Parallels install

GNU Radio
1

Has anybody run GNU radio w/ a USRP on a linux distro installed inside
a parallels VM running on Mac OS X? And how successful was said setup?
I’m concerned about the stringent USB requirements and would
appreciate a little insight from somebody who has attempted this setup.

Thanks,
Tyrel

2

Tyrel,

I often run GNU radio apps under parallels with great success but I have
not
yet tried connecting a USRP.

I will bring my Mac into work tomorrow and give it a shot. Let me know
of
your success / issues.

Tim

3

I regularly do testing on VMWare Fusion and various Linux-es, for
compiling and debugging scripts. I wouldn’t use Fusion for a
production application, because of the hit the VM takes relative with
the native CPU speed, unless the app has no significant CPU
requirements. That said, at least on Fusion I’ve had success running
the USRP at close to 32 MB/s on an Intel-iMac. I don’t use Parallels,
so I can’t comment on that particular VM application. Setup is
identical to what you’d do on a native Linux box, except there is an
icon to check (or uncheck) that attaches (removes) the USRP onto the
VM’s USB.

The primary pieces of advice I can give are:

  • If you’re going to use a VM (even for just testing of compiling and
    scripts), make sure your real computer has lots of DRAM. Mine has 2
    GB, and that just barely does it when running the VM at 512 MB -
    keeping everything in DRAM instead of swapping out (which is very slow).

  • VM’s do not necessarily work like real hardware; sometimes yes,
    sometimes no. Just because you can’t get whatever you’re doing to
    work on the VM doesn’t mean that it will or not work on real hardware.

  • MLD