Target OS specific information¶
Linux¶
To have access to SVGA graphic modes under X11, use the vesa or
the cirrus X11 driver. For optimal performances, use 16 bit
color depth in the guest and the host OS.
When using a 2.6 guest Linux kernel, you should add the option
clock=pit on the kernel command line because the 2.6 Linux
kernels make very strict real time clock checks by default that QEMU
cannot simulate exactly.
When using a 2.6 guest Linux kernel, verify that the 4G/4G patch is not activated because QEMU is slower with this patch. The QEMU Accelerator Module is also much slower in this case. Earlier Fedora Core 3 Linux kernel (< 2.6.9-1.724_FC3) were known to incorporate this patch by default. Newer kernels don’t have it.
Windows¶
If you have a slow host, using Windows 95 is better as it gives the best speed. Windows 2000 is also a good choice.
SVGA graphic modes support¶
QEMU emulates a Cirrus Logic GD5446 Video card. All Windows versions starting from Windows 95 should recognize and use this graphic card. For optimal performances, use 16 bit color depth in the guest and the host OS.
If you are using Windows XP as guest OS and if you want to use high resolution modes which the Cirrus Logic BIOS does not support (i.e. >= 1280x1024x16), then you should use the VESA VBE virtual graphic card (option -std-vga).
CPU usage reduction¶
Windows 9x does not correctly use the CPU HLT instruction. The result is that it takes host CPU cycles even when idle. You can install the utility from http://www.user.cityline.ru/~maxamn/amnhltm.zip to solve this problem. Note that no such tool is needed for NT, 2000 or XP.
Windows 2000 disk full problem¶
Windows 2000 has a bug which gives a disk full problem during its installation. When installing it, use the -win2k-hack QEMU option to enable a specific workaround. After Windows 2000 is installed, you no longer need this option (this option slows down the IDE transfers).
Windows 2000 shutdown¶
Windows 2000 cannot automatically shutdown in QEMU although Windows 98 can. It comes from the fact that Windows 2000 does not automatically use the APM driver provided by the BIOS.
In order to correct that, do the following (thanks to Struan Bartlett): go to the Control Panel => Add/Remove Hardware & Next => Add/Troubleshoot a device => Add a new device & Next => No, select the hardware from a list & Next => NT Apm/Legacy Support & Next => Next (again) a few times. Now the driver is installed and Windows 2000 now correctly instructs QEMU to shutdown at the appropriate moment.
Share a directory between Unix and Windows¶
See sec_invocation about the help of the option ‘-netdev user,smb=...’.
Windows XP security problem¶
Some releases of Windows XP install correctly but give a security error when booting:
A problem is preventing Windows from accurately checking the
license for this computer. Error code: 0x800703e6.
The workaround is to install a service pack for XP after a boot in safe mode. Then reboot, and the problem should go away. Since there is no network while in safe mode, its recommended to download the full installation of SP1 or SP2 and transfer that via an ISO or using the vvfat block device (“-hdb fat:directory_which_holds_the_SP”).
MS-DOS and FreeDOS¶
CPU usage reduction¶
DOS does not correctly use the CPU HLT instruction. The result is that it takes host CPU cycles even when idle. You can install the utility from http://www.vmware.com/software/dosidle210.zip to solve this problem.