HOWTO: Install vmware under your ubuntu

[i3dmaster]

Wouldn't be nice if we can play diff OSs under ubuntu? Yes, that will have a lot of fun... I just tried install the latest VMware workstation 5 under ubuntu and it went pretty successfully (well, I did some researches beforehands). So I am gonna share it with everyone here.

1. Since VMware does not support any of the current Hoary kernels (2.6.10-x), you will have to build the vmware modules during the installation, so there are something you have to load before you start installing Vmware.
a. build-essential (apt-get install build-essential). It gives you all the compiling tools that you MUST need.
b. linux-source (apt-get install linux-source-xxx). For instance, mine is 2.6.10 for my running kernel 2.6.10-5-686
c. linux-headers (apt-get install linux-headers-xxx). For instance, mine is 2.6.10-5-686.
Anyway, just search apt repos for the headhers, source for your running kernel.

2. the kernel source does not get installed after you apt-get, so you will need to go to the /usr/src dir and manually untar it. After you get the directory, then do "ln -sf you_linux_source_dir linux". This will create a symblic link named "linux" under the same dir.

3. Once you have them loaded, go to www.vmware.com to download the vmware 5 code (version 13124 is the latest). I recommend the tar.gz format since it has a nice installation perl script.

3. gunzip and untar it, it will have a vmware-distrib directory generated, go to that dir and run the vmware-install.pl script.

4. Follow the instructions and take pretty much all default settings (as long as you don't make any customized changes on the previous installations, header files location, source location, etc will all be in the default places)

Hopefully, the installation script will build the kernel modules without any problem (it normally shouldn't), if so, congratulations! You have Vmware available on your ubnutu now. you can just do "vmware" to bring up the GUI and install whatever OSs you like in there...

A comment is when you setup the virtual network interfaces during the installation process, make sure you bridge the right NIC card to the virtual interface. The default is "eth0" but you might want to make sure you do have "eth0"...

Have fun...

[mrbass]

In my experience installing vmare 5.0 all I needed to install was linux-headers and gcc ...not build-essentials, etc.

Install VMWare 5.0

uname -a
Linux hostname 2.6.10-5-386

sudo apt-cache search headers 2.6.10-5-386
linux-headers-2.6.10-5-386 - Linux kernel headers 2.6.10 on 386

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-2.6.10-5-386
sudo apt-get install gcc

Now your ready to install VMWare with the script

[nehalem]

The big question for me is how do you get sound to work for multiple VM's? It is possible to use ESD or soemthing rather than OSS?

Plus the sound stutters? I think I read this is just a problem with VMware but I would be interested if a solution exists.

[i3dmaster]

In my experience installing vmare 5.0 all I needed to install was linux-headers and gcc ...not build-essentials, etc.

Install VMWare 5.0

uname -a
Linux hostname 2.6.10-5-386

sudo apt-cache search headers 2.6.10-5-386
linux-headers-2.6.10-5-386 - Linux kernel headers 2.6.10 on 386

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-2.6.10-5-386
sudo apt-get install gcc

Now your ready to install VMWare with the script

Cool, thanks for sharing. So you don't need the linux source tree to build the modules?

[pdk001]

thanks for a tip
i will try it now

[kb00heda]

I tried this yesterday and it all worked out fine: registered at VMware's homepage, got the evaluation license per mail, downloaded and installed vmvare using the perl script (after making sure the linux-headers were present --- installed those via apt).

I must say it was mixed feelings to once again see Windows running on my machine (though as a VM)...! This was as easy as mount my Windows CD, power on the newly created VM, and install as usual. Guess I could have made some tweaking to it, but was content with making sure I could install and run Windows software.

In short: VMware is a nice thing really. However, having no urgent need for running Windows applications, in the end I uninstalled it. Sometimes it is just fun to test new things!

[i3dmaster]

I tried this yesterday and it all worked out fine: registered at VMware's homepage, got the evaluation license per mail, downloaded and installed vmvare using the perl script (after making sure the linux-headers were present --- installed those via apt).

I must say it was mixed feelings to once again see Windows running on my machine (though as a VM)...! This was as easy as mount my Windows CD, power on the newly created VM, and install as usual. Guess I could have made some tweaking to it, but was content with making sure I could install and run Windows software.

In short: VMware is a nice thing really. However, having no urgent need for running Windows applications, in the end I uninstalled it. Sometimes it is just fun to test new things!

exactly. It's a very neat tool for testing purpose since the stuff you put in the guest OS will never mess up your native host.

[Fab]

okay
i downloaded the tar from the vmware site
there was no vmware-installer.pl file in it
i tried a second and a third time
no vmware-installer.pl in it
i got a friend to download it - nada
finally got the file from a friend who had vmware installed already from a previous release
ran it - worked fine
vmware-config.pl is called afterwards
fine till the part with the kernel modules:

Using compiler "/usr/bin/gcc". Use environment variable CC to override.

What is the location of the directory of C header files that match your running
kernel? [/usr/src/linux/include]

Extracting the sources of the vmmon module.

Building the vmmon module.

Using 2.6.x kernel build system.
make: Gehe in Verzeichnis »/tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only«
make -C /usr/src/linux/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules
make[1]: Gehe in Verzeichnis »/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.10-5-686«
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o
In Datei, eingefügt von /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:45:
/tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/driver.h:68:1: Warnung: »DEVICE_NAME_SIZE« redefiniert
In Datei, eingefügt von include/linux/miscdevice.h:5,
von /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/driver.h:12,
von /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/driver.c:45:
include/linux/device.h:25:1: Warnung: dies ist die Stelle der vorherigen Definit ion
objdump: /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/.tmp_driver.o: File format not rec ognized
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/hostif.o
In Datei, eingefügt von /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/hostif.c:57:
/tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/driver.h:68:1: Warnung: »DEVICE_NAME_SIZE« redefiniert
In Datei, eingefügt von include/linux/miscdevice.h:5,
von /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/driver.h:12,
von /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/hostif.c:57:
include/linux/device.h:25:1: Warnung: dies ist die Stelle der vorherigen Definit ion
objdump: /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/.tmp_hostif.o: File format not rec ognized
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/cpuid.o
objdump: /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/.tmp_cpuid.o: File format not rec ognized
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/hash.o
objdump: /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/.tmp_hash.o: File format not reco gnized
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/memtrack.o
objdump: /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/.tmp_memtrack.o: File format not recognized
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/phystrack.o
objdump: /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/.tmp_phystrack.o: File format not recognized
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/task.o
objdump: /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/.tmp_task.o: File format not reco gnized
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/vmx86.o
objdump: /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/common/.tmp_vmx86.o: File format not rec ognized
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/vmcore/moduleloop.o
objdump: /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/vmcore/.tmp_moduleloop.o: File format no t recognized
LD [M] /tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/vmmon.o
/tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o: file not recognized: File format not recognized
make[2]: *** [/tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only/vmmon.o] Fehler 1
make[1]: *** [_module_/tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only] Fehler 2
make[1]: Verlasse Verzeichnis »/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.10-5-686«
make: *** [vmmon.ko] Fehler 2
make: Verlasse Verzeichnis »/tmp/vmware-config1/vmmon-only«
Unable to build the vmmon module.

For more information on how to troubleshoot module-related problems, please
visit our Web site at "http://www.vmware.com/download/modules/modules.html" and
"http://www.vmware.com/support/reference/linux/prebuilt_modules_linux.html".

Execution aborted.

what did i do wrong?
i symlinked the most recent 686 kernel headers to /usr/src/linux/ , since that is what i use

i really want to try this

Fab

[#Vizc@ch@]

But the default is /usr/src/linux/include not /usr/src/linux, that might be the problem.

You should make sure where the headers are.

Note: I may be talking nonsense

Good luck

[Fab]

But the default is /usr/src/linux/include not /usr/src/linux, that might be the problem.

You should make sure where the headers are.

Note: I may be talking nonsense

Good luck

nope, the files needed are in /usr/src/linux/include
the thing that bothers me is the stuff with file format not recognized, i think the key lies within that..