EncorePro and linux revisited

yardbird · Post by **yardbird** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 5:12 pm

Just in case anyone is interested. I know I'm in the minority as a linux user, however I have had success with EncorePro by running it in a WinXP virtual machine inside VirtualBox (rather than VMWare server or workstation). VirtualBox seems to handle the smart card reader reliably where I had occasional problems getting it recognized in VMWare. And VirtualBox is, of course, free.

I can also run VirtualBox as a "headless" VM. The VM runs as a background process and I can start windows programs on my linux desktop as though they were native linux programs. It appears seamless. So essentially I'm using a program to run a program, but the farther I get into computers, the more it seems like that's all we're doing anyways. We run programs. And in linux.... WindowsXP is just another program.

I've pretty much given up on trying to decode teh smart card from my Remstar in linux as there doesn't seem to be a lot of help or interest and quite frankly I'm nowhere near enough of a programmer to figure it all out. For now I am satisfied to be able to read my card and run EncorePro without having to install stuff on my wife's WindowsXP laptop.

hugs and smootches,

yardbird, the linux weenie

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 5:57 pm

how is it for performance YB?

What processor and memory config are you using?

I'm running a Intel Core Duo MacMini with 1GB, I loaded Parallels 3.0 and XP with EncorePro, it was such a slug I removed it all.

I can't help but to believe that poor performance was from Parallels because everything else seems to fly. I was going to try VirtualBox for OSX but it was still pre-beta and they didn't have USB ports supported when I went to install it.

Maybe you should try loading Phil's card reader program? it is supposed to access raw card data directly without Encore, you would have to search for that link.

Bearded_One · Post by **Bearded_One** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 6:00 pm

I work as a senior Unix Sysadmin and I use Unix and Linux boxes at home. I have found that for MS programs it is just easier to bite the bullet and run them on an XP box. Yes, this means that I have an XP latop and a Linux workstation at work and I have yet another PC at home, but it is easier to do that than to try to force Windows software to run under Linux.

I occasionally use Cross Over (commercial version of Wine) to run Office under Ubuntu and it runs OK, but it is SO much easier to just run it on an XP box.

yardbird · Post by **yardbird** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:33 pm

I'm running a pentiumD 930 so while it's a dual core, it's not one of the newer CoreDuo or Core2Duo processors. Performance is downright snappy. VirtualBox is very light weight. I suppose the 4gigs of RAM helps, but honestly I didn't really see a difference going from 2gigs to 4gigs.

Snoredog, they've come quite far with VirtualBox if the last time you tried it, it didn't have USB working. And 512MB for XP is kinda skimpy. If you could pop another gig into that mini it'd fly with a VM running. I don't know how Parallels balances ram, but on a machine with 1gig, I give the XP VM like 700MB and reserve only 300MB for the host OS (if it's a linux.... which OSX kinda is.... it's a super-modified BSD Darwin derivative)

Bearded_One,
I hear ya, but it sure ain't like it used to be. Virtualization options are leaps and bounds past where they were even as recently as 6 months ago. All MS apps running fine in the VM. In fact I have had 2 XP VMs running, one using an access database and the other programming the remote for my AV system, and while the VMs were busy I was chatting with friends in linux. Not a hiccup. Only thing I won't do in the VMs now is play heavily graphics intensive games. The VMs don't handle the really high end graphics ... yet...

I'm not a senior Sysadmin.... but I haven't had a windows partition since august of 2005

GreenIce · Post by **GreenIce** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:21 pm

Snoredog wrote: I'm running a Intel Core Duo MacMini with 1GB, I loaded Parallels 3.0 and XP with EncorePro, it was such a slug I removed it all.

You may want to try VMWare Fusion, according to benchmark, VMWare is much faster than Parallels.

Check this aticle,

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9760910-1.html

GreenIce · Post by **GreenIce** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:27 pm

yardbird wrote: I'm not a senior Sysadmin.... but I haven't had a windows partition since august of 2005

I have been using OS X at work, from first 10.0 beta (1999) to 10.4 (today), no Windows in my mac.

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:50 pm

Bearded_One wrote:I work as a senior Unix Sysadmin and I use Unix and Linux boxes at home. I have found that for MS programs it is just easier to bite the bullet and run them on an XP box. Yes, this means that I have an XP latop and a Linux workstation at work and I have yet another PC at home, but it is easier to do that than to try to force Windows software to run under Linux.

That's been my experience, too, Bearded_One.

I've tried Parallels (the worst of the virtual machines in Linux), VMWare (probably the best virtual machine, but expensive), and Virtual Box (amazingly good - USB just works with it).

I spent a lot of time using virtual machines in Linux, but they all have problems. I found that Encore Pro runs in VMWare and Virtual Box, but every now and again the Smart Card reader wouldn't work and the only way I could fix it would be to erase the card, then I could start reading data again. I finally just gave up fighting it.

I've got a Windows machine in the bedroom which I haven't used for anything in months other than running Silverlining software to look at my PB420E data.

Regards,
Bill

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:26 pm

GreenIce wrote:
yardbird wrote: I'm not a senior Sysadmin.... but I haven't had a windows partition since august of 2005
I have been using OS X at work, from first 10.0 beta (1999) to 10.4 (today), no Windows in my mac.

so you have experience with 10.4.9, 10.4.10, back to 10.4.9

GreenIce · Post by **GreenIce** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:11 am

Anonymous wrote: so you have experience with 10.4.9, 10.4.10, back to 10.4.9

Still using 10.4.9, have not upgrade yet. I don't need to anyway. 10.4.11 is coming out soon . Vista SP1 is coming in 2008

greatcircleprogramming · Post by **greatcircleprogramming** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:23 pm

I've pretty much given up on trying to decode teh smart card from my Remstar in linux as there doesn't seem to be a lot of help or interest and quite frankly I'm nowhere near enough of a programmer to figure it all out. For now I am satisfied to be able to read my card and run EncorePro without having to install stuff on my wife's WindowsXP laptop.

Hello, I recently started using an M Series machine and am interested in working on a program to read the card, though I do not have a card reader yet. I have done some Python and C++ programming, any advice on where to get started or partially completed code?

I found the ASEDrive IIIe USB V2 on http://shop.athena-scs.com that includes Linux drivers, should this work with the cards or are they a different type?

Mask

EncorePro and linux revisited

EncorePro and linux revisited

Re: EncorePro and linux revisited