EAW+VMWare

EAW can work in a Virtual Machine

Get VMWare Workstation at: http://www.vmware.com/

I have got it working in a VMWare test setup using software mode on a Dell Laptop that does not support Direct3D.

Now to describe the setup and what happened during the test: My Laptop Machine has for Operating System: XP Pro w/ SP2 with 256 MB RAM

The Virtual Machine is VMWare Workstation 5.5.2 build-29772 allotted 128 MB RAM and running XP Corporate "Stripped to the bone" VMWareTools version unsure of but may be: Guest: toolbox: Version: build-16325

If you've never run VMWare just know that it runs like an application and within it you can run another Operating System (an OS for short ;\) You can run it in full screen mode or a window.

Steps to install:

- Install VMWare Workstation (Maybe try the new beta 6 version?)

- Before you install the guest OS take my advice and defrag well the disk you will use to place the Virtual machine file(s) on.Those files will contain whole space you allocate and all the data for the guest OS and everything within that VM.

- Install the Guest OS WinXP, you have to use XP if you want to try Direct3D support; it will not work with Win98,ME or lesser (without Direct3D (i.e "Software Mode") might work with Win9x but I have not yet tested it)

VMWare Workstation setup tips: Here's example of how I have mine set up.I have to begin with 256MB RAM in the laptop, so I split that.I use 128MB RAM set to all virtual machine. This is mainly since that all the RAM I can spare.You need at least 128MB for Xp, whether the host or the guest either will bog down with less.Hopefully you have more RAM.If so,give both more like 256 + would be great but don't lower the host OS less than 128MB or you will be spinning your wheels on the test. You set that on setup, or later when VMWare running thought the main top window "Edit", "Preferences":

Now when all done installing check your settings for the virtual machine via the "edit this virtual machine settings" option in the virtual machine window for the guest OS you have:



Here's some of my other settings: Hard disk I have not allocated all space at once since I don't have much hard drive space.If you do have a lot of disk space set it all at once.If you do that the VM will perform much better. Also note I am using a very stripped down XP version as the Guest OS called: XP Corporate "Stripped to the bone".If you using a full version you might need at least 2GB for XP alone!



- Do not install EAW, just copied a patched EAW 1.2 version over to the Virtual Machine. I recommend using a 1.2 version has the fake Movies.cdf, and set to not play movies /intro. Also advise do not try complicated addons at first, just make a default EAW test flight. You can make a copy of your EAW with the fake Movies.cdf by using my CleanEAW2 program; select the "Copy" option and then "Small Copy option", "Would you like to replace Movies.cdf with the fake version?" YES.CleanEAW2 is available here: http://www.raf-roy.com/downloads/CleanEAW2.zip

Now you need to check you EAW.ini file and adjust it for the test.I advise use the lower screen resolutions i.e 640 x 480 or 800 x 600. Just be sure the screen resolution of EAW is not set higher than your VMWare Guest OS nor higher than that of your Host OS.

Now you have the choice of trying EAW with or without Direct3D support (without is called Software Mode) If you wish to try without Direct3d support, which is the only way so far I have got EAW to work without 7217 error; set the EAW.ini section controling graphics to

TestDrawPrimitive=0 DisplayDevice=-1

I used my same eaw.ini I use on my laptop; important points of that .ini:

[GRAPHICS] Width=640 Height=480 TestDrawPrimitive=0 DisplayDevice=-1 PlaneDetail=2 TerrainDetail=2 CloudDetail=2 EffectsDetail=2 HorizonDistance=2 Shadow=1 ExternalStores=1 LensFlare=1 LightSourcing=0 VirtualCockpitGauge=1 CockpitShake=1 VirtualCockpitProp=1 3dCityTargets=2 Gamma Value=128

[Media] Video Playback=0

(I think this setting is used for recommended not play movies option in EAW) - EAW CD issue: EAW by default needs the CD disk in to run.I have not yet tested a NoCD fix in VMWare.I would rcommend either use the real EAW CD in your disk drive and set VMWare to use physical disk, or if you wish try the MakeVCD method I use; download available at my site: http://www.raf-roy.com/downloads/makeVCD.zip

Below is example how I point the CD drive in VMWare to my fake eawx.iso image file on my physical computer hard drive.You may wish to just use physical drive for the CD if you have the EAW disk at first as its easier.



Now you go into VMWare for the Virtual machine settings, edit them.

EAW in the VM and the mouse problems: With VMWare to go into and out of the OS once its running you move the mouse in by a click and and out by a keyboard setting switch like Alt+Ctl+shift or similar.During the test I had alot of problems with the mouse once I launched EAW.This was an anomaly that must have something to do with the mouse grabbing of EAW. There are a couple setting I made to help with this: First off launch the Guest OS VM and then go to the XP control panel,mouse

setting and put the mouse speed to lowest setting:



IF that does not get the mouse usuable you might try adjust these settings under the XP guest OS, device manager settings,VmWare mouse, properties, advanced (try slowing it down?) :



Now to test; Launch EAW.You may have to launch it twice as sometimes it just CTD on the first try but works the second time. Comments; In my experiment graphics were poor but about usual for my laptop as it will only render EAW normally in software mode and 256 colors.Other than that there was quite a lot of screen flashing (you know when you get whiteout for a moment) also there was a number of anomalies like the F2 - F7 cockpit views would not work, but F1 fine and F9 outside view fine. The screen flashing made flying hard as it was too disruptive, like the disruptions caused by warp (there was no warping though). One other thing you should know is that if using software mode you will not be able to use most graphics mods in EAW, because the colors normaly used will be unrenderable in the 256 color mode. The only way to can use them you would have to adjust them with the EAW Safe palette by VBH.Also now you will see the terrain tiles used are the ones without the HR and LR, and learn a few other things about how EAW works in 256 color.

Hopes for some to try this and produce results: Well maybe EAW will be runable in VMWare at least somewhat, if we can get it working Direct3d or Glide - curently VMWare development for Direct3D support is just begun over the last few major Workstations releases. If EAW will run at least in some form in VMWare, it may be possible the run it on the Linux / Unix version, which would be a Huge, Huge thing opening development and believe me if we can get that working at all there would be hundreds of geeks interested in this this game. Whats more is we have some hope to preserve EAW dispite any OS that may arise in the future as I am sure VMWare will be there. VMWare is real top quality software that is huge in enterprise and likely to become even more prevalent in the future.

Other experiments you can try: There are a few other VMs out there.

There's even one for Macs at VMware: http://www.vmware.com/products/beta/fusion/

-S! RAF_Roy

March 27,2007