Windows XP in Virtual Machines in Asus Eee PC 900HA

This is the third diary of of Asus Eee PC 900HA Netbook Use Summary diaries series, the previous is: Ubuntu 9.04 Installation and Configuration on Eee PC 900HA, the next will be: Debian Lenny Installation and Configuration on Asus Eee PC 900HA.

Because I want use this Asus Eee PC 900HA netbook as a full function computer, many applications must be worked under Windows especially in our country-China, so Windows OS can’t be missed. I installed Windows XP into the virtual machine as the complement of the Linux OS in Asus Eee PC 900HA. This diary will introduce briefly: Windows XP installation and configuration in this netbook, include in physical machine and in virtual machines Vmware and VirtualBox. The installation and configuration in virtual machines will have more detail than in real machine as many of us have been familiar with it.

1, The installation and configuration in real machine

The most simplest way you can get from the manual came with this machine. You need an external USB CD(DVD) Drive to finish the installation. Then, there is a CD-ROM disk which includes the drivers and tools for Windows XP (there is another Eee PC 1.6 Linux system recovery CD-ROM disk), you can install them though the USB CD(DVD) Drive, you can also copy the content of this CD-ROM disk into 900HA by USB Flash Drive or network other machine. Tip: It seems the system partition of Windows must be a primary partition, you can’t install it into a logical partition of expand partition. Please see the manual of Asus’s for The detail of installation and configuration.

1, The installation and configuration in virtual machines

If your primary desktop system isn’t Windows, in order to complement the missing functions of your primary system, you can install a virtual machine, then install Windows into this virtual machine. Commonly, the computer specifications is powerful today, the normal applictions of Windows in a virtual machine may be no problem if you don’t perform some critical task such as big 3D game, I think. For my experience on Asus Eee PC 900HA (change 1G ram to 2G, the host OS is Ubuntu 9.04 Netbook Remix), run Windows XP Professional isn’t too smoothly in a virtual machine Vmware Player or VirtualBox, but can be acceptable; Run Windows XP Home is smoothly for my common windows applications (But, it is still too slow to video chat on QQ, maybe it will be better in a computer with better specifications.)

Generally speaking, VirtualBox has better speed and less resources using than Vmware; VirtualBox adopts ALSA sound system, so the host OS and guest OS can sound at the same time, Vmware still uses OSS sound system, the sound card can’t work in host and guest OS at the same time, although, it is said we can do that by alsa-oss which use OSS by wrap OSS into ALSA system, but I haven’t finished this on Ubuntu 9.04; VirtualBox is no charge for personal use, it can create and manage virtual machines conveniently, Vmware Workstation can also create and manage virtual machines conveniently, but after 30 trial days you must pay for it or you can only use its Vmware Player to run virtual machine. Vmware Player is also released singlely, it is no charge too. Although Vmware Player can’t create virtual machine, but we also can create virtual machine by an online vmware machine creator EasyVMX! Virual Machine Creator; Vmware has better stability and compatibility, for example: I can use AutoCAD 2004 and camera in Windows XP in Vmware virtual machine on Eee PC 900HA, but I can’t use them under VirtualBox 2.2 virtual machine. The Pixart Imaging Digital Camera of Eee PC 900HA can be used in Windows XP in the latest VirtualBox 3.0.2 for Linux. So, I think the development speed of VirtualBox is fast.

So, if you want install Windows XP into virtual machine, please choice them according to your own needs, the best way is tring them first before the last decision. Especially, some Windows legal copy isn’t allowed change the motherboard of the computer, I think it will change motherboard if you change the virtual machine software in the using of Windows. So do some testing carefully in the 30 trial days to see if the virtual machine software fit your use before you activate this Windows copy.

There are some tips below I got from installing Windows XP in Vmware Player and VirtualBox in Ubuntu 9.04 Netboot Remix host OS.

1, Vmware Player (version: 2.5.2)

1), How to create virtual machine?
You can create virtual machine online: EasyVMX! Virual Machine Creator, or use the virtual machine created by Vmware Workstation, or download the virtual appliances ready to use at here.

2), How to install Vmware tools?
Vmware Workstation comes with vmware tools, in the Vmware Workstation 6.5.2 for Linux, vmware tools is in the folder “/usr/lib/vmware/isoimages/” in my Ubuntu 9.04. The vmware tools for Windows XP is: windows.iso. You can load this ISO image file as a cdrom in Vmware Player to install the drivers of mouse and display card, etc..

3), Why the camera can’t be used?
First, make sure the camera isn’t be forbided in Eee PC 900HA. Then, if the Windows XP guest still report such as “device be used by other users or applications” when you open “USB video device” in “My Computer”, please make sure you have enabled USB2.0 support in the main config file with suffix “vmx” of vmware, there should have a line “ehci.presnet = “true””. Note, the virtual machine created by EasyVMX! Virual Machine Creator I metioned above hasn’t enabled USB2.0 support!

4, How to use SCSI hard disk in Windows XP guest OS?
It is said the virtual machine will have better performance when using SCSI hard disk. First, choose SCSI hard disk when you create virtual machine, then I need to know which driver of the created virtual SCSI hard disk should be used. I got the SCSI driver is “SCSI storage controller: LSI Logic / Symbios Logic 53c1030 PCI-X Fusion-MPT Dual Ultra320 SCSI (rev 01)” by perform command “lspci” under CDlinux LiveCD running in this created virtual machine. Then got its driver for Windows XP online. You need pressing F6 to load this driver in a virtual floppy when you install Windows XP SP2. It is no need in Windows XP SP3.

PS: If you need detect the hardware driver in a real machine, you can use USB Linux( http://www.learndiary.com/en/usblinux ), or using Linux installed in hard disk or the Linux LiveCD in CD-ROM drive.

5, How to make a virtual floppy?
I mentioned virtual floppy for loading SCSI hard disk driver. Here is a brief instruction, you can search WEB for detail.

//Create blank floppy image first
dd if=/dev/zero of=scsi.flp bs=512 count=2880

//Use scsi.lfp as loop device with command "losetup"
sudo losetup /dev/loop0 scsi.lfp

//Then, format this loop device:
sudo mkfs.msdos /dev/loop0

//Check file system
sudo fsck.msdos /dev/loop0

//Delete loop device:
sudo losetup -d /dev/loop0

//Mount this floppy image to /media/temp
sudo mkdir /media/temp
sudo mount -o loop scsi.flp /media/temp

//Copy the driver files into virtual floppy image,
//suppose the driver files is in ./LSI_53C1030_drv12018/
sudo cp ./LSI_53C1030_drv12018/* /media/temp

//Umount the floppy image
sudo umount /media/temp

Now the SCSI hard disk driver floppy image has created, you can load it in Vmware Player when install Windows XP.

2, VirtualBox (version: 2.2.4)

1), How to use SATA or SCSI hard disk in Windows guest OS?
Here is an article Improving VirtualBox performance you can refer. But I find the driver he mentioned can’t be used in my VirtualBox2.2, I got its SATA hard disk driver is “SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA AHCI Controller (rev 02)” by running CDlinux LiveCD to perform command “lspci”. And I use another way to install driver (I can’t remember too clearly, so only for reference). If your Windows XP installation can’t recognize SATA or SCSI virtual hard disk: First, create normal IDE hard disk in VirtualBox and install system, shut down guest os; Select “Enable Additional Controller” in hard disk configuration page, select “SATA” or “SCSI” hard disk under it; Start Windows XP guest OS then download and install related driver with the way I mentioned above; Shut down guest OS, change the slot from IDE port to SATA port or SCSI port in hard disk configuration page; Start Windows guest OS, your virtual hard disk will be SATA or SCSI. By the way, It seems you still can finish the Windows XP installation although you select “Enable Additional Controller” but don’t change its slot to SATA or SCSI when setup your virtual hard disk after you create it.

2, Why I can’t use USB device in guest OS?
I mentioned VirtualBox2.2 support USB2.0 isn’t too well above, but it isn’t my meaning here. I have tested VirtualBox2.2 on Ubuntu 9.04, I can’t use even USB1.1 compatible device without extra configuration except root user. The resolution is add the current user into “vboxusers” group, refer to “Section 3.7.7.1, “USB settings”” in help document in VirtualBox menu. Additionally, it is said the Open Source Edition. Note, the Open Source Edition called “virtualbox-ose” which in Ubuntu 9.04 repository can’t support USB or other enterprise features, please refer to: Open Source VirtualBox and other editions.

Ok, stop here today. Welcome criticism, correction and communication. Thanks.

The next will be: Debian Lenny Installation and Configuration on Asus Eee PC 900HA.

2 Comments

[…] This is the second diary of Asus Eee PC 900HA Netbook Use Summary diaries series, the previous is: Asus Eee PC 1.6 Linux Use summary, and the next will be: Windows xp on Eee PC 900HA. […]

[…] Installation and use Windows XP on Eee PC 900HA Because I need to use this netbook as a full function notebook, Windows OS is necessary in today […]

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