[solved] Install PCLinuxOS on Win 7 host?

[hlidskialf]

I wanted to try out the latest PCLinuxOS on my main rig prior to setting up another dual boot. I'm running Win 7 atm (For games purpose only, hopefully going to mainline this after the dualboot.) and am trying to run PCLinuxOS in Virtualbox. However, all attempts leave the installation hanging.

Base, linux 2.6 and linux type I'm using "other". Dedicating 2gb of memory and full video ram (My machine has 16gb so more than enough to spare.) and using the pclinuxos-kde-2012.08.iso. I've tried both install and live CD, and I get the start spashscreen, with an empty loadbar... and that's it. So far my google-fu has failed me, any input would be welcome, thanks.

[T6]

hello and welcome to the forum!

pclinux iso you downloaded is a livecd, you can run it and boot your machine without the use of a virtual machine

if you like it you can install it, if not, then just remove the livecd from the cd tray

before installing anything, be sure to back up first your personal files, if you format the wrong partition while installing another os you could loose lots of files

if the livecd doesn't boot, i would check md5checksum of the iso to verify that you downloaded a good file and not a damaged iso

[Steve333]

I'm a new user but I'll take a shot at here as I'm using PCLinux in Virtualbox.

My "Type" is set as Linux 2.6 but I suspect "Other" is not a problem. Also, I set 128 megs of video ram.

Does the installation process begin normally then stall? Same place each time, more or less? Any error messages? I wonder if there's a problem with the CD/DVD or with the file when it downloaded?

[hlidskialf]

Thanks, I realize I'm a new poster but I've been lurking for a couple years now. I used PCLOS2010 as a dualboot for quite a while, and am just coming back to it. I was hoping to set it up in Virtualbox just so I can test it on my new hardware without rebooting. I use my machine right now for a lot of sickbeard/SABNzbd functions so until I commit I'd wanted to keep Win7 running in the background. That and I've never used VBox before, and decided this was a fine opportunity to learn.

I understand that the liveCD route would be the easy one, but then, I'd not learn anything new.  

I'm a new user but I'll take a shot at here as I'm using PCLinux in Virtualbox.

My "Type" is set as Linux 2.6 but I suspect "Other" is not a problem. Also, I set 128 megs of video ram.

Does the installation process begin normally then stall? Same place each time, more or less? Any error messages? I wonder if there's a problem with the CD/DVD or with the file when it downloaded?

I too have Type set as you do, and 128mb or vid ram. The installation starts, I get to the selection screen. I then can choose LiveCD, or Install, etc... and it loads to the spashscreen with the loadbar. The Loadbar never fills, nor does the screen change beyond that. It just hangs there until I end the session.

When you run it, do you run it straight from the iso, or do you mount the iso, and run it from the drive? Thanks again all.

[Old-Polack]

hlidskialf:

Did you do an md5sum check on the downloaded image? Did you do an md5sum check on the burned disk?

If the image checks as good, I use the image itself to install to VBox, as it eliminates the need to burn a disk, and any possible chance of a bad burn.

[hlidskialf]

hlidskialf:

Did you do an md5sum check on the downloaded image? Did you do an md5sum check on the burned disk?

If the image checks as good, I use the image itself to install to VBox, as it eliminates the need to burn a disk, and any possible chance of a bad burn.

Yes, it checked out with the md5sum when I downloaded it. I've been trying to use VBox with the .iso file instead of burning it. It's one of the things that has me confused. If I use this image as a live CD it works beautifully, one of the reasons I'm eager to play with it.

[Old-Polack]

hlidskialf:

Did you do an md5sum check on the downloaded image? Did you do an md5sum check on the burned disk?

If the image checks as good, I use the image itself to install to VBox, as it eliminates the need to burn a disk, and any possible chance of a bad burn.

Yes, it checked out with the md5sum when I downloaded it. I've been trying to use VBox with the .iso file instead of burning it. It's one of the things that has me confused. If I use this image as a live CD it works beautifully, one of the reasons I'm eager to play with it.

So mount the image to the virtual optical drive of the VM.



Then start the VM.

[hlidskialf]

Yes, unfortunately I've tried exactly that, and I get the exact same issue. I appreciate the help, but I'm thinking it might just be something system specific on my end. I'll try a bit more google-fu and tinkering but failing that I might just bite the bullet and liveCD my rig. :/

[Old-Polack]

Yes, unfortunately I've tried exactly that, and I get the exact same issue. I appreciate the help, but I'm thinking it might just be something system specific on my end. I'll try a bit more google-fu and tinkering but failing that I might just bite the bullet and liveCD my rig. :/

Sorry, I can't help with anything specific about the Windows version of VBox, because I don't run Windows at all, except for a Win2K VM to enable me to run a scanner that has no Linux drivers available. VBox on Linux works beautifully.

[hlidskialf]

Well I managed to get it running. The problem appears to be during the boot selection screen, having to choose F6-safe instead of default. Sadly, it appears I have to do this every time, but once booted the PCLOS is working excellent in the VB setting. Thanks all.

[kjpetrie]

Please note this isn't testing it on your hardware - only in VirtualBox's emulated hardware. The only way to test it on your hardware is to reboot your machine into it as T6 suggested.

[hlidskialf]

Please note this isn't testing it on your hardware - only in VirtualBox's emulated hardware. The only way to test it on your hardware is to reboot your machine into it as T6 suggested.

Ah, so all the hardware itself it emulated? Well, that's just duckie. I'm glad at least I got it working as my first VBox environment, looks like I'll be installing that extra drive for a dualboot after all. Cheers,
  hlid.

[T6]

the virtual machine does not access the real hardware

the virtual machine has a virtual video card, a virtual sound card, a virtual network adapter(intel card i think it has now) bridged to wifi or ethernet depending what you have, a virtual chipset, virtual ram, virtual hard disk space on a file on your hard disk partition and a virtual core form your cpu, this part, sometimes the cpu gives 2 cores if possible but it depends on the type of cpu and how many cores you have, in my case, where i have a single core atom, the cpu is shared, it is the only part of the hardware that is reported by his real name with real details

what is done by the virtual machine is then processed by virtualbox and then moved to the real os as a task to do via plugins and drivers and then it reaches sound card, chipset , video card, ethernet or wifi and cpu depending what is required and then goes back depending on the task following that route, everything inside the virtual machine is just part of a task made by virtualbox, not a real os on real hardware

[pags]

the virtual machine does not access the real hardware

the virtual machine has a virtual video card, a virtual sound card, a virtual network adapter(intel card i think it has now) bridged to wifi or ethernet depending what you have, a virtual chipset, virtual ram, virtual hard disk space on a file on your hard disk partition and a virtual core form your cpu, this part, sometimes the cpu gives 2 cores if possible but it depends on the type of cpu and how many cores you have, in my case, where i have a single core atom, the cpu is shared, it is the only part of the hardware that is reported by his real name with real details

what is done by the virtual machine is then processed by virtualbox and then moved to the real os as a task to do via plugins and drivers and then it reaches sound card, chipset , video card, ethernet or wifi and cpu depending what is required and then goes back depending on the task following that route, everything inside the virtual machine is just part of a task made by virtualbox, not a real os on real hardware

Actually, the CPU is one thing that is not virtualized...if you check your CPU in a VM, it will be the same as the actual one...it passed the processes through to run there...this is referred to as a "Hyper-visor", and if your CPU supports hardware virtualization, and you enable it in your VM, then you'll get better performance because your physical CPU then "presents" a virtual core to the VM as a dedicated resource...

For an actual, virtual (i.e., emulated) CPU, try bochs, or (maybe? I can't recall) QEMU.

The downside of a fully virtual CPU is a big performance hit.  The upside is the ability to run non-native (i.e., PowerPC on Intel) binaries...

[T6]

yes, it is the only part not really virtualized, i mentioned later on the post with this

"in my case, where i have a single core atom, the cpu is shared, it is the only part of the hardware that is reported by his real name with real details"

i wanted to express that if you have one cpu core only, it will offer it complete while running the other os but it can't so it has to run as another job for the cpu and won't have it all for the virtual machine