Can I use VMware to simulate booting from a bootable CD ?

[Tom Parson]

I have a bootable *.iso image which I want to test.

Ok, I could burn it on a CD to test the stuff on it.
But I would like to test it on software base prior to burning it.

Is it possible to use VmWare for this purpose?

Or is it required in VmWare to start the Windows environment first and then
test programs inside an already running environment?

Tom

 

[Todd H.]

[ignored followup as I do not read the intended group and it is not
available on my nntp server]

I have a bootable *.iso image which I want to test.

Ok, I could burn it on a CD to test the stuff on it.
But I would like to test it on software base prior to burning it.

Is it possible to use VmWare for this purpose?

Yes. VMWare workstation under either Linux or Windows would be
perfect for this sort of testing. It has the ability to mount and iso
image and make it look just like a CD-R in a CD-ROM drive to the guest
operating system.

As an example, I use VMWare Workstation under Windows to boot various
Knoppix CD's (or ISO's stored in the host OS's file system somewhere)
fairly routinely.

Or is it required in VmWare to start the Windows environment first
and then test programs inside an already running environment?

VMWare GSX and Worksation products require a "hosted" environment.
The host operating system in which vmware runs can be Windows or
Linux.

VMWare ESX server ($$$) includes its own OS, and therefore runs
"baremetal."



Best Regards,

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

If you prefer to boot directly from the CD with no other input, I recommend
Microsoft Virtual PC or Connectix Virtual PC, if you can find it.

With either, you can direct your virtual machine to "capture" the bootable
ISO or other CD image, and then boot the machine. You can also capture
floppy images created by WinImage or a comparable program, and boot from
them.

If VMWare can do this, I haven't found out how.

Hi,

For a VMware virtual computer floppy and CD-ROM drive, you can select
to connect to the physical drive of the host computer, or to an ISO
image for the CD-ROM or to a floppy image for the floppy.

If the device or image contains bootable media, the VMware virtual
computer will boot on it.