Geoffrey Hausheer wrote:
> I'm trying to install a VPN client for my system. Unfortunately, the software only
>exists for Win98, WinNT, and Win2000. Since I have no control over the server-side,
>I must use their client. The Win98 client is unlikely to work, since it uses Vxds,
>and when I have tried it, I get a message about not being able to load the VXD. Go
>figure.
>
> I have the WinNT/Win2000 version of the client, but it won't install through WINE (I
>get a Dialog box about 'Uninstall Wizard is running', and then WINE hangs). So
>before I go through the effort of tryng to set up a WinNT/Win2000 partition, get a
>copy from work, and install it, I'd like to know if there is even a chance that it
>will work.
>
> The VPN sets up a virtual NIC, which encrypts the data, and passes it on to the
>actual NIC. Does WINE have support for this? Is there any prayer of my ever getting
>this working through WINE?
>
It's doubtfull that this will ever work with Wine. Wine is for applications, not
system device drivers. OTOH, Wine does support SCSI stuff with ASPI (sort of, some
things are still broken with some programs, but ASPI is generally broken on Windows
too). Wine also supports some digital cameras with serial interfaces, and possibly a
few other
things that I am missing.
Supporting VxD loading will definitely NEVER happen. Supporting NT ring 0 driver
loading will probably also never happen, although it might be possible at some time if
someone ever really wanted to work on it, and that is doubtful.
If you want your VPN to work, you can try the pptp software for Linux. Supposedly it
can connect to MS servers and can serve to MS clients. Technically it's a point to
point protocol, so the machines are peers but usually one is providing service to the
other so it still helps to talk of a client and a server. Beware though, it's kind of
a
pain to set up. I grabbed it just to take a look at it and gave up because I didn't
feel like recompiling other packages (ppp) to support it when I was only looking to
play with it.
-Dave
