Using serial ports to Windows XP guest

[apalhares]

Hello I need to use some old software to connect to cars ODB-II diagnostic port. This software only runs on Windows XP. Currently I still have an old dedicated laptop with Windows XP on it.

The cable is an USB adpter using the FT232RL ( I cannot post URLs, will add info later).

I set up a windows xp vm on my main Arch Linux laptop. Installed all the necessary software and shared the serial port from /dev/ttyUSB0 and it works on some software. Like the Nissan consult software. But on others the software often does recognize the port but it cannot connect.

Honestly I have no idea how to debug this.

I got another idea which involves sharing the usb device to the windows xp guest and install the FTDI drivers there. But I have no idea how to do that in Linux.

Has anyone have gone through any similar problems?

Regards,
Alfredo Palhares

[mpack]

This software only runs on Windows XP.

Are you just assuming that? While applications designed for Windows 10 may not run on XP, I can't think of any reason for the reverse to be true. All of the software that I developed for Windows 98 still runs on Windows 10.

Is there a particular reason you installed Arch Linux when it's Windows apps you need to run?

Running this from inside a VM would be very much a last resort. VMs don't do physical hardware very well.

[socratis]

t works on some software.... But on others the software often does recognize the port but it cannot connect.

Unfortunately controlling real hardware is not the forte of a VM. As you discovered, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I'm not sure if anyone (other than the hardware manufacturer) can help you debug such a thing.

[apalhares]

Hello mpack thank you for answer,

This software only runs on Windows XP.

Are you just assuming that? While applications designed for Windows 10 may not run on XP, I can't think of any reason for the reverse to be true. All of the software that I developed for Windows 98 still runs on Windows 10.

Sadly I am not assuming this, I tested it, some old software only really runs on XP, I get connectivity issues on Windows 8 on Galleto and some others.

Is there a particular reason you installed Arch Linux when it's Windows apps you need to run?

Running this from inside a VM would be very much a last resort. VMs don't do physical hardware very well.

Well I run Arch Linux as my main OS, I use a lot of the reverse engineering tools of linux, and do Engine Management Systems development on Linux. Doing remapps and flashes and repair to OEMs ECUs is kind of a side job.

Currently I have both dedicated machines for lInux, windows 8 and windows XP. Just trying to reduce my workload.

Now one thing that works on my windows 8 guest is of instead of sharing the serial port to the guest, to share the USB device to the guest, install the drivers on windows XP. But on Linux I cannot do this. Any ideas I how I can stop the device to being attached to /dev/ttyUSB0 and share the it to the Virtualbox VM?

[apalhares]

t works on some software.... But on others the software often does recognize the port but it cannot connect.

Unfortunately controlling real hardware is not the forte of a VM. As you discovered, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I'm not sure if anyone (other than the hardware manufacturer) can help you debug such a thing.

Well at least I tried

[socratis]

Any ideas I how I can stop the device to being attached to /dev/ttyUSB0 and share the it to the Virtualbox VM?

Have you read about and/or tried USB filters? See Chapter 3.10.1 for more details. One thing; the devices can not be shared, as USB is a 1-to-1 interface.