VMware GSX Server 2.5.2

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DOS and Windows 3.1x Installation Notes

Before installing the operating system, be sure that you have already created a new virtual machine and configured it using the New Virtual Machine Wizard (on Windows hosts) or Configuration Wizard (on Linux hosts).

DOS Installation Notes

You can install MS-DOS 6.22 inside a virtual machine using the MS-DOS installation disks provided with the full version. If you have the upgrade disks, you must install an earlier version of DOS before you upgrade. To start installing MS-DOS 6.22, put the first disk in the floppy drive, power on the virtual machine and follow the instructions on the screen.

After you install DOS, VMware recommends that you install a CPU idle program within the virtual machine. Most versions of DOS do not idle the CPU when they are idle. Therefore, when you are running DOS in a virtual machine, the virtual machine takes up CPU time on the host even when DOS is idle. GSX Server relies on the guest operating system to use the Halt instruction or advanced power management to deschedule the virtual machine when it is idle.

We have tested a program called DOSIDLE.EXE and have found it works successfully with GSX Server. It can be downloaded from www.vmware.com/software/dosidle210.zip.

Follow the instructions provided with the DOSIDLE.EXE program. But be aware of the -cpu option, which causes the idle program to access the CPU at a low level in order to optimize performance. There is a good chance that this will not work with some CPUs under GSX Server. VMware suggests that you not use it.

Windows 3.1x Installation Notes

You can install Windows 3.1x using the standard installation disks. GSX Server virtual machines support the networking features found in Windows 3.11 (or Windows for Workgroups). If you set up networking, choose the Advanced Micro Devices PCNET Family (NDIS2/NDIS3) Ethernet driver.

Enabling Sound After Installing the Guest Operating System

The GSX Server sound device is disabled by default and must be enabled with the Configuration Editor (Settings > Configuration Editor) after the operating system has been installed. To set up the virtual machine to play sound, see Configuring Sound in GSX Server.

Known Issues

The current support for DOS/EMM386 is limited. We recommend that you avoid using it. Be sure to comment out the entry in the CONFIG.SYS file.
You may intermittently encounter erratic mouse behavior in virtual machines running Windows 3.1x in window mode. This problem does not appear in full screen mode in a local console.
No VMware Tools package exists for DOS or Windows 3.1x guest operating systems; therefore, Windows 3.1x is limited to VGA mode graphics and you must always use the Ctrl-Alt key combination to release the mouse from a DOS or Windows 3.1x virtual machine.
On a Linux host with an XFree86 3.x X server, it is best not to run a screen saver in the guest operating system. Guest screen savers that demand a lot of processing power can cause the X server on the host to freeze.

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