Tutorial: Compile VisOpSys

[~]

I made this tutorial to show exactly how to compile and build the VisOpSys disk images.

I compiled it under Topologilinux 7.0.1.

I used VirtualBox under Windows 7, but the building process was performed under Linux.

Then, watch this video. We download the VisOpSys source code (0.77 in this case), and just type and enter make. Wait the compilation process to end in arount 5-10 minutes, then we follow the instructions in visopsys-0.77-src/utils/BUILDING.txt to create the disk images and the new source code archive:
>> Compile VisOpSys 0.77 Under Topologilinux 7.0.1 <<


First, install VirtualBox and set the RAM to 512 Megabytes, the video memory to 32 Megabytes, the hard disk to 16 Gigabytes and the number of CPU cores to 1:
>> Install and Configure VirtualBox <<

Now we can install Topologilinux 7.0.1 and leave it running to compile VisOpSys (use startx to enter graphics mode and KDE/GNOME):
>> Install Topologilinux 7.0.1 Under VirtualBox <<

Download Topologilinux 7.0.1 and VirtualBox:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/topolog ... x%207.0.1/
http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads


The next thing to document is the process to write and install on Floppy, CD-ROM and USB.

[~]

NOTE: Remember to always run your emulator programs as an Administrator, to allow them to use your real hardware (like bootable disks) with full privileges. Otherwise they might run with limited features or simply fail.

>> View Video Showing VisOpSys Booting Process From USB <<

To install VisOpSys into an USB mass storage device, we use iBored to write the image after downloading it:
http://apps.tempel.org/iBored/

The VisOpSys USB image contains a partition of only 30 Megabytes so it should fit in all existing USB disks, and it's the best booting option since it contains all programs (around 5 Megabytes) and the rest is free:
http://www.visopsys.org/downloads.htm

Then we create a VMDK image with the VirtualBox command-line tools (here the USB device name looks like \\.\PhysicalDrive1, but could be another one, like \\.\PhysicalDrive2, but we can determine it by looking at the name of the disk device we wrote under iBored and use it):

Code: Select all

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\vboxmanage.exe" internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename C:\DataTraveler_USB_2GB.vmdk -rawdisk \\.\PhysicalDrive1

Then we create a virtual computer inside VirtualBox, make sure to use the VMDK file we created as the primary bootable hard disk (which is a very small file and only contains the disk metadata to describe it and use it at low level), and then run VisOpSys.

[andymc]

Thanks this was helpful!!!!

Hi bostontrainer, welcome.

Are you really from Boston? I lived in Cambridge for a year and change.

[ronaldlees]

@all: I wonder what happened to Bostontrainer. It's good info he gave tho ... I don't remember how well VisOpSys runs under VirtualBox, because I've been in "Qemu only" mode for quite a while. I wonder if VirtualBox supports the pcnet adapter?

Never mind. I just found this thread:

https://visopsys.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=252

Memory ain't what it used to be ...

[andymc]

'~' gave the good info. bostontrainer was a spam account.

I haven't used VirtualBox for a little while now, any luck with the running Visopsys against its PcNet implementation? If it doesn't work I'd probably like to fix that.

[ronaldlees]

Andy - my last x86 machine died a couple weeks ago, leaving me with no way to run Virtualbox. So, the only way I can run Visopsys is with Qemu. I've been slowly migrating everything I have over to ARM boards - even graphics and video editing. But, I'm thinking I may try one of the Up Squared boards, so that I would have at least one "x86 world" setup, since I do have some software (such as VirtualBox) that'll run on nothing else.

[MarioG]

Andy - my fantastic Leanbean benefits and the last x86 machine died a couple weeks ago, leaving me with no way to run Virtualbox. So, the only way I can run Visopsys is with Qemu. I've been slowly migrating everything I have over to ARM boards - even graphics and video editing. But, I'm thinking I may try one of the Up Squared boards, so that I would have at least one "x86 world" setup, since I do have some software (such as VirtualBox) that'll run on nothing else.

That sucks, Andy. Good luck with the Up Squared if you indeed decide to go that route. I've been using mine for years and it works fantastically well.

[andymc]

Personally, I'm still firmly entrenched in x86* land - no change for me