Virtual Box and CP/M

Discussions about using non Windows and Linux guests such as FreeBSD, DOS, OS/2, OpenBSD, etc.
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Paolo_R
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Virtual Box and CP/M

Post by Paolo_R »

Simple question: can CP/M run under Virtual Box?
mpack
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Re: Virtual Box and CP/M

Post by mpack »

Simple answer: maybe.

It would have to be designed for PC of course, beyond that who knows. I don't think that x86 compatibility alone would be enough.
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Re: Virtual Box and CP/M

Post by fth0 »

AFAIR, CP/M was running on 8-bit CPUs (e.g. Zilog Z80, Intel 8080), and had already to be emulated on 16-bit CPUs (e.g. Intel 8086/8088).
Paolo_R
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Re: Virtual Box and CP/M

Post by Paolo_R »

Probably CP/M-86 would be a better option.
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Re: Virtual Box and CP/M

Post by mpack »

Obviously I assumed that the x86 port of CP/M was intended, just like I assume that when people say "Android" they mean Android-x86.

But, AFAIR CP/M-86 only existed for PCs very briefly in 1983 before dying. I mean who was going to pay for CP/M-86 when it had no software and PC-DOS (which most lay people would consider to be identical) was bundled for free with the PC? So it's only going to have the most basic of hardware support circa <1983: no floppies larger than 360K, no hard drive I think, no graphics (text mode might work, depends if the CP/M is in fact a PC variant), no CD data, no networking, no sound, no USB. The keyboard should work.

The remaining hardware (serial, parallel, keyboard, text mode terminal) should work PROVIDED this OS was in fact intended for PC and can therefore use the PC BIOS. Otherwise nothing at all will work.

i.e. the CPU is literally the least of your problems.
Paolo_R
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Re: Virtual Box and CP/M

Post by Paolo_R »

You are right, of course. I shall probably have a look at the various CP/M options with SIMH.
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