diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/common.h b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/common.h
index 821e28040..77b567423 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/common.h
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/common.h
@@ -8,9 +8,14 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <time.h>
 
+#ifdef VIRTUAL
+#define TEMP_PROG_FOLDER_NAME "/tmp/"
+#else
 #define TEMP_PROG_FOLDER_NAME           "/var/tmp/"
 #define TEMP_PROG_FOLDER_NAME_ALL_FILES "/var/tmp/*"
-#define TEMP_PROG_FILE_NAME             TEMP_PROG_FOLDER_NAME "tmp.rawbin"
+#endif
+
+#define TEMP_PROG_FILE_NAME TEMP_PROG_FOLDER_NAME "tmp.rawbin"
 
 enum numberMode { DEC, HEX };
 enum PROGRAM_INDEX { PROGRAM_FPGA, PROGRAM_KERNEL, PROGRAM_SERVER };
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/common.c b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/common.c
index 3723efc75..ac3be1db7 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/common.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/common.c
@@ -434,8 +434,13 @@ int setupDetectorServer(char *mess, char *sname) {
     LOG(logINFO, ("\tPermissions modified\n"));
 
     // symbolic link
-    if (snprintf(cmd, MAX_STR_LENGTH, "ln -sf %s %s", sname,
-                 LINKED_SERVER_NAME) >= MAX_STR_LENGTH) {
+    char linkname[MAX_STR_LENGTH] = {0};
+    strcpy(linkname, LINKED_SERVER_NAME);
+#ifdef VIRTUAL
+    sprintf(linkname, "%s%s", TEMP_PROG_FOLDER_NAME, LINKED_SERVER_NAME);
+#endif
+    if (snprintf(cmd, MAX_STR_LENGTH, "ln -sf %s %s", sname, linkname) >=
+        MAX_STR_LENGTH) {
         strcpy(mess, "Could not copy detector server. Command to "
                      "create symbolic link too long\n");
         LOG(logERROR, (mess));
@@ -451,6 +456,7 @@ int setupDetectorServer(char *mess, char *sname) {
     LOG(logINFO, ("\tSymbolic link created\n"));
 
     // blackfin boards (respawn) (only kept for backwards compatibility)
+#ifndef VIRTUAL
 #if defined(JUNGFRAUD) || defined(CHIPTESTBOARDD) || defined(MOENCHD) ||       \
     defined(GOTTHARDD)
     // delete every line with DetectorServer in /etc/inittab
@@ -481,6 +487,7 @@ int setupDetectorServer(char *mess, char *sname) {
     }
     LOG(logINFO, ("\tinittab: updated for respawning\n"));
 
+#endif
 #endif
 
     // sync
@@ -567,6 +574,7 @@ int moveBinaryFile(char *mess, char *dest, char *src, char *errorPrefix) {
         LOG(logERROR, (mess));
         return FAIL;
     }
+
     if (executeCommand(cmd, retvals, logDEBUG1) == FAIL) {
         snprintf(mess, MAX_STR_LENGTH, "Could not %s. (moving). %s\n",
                  errorPrefix, retvals);
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/programViaBlackfin.c b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/programViaBlackfin.c
index 3e5d8538b..7e8aba0e2 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/programViaBlackfin.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/programViaBlackfin.c
@@ -219,6 +219,9 @@ int resetFPGA(char *mess) {
 }
 
 int emptyTempFolder(char *mess) {
+#ifdef VIRTUAL
+    return OK;
+#else
     char cmd[MAX_STR_LENGTH] = {0};
     char retvals[MAX_STR_LENGTH] = {0};
 
@@ -240,6 +243,7 @@ int emptyTempFolder(char *mess) {
     }
     LOG(logINFO, ("\tEmptied temp folder(%s)\n", TEMP_PROG_FOLDER_NAME));
     return OK;
+#endif
 }
 
 int preparetoCopyProgram(char *mess, char *functionType, FILE **fd,
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/slsDetectorServer_funcs.c b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/slsDetectorServer_funcs.c
index 734d31e1a..e11abdbd7 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/slsDetectorServer_funcs.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/slsDetectorServer_funcs.c
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ int updateModeAllowedFunction(int file_des) {
                             F_UPDATE_KERNEL,
                             F_UPDATE_DETECTOR_SERVER};
     for (unsigned int i = 0; i < listsize; ++i) {
-        if (fnum == list[i]) {
+        if ((unsigned int)fnum == list[i]) {
             return OK;
         }
     }
@@ -9312,6 +9312,14 @@ int receive_program(int file_des, enum PROGRAM_INDEX index) {
         if (index == PROGRAM_SERVER) {
             if (receiveData(file_des, serverName, MAX_STR_LENGTH, OTHER) < 0)
                 return printSocketReadError();
+#ifdef VIRTUAL
+            // writing to a temp folder
+            {
+                char temp[MAX_STR_LENGTH] = {0};
+                sprintf(temp, "%s%s", TEMP_PROG_FOLDER_NAME, serverName);
+                strcpy(serverName, temp);
+            }
+#endif
             LOG(logINFO, ("\tServer Name: %s\n", serverName));
         }