Hi Kevin,
On Sun, 9 Dec 2001, Kevin White wrote:
> I've setup a Zip250 parallel over the weekend
I'm assuming a "Zip250 parallel" is a ZIP250 drive that is accessed via a
parallel port -- I've only seen the internal IDE ones.
> and got it working under linux
> fine. I'm then trying to access it in VMWARE , but had all sorts of problems.
Have you configured VMWare to allow hardware access over the parallel
port? I've not used VMWare, but I suspect you have to tell it (and the
Linux kernel) that the parallel port is going to be used exclusively by
VMWare.
> In the end i creating a link for the device into my home directory
what? a symbolic link? a hard link? a new device node via mknod(1)? a
mount point?
> and was
> then able to access the Zip250 contents via the Network Neighbourhood in
> windows ( probably a convoluted method , but it worked ).
Accessed over some form of network link? Exported via NFS? samba? (I'm
going to assume samba) ...
> I'm now trying to recover a backup in Windows on VMWARE using a backfile
> spread across 4 zip disks. All goes fine until the restore finishes the first
> disk and wants the second.
>
> I can't just eject the disk as its held by Linux. I tried to UMOUNT it (
> which would allow me to change disks ) , but it comes back "disk in use". I
> tried using the -f option ( forced ) but it still comes back the same.
This is correct behavour. If the ZIP disk is in use, then it is unsafe to
remove it, its only because of floppy disks and lax programming under
Windows that people expect to be able do this.
> Is there any way i can override any settings and force the umount ( the disk
> is only in use as far as its being held by VMWARE , its not actually being
> read or written to ).
If I understand this right, you've used samba to export the disk contents
"over the network" to the VMWARE Windows session. A little convoluted, but
a reasonable hack to get windows to read Linux content.
If that is the case, then its samba that has the lock on the disk. To
eject the disk do:
1. shut down samba ("/etc/rc.d/init.d/samba stop" as root)
2. unmount the disk
3. eject the disk (manually or via eject(1) )
4. load new media
5. mount the disk
6. restart samba ("/etc/rc.d/init.d/samba start" as root)
Windows should see this as new disk content and merrily continue.
> Unfortunately i can;t see any way of getting VMWARE to release its hold on
> the disk without shutting down windows ( which then knackers the restore ).
I suspect that VMWare isn't to blame.
> Any suggestions would be appreciated ( apart from dumping VMWARE/Windows )?
Well, needs must when the devil stomps on your buscuit.
HTH,
Paul.
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Paul Millar yo-yo, n. :
Particle Physics Theory Group Something that is occasionally
Department of Physics and Astronomy up but normally down.
University of Glasgow, (see also Computer)
Glasgow G12 8QQ, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Scotland +44 (0)141 330 4717
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