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Configuring Parallel Ports

You can attach up to two parallel ports to a virtual machine. The configuration file specifies the mapping between a virtual parallel port and a parallel port or a file on the host. You can change the configuration of a parallel port on a virtual machine between virtual machine sessions.

To add or modify a parallel port connection:

  1. Open the Configuration Editor.
  2. Click the plus sign next to Parallel Ports.
    This reveals two entries, LPT1 and LPT2.
  3. Click the parallel port that you wish to define or modify.
  4. Click Install to define a parallel port.
  5. To attach the parallel port of your machine to the virtual machine, choose Device as the Type.
    To send the output of the virtual parallel port to a file, choose File as the Type.
  6. If you chose parallel port type Device, select transfer capabilities (unidirectional or bidirectional). Choosing bidirectional transfer is better if your kernel supports it.
  7. Enter the Path name to the parallel port. For unidirectional transfer, the first device is usually /dev/lp0. For bidirectional it is usually /dev/parport0.
  8. Click OK or Save to exit the Configuration Editor or you may add or modify another feature.

A parallel port may be used by the host operating system and one or more guest operating systems. By default, the configured parallel port will be enabled when the virtual machine is powered on. If the parallel port device (for example, a zip drive) may be inaccessible to the guest operating system at power on, uncheck the Start Connected box in the parallel port configuration panel. To disable or enable access to the parallel port while a virtual machine is running use the Devices menu. This can also be done from within the virtual machine if VMware Tools have been installed. The VMware Tools may be installed by following these installation instructions.

Note: You should exercise caution when using the Start Connected option with bidirectional parallel port devices. Due to a limitation in the VMware Workstation implementation of the bidirectional parallel port controller, if the guest operating system boots with the controller disconnected, VMware Workstation may misidentify the controller and not be able to use it later if the device is reconnected.