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Installing OS/2 Warp 4 in VirtualBox

Started by kbzerini, 2009.12.19, 04:23:57

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kbzerini

Greetings everybody! I've worked with OS/2 in the past and really love it-- I'd like to buy an older desktop and make that a dedicated OS/2 machine, but for the time being it looks like I'm going to have to go the virtualization route.

I'm trying to install OS/2 Warp 4 in VirtualBox 2.0.6 (Mac OSX 10.6 is the host). I have the OS/2 ISO, but no DOS 6.22 boot floppies (I can't find any mountable .ima images). I do, however, have a DOS 6.22 boot CD image.

I'm a bit confused about the whole setting up the HD with the DOS boot floppy/CD part (I've been spoiled by bootable install CDs). I've read other threads about making bootable OS/2 CDs-- but it seems that it didn't work out too well for the user who tried it.

Basically, I'm a lost noob in search of some advice. Have any of you been able to install OS/2 Warp 4 in Virtualbox? Do DOS boot CDs work the same as floppy images? And can the ISO be made into a bootable image?

Thanks for any help.
Alternative and vintage computer enthusiast

Proud future Multician!

oli

Bootable OS2 images work fine in VB, however Warp 4 did not come with a bootable CD only the eCS and OS2 4.5 versions were shipped on bootable CDs

IBM offered updated V4 install diskettes for download as a floppy images, download them and boot from them (VB works with most uncompressed IBM disk images) and the install disk with then find the CD image.


Radek

The W4 CD contains a program instcd.exe (or cdinst.exe? I am not sure right now) in the root dir of the CD, which creates the bootable diskettes for W4. The program can be run both from DOS and from OS/2. I have experience neither with Mac nor with VirtualBox  ;D but you need the following most likely:

(1) A DOS session (a DOS emulator).
(2) A virtual floppy (or a real floppy drive) which is able to store floppy images on HD.

Run the DOS session and mount the floppy as A: . Run instcd.exe from the CD and create the images. You get 3 floppies. Everytime a new floppy is created, you'll be asked to insert a new empty floppy. At this moment, you'll need to store the just created image and reset the virtual floppy.

instcd.exe wants unformatted floppies because it will format them itself. It does not matter when the floppies are already formatted but you get a warning. The first two floppies are FAT12 for sure but I am not sure whether the last one isn't XDF formatted. Therefore, your virtual floppy should be able to accept unusual formatting.

Saijin_Naib

Quote from: kbzerini on 2009.12.19, 04:23:57
Greetings everybody! I've worked with OS/2 in the past and really love it-- I'd like to buy an older desktop and make that a dedicated OS/2 machine, but for the time being it looks like I'm going to have to go the virtualization route.

If you are still looking for one, I may have one to offer you.
http://www.os2world.com/forum/index.php/topic,1793.0.html

kbzerini

Thanks Oli, I wasn't aware that any versions of OS/2 came on bootable CDs.

Quote from: Radek on 2009.12.19, 12:00:16
The W4 CD contains a program instcd.exe (or cdinst.exe? I am not sure right now) in the root dir of the CD, which creates the bootable diskettes for W4. The program can be run both from DOS and from OS/2. I have experience neither with Mac nor with VirtualBox  ;D but you need the following most likely:

(1) A DOS session (a DOS emulator).
(2) A virtual floppy (or a real floppy drive) which is able to store floppy images on HD.

Run the DOS session and mount the floppy as A: . Run instcd.exe from the CD and create the images. You get 3 floppies. Everytime a new floppy is created, you'll be asked to insert a new empty floppy. At this moment, you'll need to store the just created image and reset the virtual floppy.

instcd.exe wants unformatted floppies because it will format them itself. It does not matter when the floppies are already formatted but you get a warning. The first two floppies are FAT12 for sure but I am not sure whether the last one isn't XDF formatted. Therefore, your virtual floppy should be able to accept unusual formatting.

You've managed to clarify things quite a bit for me, thanks!

I found the cdist.exe program, and have DOSBOX in my virtualized Windows XP machine. I don't have any experience with virtual floppy drives (and don't have any machines with real floppy drives on hand), so I'll have to do a little more research in that area... any recommendations for a good virtual floppy program?

Quote from: Saijin_Naib on 2009.12.19, 22:01:52If you are still looking for one, I may have one to offer you.
http://www.os2world.com/forum/index.php/topic,1793.0.html

It didn't link to the thread... but to be honest, I'd probably just want to try installing it on some used computer, just as a fun project. :)
Alternative and vintage computer enthusiast

Proud future Multician!