Installing Oracle VM VirtualBox OS/2 Guest Additions

Wikis > ArcaOS > Post-install Tips & Hints > Installing Oracle VM VirtualBox OS/2 Guest Additions

IMPORTANT: DO NOT BLINDLY FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE README FOR THE ADDITIONS, AS THIS WILL RESULT IN UNNECESSARY DUPLICATION AND POSSIBLE BACKLEVELING OF CERTAIN CRITICAL SYSTEM FILES.

To install the OS/2 Guest Additions in the ArcaOS VM:

  1. Ensure that the ArcaOS ISO has been ejected from the VM. From the VM’s devices menu, select Insert Guest Additions CD image…
  2. In the VM, open an OS/2 window and on the boot volume (C:) create the OS2ADDITIONS directory:
    [C:\]md OS2ADDITIONS <Enter>
  3. From the Guest additions CD (usually S:), copy all executable files from the \OS2 directory to C:\OS2ADDITIONS:
    [C:\]copy S:\OS2\*.exe C:\OS2ADDITIONS <Enter>
  4. From the Guest additions CD, copy the shared folders installable filesystem driver from the \OS2 directory to C:\OS2ADDITIONS:
    [C:\]copy S:\OS2\*.ifs C:\OS2ADDITIONS <Enter>
  5. From the Guest additions CD, copy the mouse and guest device drivers from the \OS2 directory to C:\OS2ADDITIONS:
    [C:\]copy S:\OS2\*.sys C:\OS2ADDITIONS <Enter>
  6. Unlock the in-use C:\OS2\DLL\gengradd.dll and rename it to gengradd.org:
    [C:\]unlock C:\OS2\DLL\gengradd.dll <Enter>
[C:\]ren C:\OS2\DLL\gengradd.dll *.org <Enter>
  7. From the Guest additions CD, copy the gengradd.dll from the \OS2 directory to C:\OS2\DLL:
    [C:\]copy S:\OS2\gengradd.dll C:\OS2\DLL <Enter>
  8. Open C:\CONFIG.SYS in a text editor and make the following changes:
    1. Append C:\OS2ADDITIONS; to the end of the PATH statement.
    2. Locate the DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\MOUSE.SYS line and comment it:
      REM DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\MOUSE.SYS
    3. Insert the following two lines just after the commented MOUSE.SYS line:
      DEVICE=C:\OS2ADDITIONS\VBOXMOUSE.SYS
DEVICE=C:\OS2ADDITIONS\VBOXGUEST.SYS
    4. Save the file.
    5. Either create or edit C:\STARTUP.CMD in the text editor. Add the following to the file:
      @echo off
C:\OS2ADDITIONS\VBOXSERVICE.EXE
exit

(If editing an existing STARTUP.CMD, the first and last lines above may already be present. Do not duplicate them.)

Save the file and restart the VM. Once the VM boots, check the Shared clipboard setting on the Devices menu and set this as desired.

N.B.: To enable shared folders, follow the directions in the OS/2 Guest Additions readme.txt. Alternatively, enable sharing in the host OS, and use the Samba client in ArcaOS to map to the host’s share(s).

This entry last updated: by Lewis Rosenthal