Altiris Software Virtualization Solution 2.1 free for personal use

[farmerlee]

Dunno if its been mentioned before but i came across this app today.
This is the first piece of software i've seen that can undo changes without having to reboot. I haven't tested it thoroughly yet just did a simple test of installing firefox and avg free. I then reverted the changes and they were both gone without requiring a reboot. Incredibly you can also 'un-revert' the changes you just reverted without needing to reboot.

Currently its being offered free for personal use.

http://www.altiris.com/Products/SoftwareVirtualizationSolution.aspx

You do have to enter a few details in order to get the download file, i downloaded the 120 day trial version. Then during the installation it gives you a link to get your free license key.

Enjoy!

[dogma]

It's been posted before. But I didn't know it was free for personal use, so thanks.
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=141630&highlight=Altiris

Note Notok's post #10

[lucas1985]

Another thread (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=155663) :)

[Peter2150]

Did you notice. Another small outfit bytes the dust.

[ccsito]

I have an Altris Agent icon on the PC. I wonder if it is the same thing?

[Empath]

Grrrr....... that Symantec banner at the top of their page doesn't give a feeling of comfort. Symantec might bring the product into popular use, but they have a way of influencing me to refuse to install.

[Peter2150]

{QUOTE-> Grrrr....... that Symantec banner at the top of their page doesn't give a feeling of comfort. Symantec might bring the product into popular use, but they have a way of influencing me to refuse to install. <-QUOTE}

I tip my hat to your diplomacy. I was about to try it again when I saw that.

[Chuck57]

Well, Symantec or not, I downloaded Altiris. Typically, I muddled through without reading any of the instructions, which are about paperback book size.

I *think* I have Firefox running in Altiris. There's a little white circle spinning in the right hand side of the toolbar with a V in the middle. When I put my mouse on it, it says 'capturing to new Virtual Software Package.'

[InfinityAz]

I've been using this program for over a year and think it's great. As noted previously the only negative is, that generally, it's difficult to use with programs that require a reboot.

I use this and VirtualBox for software testing and both work great and help keep garbage off my computer.

[Chuck57]

I haven't read the large help file yet, so this answer may be buried somewhere in there.

I've played with Altiris now for a few hours and have a question.

I got firefox running in altiris, and discovered how to deactivate the layer to install another alternative browser.

So, I deactivate that browser to go back to firefox and now am curious. After I reactivate firefox, why doesn't Firefox start in altiris? I mean, I click on firefox and it loads, but the little circle and v in the toolbar don't show.

I know, look in help, but I'm the guy that screws things up first, then reads the instructions.

[wilbertnl]

{QUOTE-> I mean, I click on firefox and it loads, but the little circle and v in the toolbar don't show. <-QUOTE}
The circle in the taskbar is an indicator that the installation process is being captured. You won't see that indicator when you activate the new layer and use the software.

[EASTER]

Hmmm. You guys inspired me to give this a whirl. Let's see what it can produce.

I already have an inkling it could be useful.

Does it press the resources much? Since it is a Symantec.

[Chuck57]

{QUOTE-> The circle in the taskbar is an indicator that the installation process is being captured. You won't see that indicator when you activate the new layer and use the software. <-QUOTE}

Thanks, wilbertnl, so as long as the layer is specific layer is activated, when I run that program it's virtualized.

If I want to use another, I deactivate the first and activate the new layer and it's virtualized. No reboots necessary, and I'm guessing if I delete a layer all the collected junk is gone.

This is excellent software, but I'm going to have to print the manual before I get too deeply into it. I can see on further exploration that there are some things it'll take a while to figure out and I'm of the era that I need to read from paper rather than a screen.

Reading some other threads, I'm not depending on it for security though, but it will sure be great for keeping my registry cleaned out. Once I get Altiris all sorted out and half know what I'm doing, I might crank up Paragon, restore my hard disk back to the image of a few months ago and start absolutely fresh and with Altiris maybe be able to keep the dll's and registry fairly clean of garbage from my incessant craze to download and test stuff.

[Rasheed187]

I´ve said it before but If I´m correct you can do exactly the same with Sandboxie plus it´s much more easy to use, I think Altiris is way too complex. Correct me if I´m wrong. ::)

[Chuck57]

It is complex when you start getting deep into it. It's way beyond me, but part of the 'fun,' in a perverse sort of way is trying to learn it. The help manual is 160 pages, which ought to keep me busy for the rest of my life.

Altiris does so much that I'd go into information overload trying to read it all at once.

One thing I haven't tried and am really curious about is running software that requires a reboot. If the software is activated in Altiris, I still haven't figured out whether after rebooting it remains active and will keep from loading onto your hard drive. Firefox is activated even after a reboot. I guess I'll have to download something and try it out while I'm thinking about it. If after a reboot it's there, and then deleting the layer it all disappears, Altiris will be ideal in my book.

[Chuck57]

{QUOTE-> Hmmm. You guys inspired me to give this a whirl. Let's see what it can produce.

I already have an inkling it could be useful.

Does it press the resources much? Since it is a Symantec. <-QUOTE}

Hey, Easter, read my post above. I'm going to mess with some small, useless program and see if after rebooting it's still working, then delete that layer and see what happens. If it all goes away, this might be the ideal virtualization program we've been looking for, other than the monster manual that I'll never figure out in the years I have left. Technologically gifted, I am NOT.

[Chuck57]

Okay, real quick test and don't know how accurate. I downloaded a small file, opened Altiris and added it to a layer, after deactivating the firefox layer. It installed immediately and was working.

Then, I rebooted and the file was gone. Looked in Altiris and the layer was still there, so activated it. It wouldn't run because of something about virtualization something or others (don't remember what) not being loaded. I didn't know about that.

Anyway, Altiris removes all traces from hard drive on reboot BUT if you have the software in an Altiris layer with virtualization thingy's, and activate it, it's there and will run. Hope that makes sense.

Altiris just files the program away, and if you set it up right when you made the layer, you still got it even though it isn't anywhere to be found on your hard drive. Now, I have to figure out what the virtualization stuff is and how to add it to the software to make it go.

I wonder if reading the manual would help? LOL

Oh, I deleted the program from Altiris and it immediately vanished from my desktop. No trace in registry or in dll files either.

[InfinityAz]

At first Altiris SVS can be a little confusing but once you understand it, it is pretty cool and useful.

Watch this demo (http://juice.altiris.com/node/470) and it will make much more sense, and you will find some capabilities you may not realize are available (e.g., if you install the admin piece you can create software layers (i.e., applications/programs) that you can move between computers).

Here's a description (http://www.altiris.com/juice/articles/97.asp?id=5),) of what it loads, where, and a little on how it works. It's a couple of years old but I assume it's still applicable.

[Chuck57]

{QUOTE-> At first Altiris SVS can be a little confusing but once you understand it, it is pretty cool and useful.

Watch this demo (http://juice.altiris.com/node/470) and it will make much more sense, and you will find some capabilities you may not realize are available (e.g., if you install the admin piece you can create software layers (i.e., applications/programs) that you can move between computers). <-QUOTE}

Making a layer isn't any big deal, but going deeper is going to take work. I've dug a little into the manual, believe it or not, and can't find anything about the virtual things that would open that little program I downloaded. It would probably help if I'd made note of what was missing other than just the virtualization part.

I just figured if you captured software, it would all be set up and ready to go, but when I clicked to open after rebooting, it wouldn't open. That warning came up that virtualization (whatever's) weren't installed.

I'm liking this program a lot.

[Pulsar55]

It's a good app, but can be a bit complicated to use. I LOVE to uninstall an app with the delete command. No fuss, no muss. Sandboxie is cool, but this is another option in my virtualization repertoire. If I want to trial the software for awhile, I have the option to keep it without a reinstall. Give it a try.

[kennyboy]

I have been reading all this with great interest, but as I can't download the video at the moment, can I just ask, is this software able to cope with installing applications that require a reboot to install?
Maybe I have missed that somewhere in the thread, and if so I apologise.

[pandlouk]

Altiris is a fantastic tool and I use it for about 2 years now.
Although symantec bought them I think it still performs well. Probably is the only not bloatware symantec program. ;D :P

ps. pay attention that in some computers can cause silent bsods during the startup.

[Chuck57]

For the heck of it, I downloaded AVG antivirus, put it in the Altiris layer and it installed and updated fine and ran a scan. I then rebooted. AVG was gone but as soon as I activated the layer it came back but it was like on demand only. Couldn't get it to work full time. I'm guessing it's the virtual driver thing, and I can't find anything in the help files about how to work it.

I was kind of hoping I could load MS Flight Simulator and do some flying without having to reload over a gig to my HD every day. Obviously there's something I'm not doing, but I can't figure out what. Or, this is how it works and I'm too stupid to understand that from reading the help.

[InfinityAz]

{QUOTE-> Obviously there's something I'm not doing, but I can't figure out what. <-QUOTE}

Chuck57,

You may want to try the SVS support forums (http://juice.altiris.com/svs) to get some of your questions answered. Please let us know what you find out.

[Chuck57]

Well, antivirus isn't the best software to test. The manual says it can give erratic results. The other software though did the same. It worked fine when I first installed and tried to run it. After a reboot, it wouldn't work. Something about virtual drivers not being installed, but there's nothing about virtual drivers in the manual.

Thanks for the url to their forum. It says it's down for maintenance right now. I'll keep checking.

[lucas1985]

Altiris SVS can't be used to test security software and other applications which install themselves deep into the OS :)

[Chuck57]

I saw that in the manual after I downloaded the antivirus.

I've posted on altiris forum about my problem, which after digging into the manual a bit seem to be several.

I deliberately deleted Firefox from my computer and downloaded it again and went through the svs installation exactly according to the manual. This is the latest version of free svs. First thing I noticed when I opened the firefox exe was no little lightning bolt thing. The circle with the v in it just spins away.

I figured maybe they did away with the lightning bolt in this version. So, I downloaded a small game. Went through all the steps and it ran fine until I closed the game. It wouldn't re-open, saying the same thing as I got earlier in the day, virtual drivers not installed. On reboot, the layer is still there but it flat won't open.

I know I'm missing something but I, for a change, actually did follow the steps in help word for word.

[LUSHER]

{QUOTE-> Altiris SVS can't be used to test security software and other applications which install themselves deep into the OS :) <-QUOTE}

Neither can sandboxie etc.

I think Altris SVS does have a place it's not quite the same as sandboxie. I don't think Altris SVS is meant for security. It's more for application management.

And yes, beyond the basics, it gets quite complex to handle....

[lucas1985]

{QUOTE->
I think Altris SVS does have a place it's not quite the same as sandboxie. I don't think Altris SVS is meant for security. It's more for application management. <-QUOTE}
Couldn't agree more. Want to have Office 2003, Office 2007 and Open Office 2.3 installed in the same box? Go for Altiris SVS.