How to boot from IDE1:0 when no IDE0:0 HD?

[nedkonz]

I have Parallels 2.5 (build 3214).

I am trying to duplicate the configuration of an embedded computer that I've set up for a client. It`s got a BIOS that allows the choice of which HD to boot from. The (only) HD (actually, a CF card) on this machine is set up as the master on the second IDE channel and cannot be moved. So I've set up the (only) hard drive in Parallels on IDE1:0. However, since there is no IDE0:0 drive, when no CD is installed the BIOS won`t try to boot from IDE1:0. Is there some way to get the BIOS to boot from IDE1:0?

The boot order setting in the VM editor only refers to 'hard drive', and I can't see a way to get into the BIOS for settings.

I don't want to move the drive in Parallels to IDE0:0 because the guest operating system (a small Linux distro with a 2.4 kernel and GRUB bootloader) is set up to work with IDE1:0. Since I'm writing backup scripts that are sensitive to drive setup, it wouldn't work to move the drive.

Is there some way that I can change the settings to allow booting from IDE1:0?

 

[sandro]

hi,
i'm afraid you'll can't to boot from 1:0 IDE due 2.x Parallels BIOS doesn't support boot from non first IDE controller. But what about follow solution: create at VM a small harddisk (as small as possible) where you can install OS loader which will be redirect OS loading process to your 1:0 IDE harddisk.

 

[nedkonz]

Still no joy: IDE1:0 not available to GRUB

Well, I have build 5160 now, and I still can't get access to IDE1:0 to allow booting from a partition on that drive at boot time, even using the suggested method of setting up a helper drive partition on IDE0:0.

I've set up a small HD on IDE0:0 with GRUB installed to use to boot a partition in the larger hard drive.

When the larger hard drive is set up on IDE1:0, GRUB can't see it. When it's set up on IDE0:1, GRUB can see it.

I have also tried this with a GRUB floppy with the same results.

It seems as if hard drives on IDE1 aren't available to GRUB at boot time. When I boot from Linux on IDE0:0 I can see hard drives on IDE1:0 (after Linux starts).

Is there some kind of initialization or driver that is missing here?