Duke Nukem 3D goes virtual or ‘How to virtualize Duke Nukem with Microsoft Application Virtualization’

Have you ever wondered is it possible to virtualize 3D games with Microsoft Application Virtualization? Well, the answer is simple yes. And what about the process of virtualizing? Well whole process is rather simple, as I will show post on this post. Of course, I know that virtualization of Duke Nukem 3D is not great bussiness example but it shows possibilities of application virtualization. Also, it is good example to show in your Microsoft Application Virtualization demos, because process of virtualizing is fast and easy. Ok, so let’s see how to virtualize legendary Duke Nukem. As Duke would say “Let’s rock” :

• First thing you need to do is download Duke Nukem setup. Download is available here (size=1.4MB).
• After that, place setup file on dekstop or anywhere else.
• Run Microsoft Application Sequencer and enter package information as shown on following picture.

• Click Begin Monitoring button, and then create folder or browse to previously created folder. Make sure you create that folder on Q drive and also make sure that folder is empty, and name of the folder is in 8.3 naming convenction. So that means that name of folder can me 8 letters long and after that dot and then three letters. For example Duke.001. After that you are ready, and Sequencing Wizard minimizes automaticly.
• Now install Duke Nukem as you normaly would, but when asked for installation folder, browse to previously created folder on Q drive. So installation wizard appears, you click next and then browse to folder as shown in following pictures.

• After installation is done, launch Duke Nukem by clicking on shortcut placed on dekstop. Everything should work fine. After that quit game, and bring Sequencer wizard forward, and click Stop Monitoring.
•  On “Add aditional files to Virtual File System” click Next.
• On “Configure applications shortcuts”  remove Duke Nukem internet explorer shortcut because you do not need that.
• On ” Launch Applications”, Launch Duke Nukem 3D. If everything is fine, you will see start screen of Duke Nukem 3D like in the following picture. After you tried that everything work, close the game.

• Now in Deployment tab of Application Virtualization Sequencer enter name of your management server, choose protocol and enter name of folder in which you will place saved package. Note that the name of that folder is not folder on Q drive but some folder you create on desktop or anywhere else. That will be the folder you copy on management server in Content folder.

• Copy folder in which you saved your package to Content folder on management server. On management server go to Application Virtualization Management console  and import application as following picture shows.

• To import application package browse to content folder and find Duke Nukem package. Choose .sprj file. New General dialog appear on which just click Next. In Published Shortcut phase check “ Publish to User’s dekstop” and click Next. On File Associations click Next. On Select Groups, select one group in which are users that you want give rights to use and launch Duke Nukem virtual application.
• After that virtual Duke Nukem should appear in management console along with other virtualized applications.
• The final step is done on Application Virtualization client computer, on which you just need to log on or refresh App-V tray icon. Of course you must me logged with appropriate user(user belonging to previously choosed AD group).

• After refresh or log on, application shortcut appears on dekstop and you  can lounch Duke Nukem 3D as you normaly would. Just play and enjoy. J

Finaly just to note what kind of OS i used and some other technical informations. Well in this scenario i used one notebook on which is installed Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V enabled. I created four virtual machines. Two Windows Xp (Sequencer and App-V client), two Windows Server 2008 (App-V Management server on one and on the other one Domain Controller). Also i joined later one physical Windows Vista computer on which I installed App-V client.  I joined user to AD domain and then just refreshed with App-V tray icon. On Vista computer also everything worked just fine.

So that’s the process of virtualizing Duke Nukem 3D. It is rather simple, and it is good for some demoing of Microsoft Application Virtualization solution.