Hi JA,
I was not referring to Linux as "home brew" it was the other collection of software that you mentioned in your earlier post.

I would expect a recent version of Linux to be quite stable. Sounds like the brokerage houses in Japan do not support Linux ?? Frankly, I don't know of any in the US either but have never looked.

Does your computer system have to "speak" Japanese in order to interface with a brokerage house in Japan ???

You have my curiosity up !!!
I did a search for "used copy of windows xp pro" and quite a bit turned up. Here is a link to a site selling used (legal) software that is not expensive.
http://www.ztek.net/microsoft-windows-xp/?gclid=CN3S1__zzq8CFcJM4AodaBqKGg

Just some food for thought if you can use a US version.

Lee