Connectix Virtual PC

[Jahya]

I recently installed Connectix Virtual PC on my system. My primary OS is XP Pro and secondary is Mandrake 9.0 Linux. With virtual PC I should be able to run Mandrake in XP under a virtual computer. Here is my problem, the manual reads like a bunch of jibberish and I can't figure out if A) I need an image of the Mandrake Boot Disk or B) if I need to make an image of the boot.ini file.

Anyone?

I'm a total n00b on Linux so if I need to make a Linux Boot Disk, how would I do so? Then how would I make an image of it? It needs to be *.img or the Virtual PC version which is *.vhd. Although I think I can just use Virtual PC to make an image of the boot disk once I get it to floppy.

If I need to make an image of boot.ini, how? Or can I just put this to floppy as well?



:blink:

 

[SPeedY_B]

you cant use an installed version of Mandrake, as the disk/partition will be in use by windows... I think you have to install it with Virtual PC on a virtual drive

as i say, i only -think- you cant run a previously installed version, i may be wrong.

 

[yoyo]

Seems I don't fully understand the question, not using Connectix Virtual PC either. Anyhow I use VmWare and recently installed Mandrake 9 to a virtual machine. All I had to do was to create a virtual machine for Linux, insert the first bootable Mandrake cd in my drive and power on the new virtual computer. Guess it should work similarly in Connectix Virtual PC. The main reason to use a virtual machine is that it is independant from the real installations and should not affect them.
Btw this virtual PC is my favourite toy at the moment (virtual machines with DOS 5.0, Win 3.1, 95,98,ME,XP! and Linux ,unsuccessfully tried to install Win 1.01 so far)

 

[Jahya]

In Virtual PC there is an option to link to an existing install of Linux, but it requires a boot floppy. This is where I get lost, b/c nowhere in the manual does it say if it is an image of the boot.ini or a linux boot disk.

As it stands, though, it sounds like I may be better off to remove Mandrake and try and install it through VPC. Unless of course anyone else has some suggestions.

 

[SPeedY_B]

it'll be a linux boot disk

 

[NetRyder]

What he's saying is he has Mandrake installed on a separate partition and wants to boot up into it from VirtualPC ... this is possible in VMware too.

This is how it's done in VMware ... not sure if it's similar in VPC, but you could have a look and see if it gives you an idea.

http://www.vmware.com/support/ws3/doc/ws32_disks3.html#1008918

 

[Jahya]

Well, I found where the prblem was with Virtual PC. It is just not user friendly and is lacking a couple of key options (like being able to boot/install fom cd without a floppy). I'm glad it was given to me for free, but now I see why my friend didn't want it.

I downloaded VMware and installed that. It was very use friendly and I got Linux all set up in a matter of 30 minutes including install. If it works out as well as it seems to thus far, it will be well worth purchasing.

Thanks for the help!

 

[NetRyder]

Good to know Jahya.

 

[ZipTriX]

Originally posted by Jahya
Well, I found where the prblem was with Virtual PC. It is just not user friendly and is lacking a couple of key options (like being able to boot/install fom cd without a floppy). I'm glad it was given to me for free, but now I see why my friend didn't want it.

I downloaded VMware and installed that. It was very use friendly and I got Linux all set up in a matter of 30 minutes including install. If it works out as well as it seems to thus far, it will be well worth purchasing.

Thanks for the help!

Actually you can install from a bootable CD without the need a floppy disk.