Adding QEMU function to multiboot usb

[astigpre]

A pleasant day to all, first I'd like to thank all the creators of usb multiboot. It is very useful. I'd just like to ask if, is there any way we can test the USB Multiboot from wimb using QEMU program. So that it will be not necessary to restart the computer to test the usb. Like if there is any batch command posted combined with QEMU with the usb multiboot. Thanks in advance.

[ilko_t]

Hi, here is your answer

...I've tried VirtualBox/VMWare/Virtual PC, but none of them seem to support booting from USB devices. Correct me if I'm wrong, please! ...

Unfortunately you are right:), for now there is no virtual software, supporting USB boot, there were some topics in VMware forums about future plans to implement that, but for now it's not done.

[jaclaz]

Mind you, completely and utterly UNTESTED but read FAQs here:

http://fabrice.bellard.free.fr/qemu/user-doc.html

http://kidsquid.com/cgi-bin/moin.cgi/Frequ...yAskedQuestions

http://calamari.reverse-dns.net:980/cgi-bi...bb75619b572be-2

How do I load a USB flash drive emulating it as the HDA so I can boot from it? (in Windows)

On Windows XP/2K you can try to boot from the flash drive like so: qemu -hda //./PhysicalDriveN ... where N is the drive number found in the disk manager.

jaclaz

Edited February 17, 2008 by jaclaz

[ilko_t]

That's right Jaclaz, but won't be too helpful for the purpose of this project, Setup will see hard drives in different order, boot.ini will get changed in a different way.

At least could be used to check if Setup would start or not, if it likes to boot from it.

Edited February 17, 2008 by ilko_t

[jaclaz]

That's right Jaclaz, but won't be too helpful for the purpose of this project, Setup will see hard drives in different order, boot.ini will get changed in a different way.

At least could be used to check if Setup would start or not, if it likes to boot from it.

Well, it is possible to use the internal hard disk as hdb, though there is a RISK in making the "working", possibly "system", drive accessible from the VM, it would be better to use as hdb an image of the drive, rather obviously all drivers instealled within the VM may or may not be compatible with real hardware...

Qemu "internally" should see hda as \\.\PhysicalDrive0 and hdb as \\.\PhysicalDrive1

LOTS of testing is needed before "advertising" this possible way, allowing direct access to system drives is VERY like playing with explosives....

jaclaz

[astigpre]

thanks jaclaz! just busy lately forgot to thank again...

that's ok since there still no usb support for other virtual machine products we can use QEMU for the meantime just to see the menu

-------------------------

REM Start qemu on windows.

@ECHO OFF

START qemu\qemu.exe -L qemu/ -no-kqemu -m 128 -localtime

-soundhw es1370 -hda //./PhysicalDrive1 -append "qemu

vga=791 quiet noscsi nousb nofirewire atapicd noideraid

noacpi acpi=off noapm noagp ide1=noprobe ide2=noprobe

nomce frugal"

qemu

CLS

EXIT

-------------------------------

[jaclaz]

thanks jaclaz! just busy lately forgot to thank again...

that's ok since there still no usb support for other virtual machine products we can use QEMU for the meantime just to see the menu

Happy to know it works.

jaclaz

[sunnykumar]

download from here

http://wiki.qemu.org/Download