VMware Communities: Print from MS-DOS VM using serial port?

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4 Replies Last post: Apr 14, 2009 4:21 AM by emendelson

Print from MS-DOS VM using serial port?

Apr 10, 2009 7:01 AM

emendelson 7 posts since
Aug 19, 2007

I've built an MS-DOS guest machine that runs WordPerfect for DOS, and I wonder if it's possible to print from it without using TCP/IP networking. I've set up the serial port in the VM, which the menu says is required for printing; I've specified that the VM should print to the default OS X printer (which is a PostScript laser printer). I've set up WordPerfect in the VM to use a PostScript printer driver. I've tried printing to COM1 and COM2, but nothing at all happens at the printer. The data sent to COM1 or COM2 seems to disappear.

Running Fusion 2.0.3 under Leopard fully updated. Have started and restarted Fusion. Driverless printing works in other VMs.

Is what I am trying to do simply impossible?

Reply Re: Print from MS-DOS VM using serial port? Apr 13, 2009 6:07 PM

asatoran 2,893 posts since
Jun 23, 2006

VMWare virtual machines can have virtual serial ports, but since (recent) Macs don't have physical serial ports anymore, Fusion redirects the virtual serial port to a file. I don't know what the limitations of printing support in Fusion are, but a supported guest OS is probably required. (I believe a new printer port is created (TPVM) which MS-DOS is not aware of. IOW, not MS-DOS, however, you didnt' mention what OS the "other" VMs are running.) So basically, it is not possible with MS-DOS through serial port. You'll need to use some other common protocol such as TCP in order to connect MS-DOS to the printer.

Reply Re: Print from MS-DOS VM using serial port? Apr 13, 2009 8:53 PM

in response to: asatoran

emendelson 7 posts since
Aug 19, 2007

I see that Fusion allows me to create serial ports that send the output to a file, but this is a different. When you create a serial port, you're prompted to specify a file location. When you set up a machine to print, a serial port is created that the settings menu describes as "for printer data." No file location is specified. Do you happen to know if this "for printer data" port actually does lead to a file, or to something else?

Reply Re: Print from MS-DOS VM using serial port? Apr 13, 2009 11:32 PM

in response to: emendelson

asatoran 2,893 posts since
Jun 23, 2006

I haven't done that in a while, but I believe at the time you print, it will create the file, which is when it asks you to specify the filename. However, that file might be text only and might not include any formatting info, although that may be acceptable for you.

Reply Re: Print from MS-DOS VM using serial port? Apr 14, 2009 4:21 AM

in response to: asatoran

emendelson 7 posts since
Aug 19, 2007

Actually, it's all explained in the third message of this thread:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1054270

Printing directly from a VM requires the VMware Tools. It uses the serial port, but only to communicate between a service on the guest and a service on the host. You can't print directly to the serial port - only via the Tools.

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