2.0

Table Of Contents
VMware Server User’s Guide
180 VMware, Inc.
Configuring a Parallel Port on a Linux Host
Fortheparallelporttoworkproperlyinaguestoperatingsystem,itmustfirstbe
configuredproperlyonthehostsystem.Thissectiondiscussesissueswithparallelport
functionalitythatarearesultoftheincorrectconfigurationofthefollowinghost
settings:
Linuxkernelversion
Deviceaccesspermissions
Requiredmodules
Parallel Ports and Linux 2.2.x Kernels
The2.2.xkernelsthatsupportparallelportsusetheparport,parport_pc,and
vmppusermodules.MakesurethatPCStyleHardware(CONFIG_PARPORT_PC)is
loadedasamodule.OnLinuxhosts,VMwareServerrequiresthattheparallelport
“PCstylehardware”option(CONFIG_PARPORT_PC)bebuiltandloadedasakernel
module(set
tom).VMwareServercannotuseparallelportdevicesif
CONFIG_PARPORT_PCisbuiltdirectly(compiled)intothekernel.Thislimitation
existsbecauseCONFIG_PARPORT_PCdoesnotcorrectlyexportitssymbols.
ThevmppusermoduleissuppliedbyVMwareServertoallowvirtualmachines
userlevelaccesstotheparallelport.
To check the module configuration
1 Determine
whethertheparport,parport_pc,andvmppusermodulesare
installedandrunningonyoursystembyrunningthelsmodcommandastheroot
user.
Allthreemodulesmustbeincludedinthelistingofrunningmodules.Youcanalso
lookatthe/proc/modulesfileforthesamelist.
2Toloadthe
propermodules,runthiscommand:
insmod <modulename>
3Ifnoneofthelistedparallelportmodulesisloaded,enterthiscommand:
insmod parport_pc
Thiscommandinsertsthethreemodulesneededforaparallelport.
Ifyoucontinuetohaveproblems,itispossiblethatthelpmoduleisrunning.Ifit
is,thevirtualmachinecannotusetheparallelportcorrectly.