Virtualbox – Parallel port configuration and boot through network

Virtualbox now has parallel port support for both Windows and Linux host.. Some of the configurations required to use parallel port on VBOx.

vboxmanage modifyvm Fedora_try –lptmode1 LPT1
vBoxManage modifyvm Fedora_try –lpt1  888 5 — success.- order is important .. First specify the lptmod and then configure lpt otherwise VBox complains of path missing.

Some of the configuration steps for VBox to boot through network :

C:\shared\win.x86\debug\bin>VBoxManage setextradata fedora_full VBoxInternal/Dev
ices/e1000/0/LUN#0/Config/TFTPPrefix C:\TFTP

C:\shared\win.x86\debug\bin>VBoxManage setextradata fedora_full VBoxInternal/Dev
ices/e1000/0/LUN#0/Config/BootFile pxelinux.0

C:\shared\win.x86\debug\bin>VirtualBox.exe -startvm fedora_full

C:\shared\win.x86\debug\bin>VBoxManage setextradata fedora_full VBoxInternal/Dev
ices/e1000/0/LUN#0/Config/BootFile initrd.img

C:\shared\win.x86\debug\bin>VirtualBox.exe -startvm fedora_full

or

C:\shared\win.x86\debug\bin>VBoxManage setextradata fedora_full VBoxInternal/Dev
ices/e1000/0/LUN#0/Config/BootFile pxelinux.0

C:\shared\win.x86\debug\bin>VirtualBox.exe –startvm fedora_full

Thanks

 

Time Thursday, May 17th, 2012, 3:12 pm   |   CategoryUncategorized  |  RssRSS feed |  CommentRespond  |  TrackbackTrackback

7 Comments to “Virtualbox – Parallel port configuration and boot through network”

    
  1. cx1max
    August 1, 2012 at 7:38 am

    error: Unknown option: -lptmode1

  4. Alan Jacobs
    December 2, 2012 at 4:38 am

    I read your description of the new parallel port feature of Virtualbox 4.2.4. I am running Ubuntu 10.10 host and Windows XP Home guest. I am running a Windows program which uses bidirectional control/ data communication over an interrupt driven ( IRQ7) parallel port from a laboratory instrument.
    I used command line “vboxmanage” to display syntax of the commands as follows:

    [--lpt off| ]
    [--lptmode ]

    My questions:
    1) Your parallel port configuration doesn’t mention the “off” pipe symbol combination – what is that ? What arguments turn lpt “on” ?
    2) where do I find the I/O base for my for the ONLY parallel port on the machine ? Since the default lowest LPT in MS Windows is always at 0378h IRQ7 I don’t understand your example of I/O base 888 IRQ5

  5. Anshul Makkar
    December 7, 2012 at 10:01 am

    The description above is relevant to Windows host.. (On Linux or Ubuntu you don’t refer to parallel port as lpt).

    Windows host support is the latest addition to 4.2.4, Linux is long time supported. You can refer to manual for details.
    Thanks
    Anshul Makkar

  6. Alan Jacobs
    December 11, 2012 at 6:19 am

    Anshul…..thank you very much for the reply. I understand that “LPT” terminology is a Microsoft thing – not Unix ( parport, par, or lp in Unix/ Linux). I have read the complete manual several times…parallel port documentation is almost non existant – only the two cryptic commands listed under modifyvm without any discussion of suitable values for arguments. For example “lptmode” accepts arguments ….but how do the values 1-N relate to actual bios port modes such as STANDARD, SPP, ECP, EPP( ieee1284), bidirectional, etc ? What does “lptmode2″ or “lptmode3″ mean ?
    Next question: host ? Should this be parport0, lp0, or some abstraction layer like ppdev ???
    I have tried various combinations and get several types of errors A) some errors prevent Virtualbox from even starting B) one error said Vbox couldn’t get exclusive assess to the parallel port. Linux command lsmod shows lp0 has dependency on parport- should the lp module be removed with modprobe to free the port up ?
    I wish I could read a comprehensive manual instead of asking volunteers on forums – I don’t know where to get good info. Most of what I find relates to old Centronics type || printers instead of data acquisition and control.

  7. Anshul Makkar
    December 21, 2012 at 10:50 am

    Sorry for the confusion in the manual.

    –lptmode<1-N> : Specifies the device name of the parallel port that the port feature will be using. Use this before –lpt. This feature is host operating system specific.

    –lpt<1-N> : Specifies the I/O address of the parallel port and the IRQ number that the parallel port feature will be using. Use this after –lptmod. I/O base address and the IRQ are the values that guest sees i.e the values available under guest device manager.

    lptmode <1-N> doesn’t relate to SPP or ECP or EPP .. In fact Virtualbox only supports STANDARD mode. Value 1 to N just specifies the port number just like LPT1 or LPT2 or LPT3 etc.

    The “Device Name” is the port name that appears in the guest hardware listing .

    And no I don’t think you need to remove parport for lp0 to work.

    Please try with the above suggestions and if you still feel there is any issue, please let me know..

    Thanks
    Anshul Makkar
    http://www.justkernel.com
    mail to : anshul_makkar@justkernel.com

    

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