[Wine] WINE + USB + HD

[James McKenzie]

anon_private wrote:
> Forgot to ask.
>
> WINE can read Windows code.
>   
No, Wine interpets the Windows API/ABI calls and transfers them in 
Linux/UNIX understandable code for those functions that are implemented.
> Are there any security implications regarding the introduction of Windows based viruses/malware onto my machine, or contaminating any programmes, when running WINE under the Live UBUNTU CD. I will be using Internet banking.
>   
Wine is capable of running some Windows Malware.  There is a section on 
the Wine FAQ (http://wiki.winehq.org/FAQ) on viruses under Wine.  If we 
fully implement the Windows API/ABI, viruses dependent on it will run.  
The good thing is that Wine is designed to run in UserSpace, so kernel 
dependent viruses should not be able to fully fire.

As to malware running under your Browser, that is actually browser 
dependent.  There is malware specifically written for Firefox that will 
not run under Internet Explorer and vice versa.  The best practice is to 
keep up to date on patches for your Browser.  And if you are using IE6, 
switch to IE7 (IE6 is very hard to secure and MS supposedly is not 
providing patches for it any longer.)