the Unix on Virtual PC project
dedicated to getting full-bodied Unix flavors out of Virtual PC
table of contents
background
Virtual PC provides robust Intel architecture emulation and the ability to run other operating systems, not just Windows and Linux. This page has traditionally been an OpenBSD on Virtual PC page, however OpenBSD now requires little modification under Virtual PC, and no modification is required for installation as of Virtual PC 5 for the Mac. The emphasis of this page is shifting towards running several Unix and Unix-like operating systems under Virtual PC.
installation
Installation directions and disk images will no longer be updated or providedhere. See below for notes pertaining to Virtual PC compatibility of specific operating systems.
files
BSD/OS
BSD/OS freezes during the second-stage boot loader on Virtual PC 6 and below. While this is fixed under Virtual PC 7, the virtual CPU lags and the installation process never finishes properly due to device issues.
FreeBSD
NeXTSTEP and Openstep
NEXTstep and OpenStep work just fine on Virtual PC 4 and 5, however, just like
with Solaris, support for the virtual ethernet card has been broken under
Virtual PC 6.
OpenBSD
Solaris
Solaris refuses to recognize the Virtual PC CPU on versions 5 and up, however a workaround exists (see Amit Singh's site below). Solaris 2.6 through 8 run just fine on Virtual PC 4 and 5, however the virtual ethernet card has been somehow broken in Virtual PC 6.
screenshots
- newest screenshot off my new 12"
G4, running Solaris and OpenBSD while installing AIX (no, not on VPC), 252k
known issues
resolved
- Timekeeping is flawed due to lost interrupts, but this can be fixed
with synctime with Virtual PC 6 and below. Virtual PC 7 support is
still in progress. These sources are private for the time being.
- Solaris will not install or boot up reliably on Virtual PC because of a CPU
recognition issue. Amit Singh has posted a workaround for this issue on his
site.
probably fixable
- synctime doesn't yet work under Virtual PC 7.
unfixable, except by the vendor
- The virtual ethernet card no longer works under Virtual PC 6 with OpenStep
and Solaris.
- Virtual PC does not implement the emulated NIC putting the real one
in promiscuous mode.
project history
[11/25/04]
OpenBSD 3.6 support
projects
to beef up support for other OS's here.
credits
- David Hornsby, whose NetBSD work this site is but a port of
- Amit Singh, for his Virtual PC website
- Apple, makers of superior mobile hardware and operating systems
links
contact info
this page compiled by
peter bartoli
(pgp key)
and last updated 11/25/04
