Cdroms in Linux with Win98 Guest OS

System:
Athlon XP 2800
1 gb Ram
2 hard drives
2 cdrom drives
Linux: Debian Unstable
2.6.15-1-k7 kernel
KDE 3.5.1

Software:
Parallels Workstation 2.1, trial version

Problem:
Unable to use cdrom(s) when installing win98 as guest OS.

Have tried booting using floppy start up disk, and booting using custom win98 start up cdrom disk. Dos will boot, and indicates that cdrom driver loads:

MSCDEX Version 2.25
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1986-1995. All rights reserved.
Drive E: = Driver MSC001 unit 0

However, when attempting to access drive's contents, such as with dir E:

Volume in drive E is 020428_1046
Directory of E:\

File not Found
0 bytes free

The same result occurs whether booting from startup floppy, or startup on custom win98 cdrom disk. Same result occurs whether using physical cdrom drive, or image file. Same result occurs whether disk or image file is attached to first or second cdrom drive, i.e., hdc or hdd. Attempts have been made with only one, and with both drives defined. Disks are enabled, and set to connect at startup.

Note that the cd being used works fine outside Parallels Workstation. It will boot the PC correctly, and contents can be listed, and works properly in VMware. What am I doing wrong?

Edit: note that win2k installs without problems.

 

Hello,

The situation seems quite weird. Can you please post your Win98 VM configuration file (it has .pvs extension) here?

 

win98.pvs file as requested

[System]
Parallels VM Name=Microsoft Windows 98
Boot=d
OS Type=131
Memory=256
Memory block size=4
Acceleration level=2
Enable write-back disk cache=1
VT-x support=0
Start auto=0
Start full screen=0
Start full screen warning=1
PC Speaker enable=1
Multi frame=-1
[Floppy disks]
Floppy 0 enabled=1
Floppy 0=2
Floppy 0 image=/dev/fd0
Floppy 0 connected=1
[IDE devices]
Disk 0:0 enabled=1
Disk 0:0=1
Disk 0:0 media=0
Disk 0:0 connected=1
Disk 0:0 image=win98.hdd
Disk 0:0 cylinders=4162
Disk 0:0 heads=16
Disk 0:0 sectors=63
Disk 0:1 enabled=1
Disk 0:1=2
Disk 0:1 media=1
Disk 0:1 connected=1
Disk 0:1 image=/dev/hdc
Disk 1:0 enabled=0
Disk 1:0=0
Disk 1:1 enabled=0
Disk 1:1=0
[Serial ports]
COM1 enabled=0
COM1=0
COM2 enabled=0
COM2=0
COM3 enabled=0
COM3=0
COM4 enabled=0
COM4=0
[Parallel ports]
LPT1 enabled=0
LPT1=0
LPT2 enabled=0
LPT2=0
LPT3 enabled=0
LPT3=0
[Sound]
Sound enabled=1
Sound=1
Sound device=/dev/dsp
Mixer device=/dev/mixer
[Network]
Network enabled=1
Network=1
Network connected=1
Adapter No=0
Adapter type=4
Port address=300
IRQ=3
MAC address=0030b7d82138
[Usb]
USB enabled=1
USB=1
USB autoconnect=1

 

Hello,

Unfortunately (to us) the configuration is fine.

Can you please set the VM acceleration level to "Disabled" and check if you can see the CD-ROM within the guest in this case?

If you still don't, can you please create an image of the bootable floppy disk and send it to [email protected]? It looks like we need to investigate the problem deeper.

 

re: cdrom

I tried setting acceleration to "disabled," with no change in result. On a whim, I tried an old Windows 95 install cdrom, and was able to read that. Thinking there might be an issue with Win98 cdrom I was using. I made a copy under Linux using K3B, but had the same result as before. Then I booted windows and made a copy using Nero 6. Parallels Workstation was able to read that copy, and I am installing Windows 98 as I type this. There must be some subtle difference in the way cdroms are recorded, either due to the programs being used to burn them, or the OSes being run while they're burned.

 

Try to make ISO image of your CD-ROM and attach ISO to virtual machine. To make ISO image you could use Parallels Image Tool or 3-rd party tool like UltraISO.

 

re: virtual image

Created image of original cdrom, attached, and booted P.W. The virtual machine booted, but saw zero bytes when looking at cdrom image. Created image of Nero copy, attached, and booted P.W. The virtual machine booted, and sees the contents of the cdrom image.

Note that both disks work just fine outside of P.W.

 

Hi,

problem is on how you connect drive

Disk 0 : IDE 0:0
Disk 1: IDE 0:1
CD-ROM : IDE 1:0

CD-ROM BOOT DOESNT WORK

Disk 0 : IDE 0:0
CD-ROM: IDE 0:1
Disk 1 : IDE 1:0

CD-ROM BOOT WORKS

Of course if you need that a drive stay on a fixed place, this is not the best solution.. maybe a bug..

I've found also that if you try to move CD-ROM to an already assigned drived.. you have a nice software crash