thank you for this succinct update for 2.2.4. The editing of tormach_ini_file.py can be avoided by replacing the word ethernet with db25parallel in pathpilot.json.(This is how sim mode bypasses ethernet checking)
This brings the solution to just some file copying.
It doesn't quite work on 2.7.2, The GUI hangs when it is almost up. But fine in 2.2.4. Downloading v2.2.4 from Tormach and using Previous Versions in Update gui works fine to get to the working version.