arcaos hard disks not recognized

[Rich87]

In Arcaos (OS/2) guests, hard disks are no longer recognized with Win ver 7.x. The hard disks worked normally with ver 6.x. The hard disks fail to be seen and partitioned. This defect is in BIOS or EFI installations. This defect is seen with SATA, IDE, NVME type virtual storage. The CD ROM is recognized and works normal in SATA. I had to revert back to 6.1.40. Everything works in ver 6.x.

[aeichner]

Unfortunately we don't have ArcaOS for testing here and you can't seem to download it for free but have to purchase it. So unless we can get our hands on an installation media there is nothing we can do I'm afraid.

[Rich87]

I have narrowed this defect down a little more. It appears that in VBox 7.x there are disk partition access problems.

Anytime I use the guest OS (ArcaOS) and do anything that involves disk partitions, the guest disk will not be recognized further.

I am able to take a working guest disk image from a 6.x, I will be able to format the disk and install the ArcaOS on VBox 7.x. If I access the disk for changing partitions layout, the disk will not be recognized further. Formatting the disk in VBox 7.x works OK, and I can do the install of ArcaOS.

Also, it appears that using VBox 6.x, ArcaOS in EFI boot with SATA, and NVME disks worked OK, with Vbox 7.x the only disk type that works in NVME.

[michaln]

We now have the ArcaOS 5.0.7 ISO. Please provide the exact steps required to reproduce the problem with the ISO.

If the problem is not reproducible with ArcaOS 5.0.7, please specify exactly what is needed. If the problem is specific to EFI, please say so clearly, do not expect us to guess.

Also please provide VBox.log from a VM run ending in failure, so that we have at least some vague idea what we're working with.

[Rich87]

installation attempt

[Rich87]

I am using ArcaOS 5.0.99.11
This is an EFI install
host system win10 VBox 7.0.4
I have attached the log file from the install attempt.

I hope the install steps are verbose enough for you to duplicate.
Guest:

OS: other/unknown 64 bit

3000 MB RAM
2 cpu
NVME with 4GB vdi
AHCI SATA - install iso
audio SB16
network NAT/ Intel Pro 1000 MT desktop
USB 2.0 enabled

---

Create new VM
os type: other
version: other/unknown 64 bit
3000 MB RAM
2 cpu
enable EFI
HD 4GB VDI

---

settings
enable PAE/NX
remove IDE
add storage NVME | attach HD vdi
add storage SATA | attach install iso
audio set to SB16
network NAT | Intel pro 1000 MT desktop
enable USB 2.0

---

Start new VM
select: Install Maintain
select: boot with menu for own values
into the Arca hardware screen | moden hardware | pg dn
make sure NVME
make sure AHCI SATA
use tab key to get to third | set to none (use arrow key to change)
press F10
Welcome to ArcaOS screen
press System Management
ArcaOS- system management screen
select Disk | Disk utility
select the 4GB disk
press Fix Problems
Create GPT disk
"The changes have been applied"
Press Close
Press OK

---

VBox menu | Machine Reset

ArcaOS boots from iso

select: Install Maintain
select: boot with menu for own values
into the Arca hardware screen | moden hardware | pg dn
make sure NVME
make sure AHCI SATA
use tab key to get to third | set to none (use arrow key to change)
press F10
Welcome to ArcaOS screen
press System Management
ArcaOS- system management screen
select Disk | Manage volumes graphical
Select gpt disk 1
Create EFI system partition
Letter F
press Next
defualt 256 MB
press Finish
EFI partition created
press OK
right click (in right pane) on the he 3840mb free space
Create Volume
ArcaOS Type1
press Next
Letter C
volume 3
press Next
press Finish
System | Save Changes
Yes
System | Exit
Disk | Format disk

* Here is the problem
in the drop down list no disk C or F drives available
the hard disk seems to have vanished
install will not work since the disk vanished

[michaln]

Can you please confirm that the problem is specific to EFI and does not occur with BIOS?

Can you please confirm that the problem is specific to NVMe and does not occur with SATA and/or IDE?

I'm asking because EFI + NVMe in a VM is kind of useless and there is no reason why users should pick such an option. It just complicates things with no real upside.

Can you please confirm that the problem does not occur with ArcaOS 5.0.7, only with a beta version? And if so, do you have any idea what changed on the ArcaOS side?

[Rich87]

Question 1

I am mostly testing with EFI mode, because I want to test specific Win32 features.
I am also testing a NVME disk driver, that is fairly new. I will show a testcase with BIOS mode:

In BIOS mode.
3000 MB RAM
2 cpu
NVME with 4GB vdi
AHCI SATA - install iso
audio SB16
network NAT/ Intel Pro 1000 MT desktop
USB 2.0 enabled

When the ArcaOS is booting after partition of disk,and installed basic boot file... the VBox does not appear to have any choice to boot from NVME drive. Pressing F12 to see boot devices, shows: No hard disks found.

[michaln]

OK, I understand that you're trying to test NVMe, and for that you need a pre-release version of ArcaOS and EFI on the VirtualBox side.

But the initial bug report very clearly says that the problem affects many if not all storage controllers, and that it happens with both BIOS and EFI. Is that true or not?

I am asking because if the problem is only reproducible with pre-release guest software and only with a non-default storage controller, the priority of fixing it goes down quite a lot.

[Rich87]

The testing of EFI is also important. With the EFI boot, the OS/2 is better able to use the Windows 3.1 subsystem that is part of OS/2. I do very few BIOS installs on Vbox or real hardware.

The problem I had with BIOS installs has to do with use the VBox Machine Add function. As I recall, the disk was unusable. If I do a clean install of ArcaOS with a BIOS configuration the 7.x version is OK.

What I have found is if I use a disk image (vdi file) from a 6.x I can run EFI with 7.x. As long as I do not partition the hard drive. There is something broken with an EFI install and disk partitioning in VBox 7.x.

My testcase for this: Using Vbox 6.x create the gpt disk, and the EFI and operating system partitions, then shut down the Vbox. Copy this vdi to the Vbox 7.x machine. I can then do an install under EFI as long as I do not do any partitioning. Tested and works with SATA and NVME disks.