ISO Image Install

[Obeechi]

I installed both FreeBSD 7.1 and Ubuntu 8.10

In both cases, I used an ISO image for the install and not a physical DVD / CD.

(With FreeBSD the unzip from the gz sure took a long time... I used Mac's native unzip)

Both were VM's created on an external drive, while the iso file in each case, was on the internal drive.

Later, after booting up each... and after moving the ISO file used for the installs, I get this message about:

... Virtual device ide1:0 will start disconnected.

If I move the ISO file back to it's original location during the install, then I don't get the same message...

[WoodyZ · Accepted solution]

VMware Fusion (menu bar) > Help > VMware Fusion Help > Managing Virtual Machines > Configuring the CD/DVD Drive > Connecting and Setting Up a CD/DVD Drive

[Obeechi]

Both of these were successful installs. I did use the ISO images from the Downloads to install these VM's. They boot up. They run. But if I move or delete the ISO file used for the install. Then boot up either VM, they still boot up, but I get that Ide message. I'm sorry, but I don't see what configuring the CD has to do with it... its like it wants to mount in the OS, but I looked around for a Mount folder, or Mnt folder.. and didn't see anything...

Oh wait... You mean I have to go into the CD Settings after the VM has installed and reconfigure the CD settings... ?.. I guess I wasn't expecting that because during the Install process I was (in my mind) simply choosing whether to use an Image or a CD/DVD for the install. Didn't really see it as setting a configuration for the VM... So.. If the install process were to be further dumbed down (for the masses), I suppose it would be nice, if after choosing an Image for the install, a dialogue were to pop up and ask the user how they want to configure their virtual CD/DVD for after the Install is completed... You see, as a member of the masses... I wasn't even sure or certain what an Ide was... though I thought it might be a CD... or something... Kept looking "with-in" the VM's for the answer, but the answer was "with-out".

[WoodyZ]

Okay using a physical disk is a no brainer in the when you eject the disk the optical drive is empty however when you select an ISO Image the FQP (Fully Qualified Pathname) to the ISO Image is written into the .vmx configuration file and if you move the disc image in finder with out properly reconfiguring the CD/DVD then an error message is the logical and expected behavior.

What do you think would happen if you just choose to move the virtual hard drive manually through Finder then try running the Virtual Machine without adjusting the FQP. It it stays within the Package all that is needed is the file name however if it's outside the Package then the path in the .vmx file needs to be adjusted accordingly.

So when you no longer what to use an ISO Image then eject it by selecting Use Physical Disk Drive or disconnect the drive or pick another ISO Image

[Obeechi]

Yeah, I've done that, where there are Virtual Disks outside the machine or package, and I had to browse to re-select them and thus "plug them back in"... However... the first couple of times that happens... its like... "oh my god... It won't start...".. and then later its... 'oh, it's not so bad'... The difference here, is that with Ide message, there was no, "hey User, its time to browse".. it just starts without it... which is fine... but if I hadn't had your answer, I'd still be puzzling over it... looking in all the wrong places... feeling that, 'Well, I guess I'll have to reinstall it and this time install it with the iso file on the same external hard drive where the VM is so I don't have to worry about deleting or not deleting the ISO from my internal drive'. So yeah, thinking in hardware terms, its not so hard to understand... but sometimes its easy to slip into software terms... though here, software is really hardware, so maybe somewhere else, hardware is really software. Someone said once that all information is physical, but maybe its also true that all physical is information.