pixel-aligned, handle font-substitution differently, etc.

Re:Woot!

[Conspiracy_Of_Doves]

I'm a web developer who uses Windows, and I test in Firefox

Of course, most of the time I forget to test in IE.

or....

[cafelatte]

You can code your web site in compliant HTML 3.2 and not even have to bother browser checking.

Sorry, your system got a worm.

[Nanoda]

Sorry, but (seriously!) your Windows install really did get a worm, 'cause you have to unplug your NIC before installing. On Windows XP, the firewall comes up at ~55 minutes in to the install. Unfortunately, the network systems come up 5 minutes before that, leaving a small (but experimentally viable) window for infection.

I did OS tech support a few years back, and of the hundreds of calls personally had at least one person doing a clean install get hit with Sasser before the OS was even fully on the disk.

ie7 on linux ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Do we really need that?

Re:Some websites still only work in IE

[ScienceofSpock]

IE Tab only runs on Windows.