Significant progress with OS/2-guests (different kernels)

ingo2 · Post by **ingo2** » 28. Feb 2008, 15:14

As of today only MCP2 is reported to install and run in VBox. I succeeded to run also other flavours of OS/2 in VBox 1.5.6, amd64 on Debian-Lenny and Ububuntu-Hardy.

(a detailled report on how I did can also be found in this German forum: http://de.os2.org/forum/helpdesk/index.php3?list=114898)

The problem with other versions does not seem to be the 'running' of OS/2, but rather the 'installation' where OS/2 (and eCS) are supposed to perform some dirty tests to gather hardware information.

It was quite easy to install and run MCP2 and the bootmanager. With MCP2 beeing up and running I created another partitition/volume and added that to the bootmanager. In this partitition I unpacked an archived system which was previously running in Parallels-Workstation.

With few minor adjustments in config.sys to adopt to VBox-hardware it runs smoothly under VBox! (kernel 14.104_UNI and absolutely latest drivers). Even a full hardware-recognition at boot time performs with no problems

So it is just the installation which prohibits to set up other OS/2/eCS-flavors in VBox. If Innotek is interested in doing further optmisation for OS/2 I am prepared to supply th corresponding VDI as well as the bootable CD-images from which I install.

Some minor oddities remain to mention:

1. Starting the VM brings up bootmanager, After selecting the system to boot, OS/2 hangs before or just after the OS2-blob. Just switching off the VM once and restart -> it boots fine into WPS and runs stable.

2. OS/2-additions (still Beta versions) beheave fine from Linux side, but OS/2 does not capture the mouse, so I still have to use the host-key. (grapics-driver is GENGRADD as supplied with MCP2, did not try with SNAP in my Warp4-installation).

3. maximum resolution with GENGRADD and SNAP is limited to 1024x758 at all color depths.

With best regards,
Ingo

Post by **S.SubZero** » 29. Feb 2008, 06:36

OS/2 4.52 (MCP2) has always been known to work as a guest. Earlier versions I don't know about. Guest additions work for the most part, I know mouse integration works, but on mine I had graphics problems using it. Since the OS/2 guest additions also don't support shared folders I don't even install the additions.

The big problem has been ECS, as it generates a TRAP error when booting off the install CD.

ingo2 · Post by **ingo2** » 1. Mar 2008, 21:55

>OS/2 4.52 (MCP2) has always been known to work as a guest.

That's why I started with a copy of MCP2. However, my so called Warp4++ which I now moved into VBox is really up to the latest drivers and includes all available fixes. With this it is even more up-to-date than eCS 1.2r!

Here a few things:
kernel 14.104_UNI (SMP is useless in a VM)
JFS - without need for LVM, can even format USB-sticks with JFS
TCP/IP 4.3 with all fixes incl. NFS. This gives me shared folders when running a nfs-server on both host and guest
... much more.

Should I better call it Warp 4.6 or even 5.0

Best regards,
Ingo