HOWTO Install games in Cedega without switching CDs (through image mounting)

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This article is part of the HOWTO series.

Installation • Kernel & Hardware • Networks • Portage • Software • System • X Server • Gaming • Non-x86 • Emulators • Misc

The problem that I frequently run into when installing games in winex is that there is more than one CD, and I need to switch CDs during install. I've tried using supermount but winex generally hangs when using it.

This is a different approach -- basically, you copy the CDs to ISO files, mount the first one, install the game, and during the install when it asks for the second disc, you simply mount the next CD iso over the same location. The advantage is that you don't have to eject or unmount the first ISO file to mount the later ones.

Here's how to do it:

First, make sure that looback is compiled in your kernel or a module:

Device Drivers  ---> 
  Block devices  ---> 
  <M> Loopback device support

If you compile the module, the module name is loop.

Second, copy CDs to ISO files:

# cat /dev/cdroms/cdrom0 > icewind_dale1.iso 
# eject 
# cat /dev/cdroms/cdrom0 > icewind_dale2.iso 
# eject

Note We do not need to mount CDs. We are not copying the contents of the filesystems, we are copying the filesystems themselves.

Then, as root, mount the first ISO file.

$ mount -o loop /home/steve/icewind_dale1.iso /mnt/cdrom

Run the winex3 installer as your user. Be sure to close all Windows applications before installing anything.

# cd /mnt/cdrom 
# cedega Setup.exe

When the installer asks for the next CD, mount the next ISO over the existing one, and continue the installation.

$ mount -o loop /home/steve/icewind_dale2.iso /mnt/cdrom

That should let you install the games with no CD hassles.

Be sure to unmount the ISOs when you are finished.

$ mount 
/home/steve/icewind_dale1.iso on /mnt/cdrom type iso9660 (rw,loop=/dev/loop0) 
/home/steve/icewind_dale2.iso on /mnt/cdrom type iso9660 (rw,loop=/dev/loop1) 
$ umount /mnt/cdrom 
$ umount /mnt/cdrom

Have a lot of fun!

[edit] Notes

Winex is now called cedega as of version 4.0

For .bin and .cue Files, you can use the Gentoo-Package "cdemu" - after emerging it provides a kernel module (cdemu.ko) and by running cdemu -s , you can get a list of your cdrom drives and you can add .bin or .cue files. The advantage is that you can mount image files with more than one Track (bin,cue) whereas (iso) has only one track.

The Conversion from BIN/CUE to ISO can be done by using a program called bchunk. bin2iso is also available, but it doesn't work in all cases and might destroy your data.

(Someone please write this down with more detail :-)

inserted August 17, 2005 - For conversion of random formats such as .img and .bin, use the programs on this page and follow their instructions for compiling. It should be noted that usage for img2iso is: img2iso foo.img > bar.iso.

Image Conversion

For Half-Life 2

I noticed when I was installing the game that the installer needed there to be a cd in the drive. In other words, /dev/cdrom had to contain data.

If you find that the installer doesn't respond to your iso images, just put the right numbered disk in the drive, then mount the iso and it should work.