Comments on How To Install VMware Server On Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Dapper Drake)

> 1) In the case you use updated Ubuntu, you have to build your own kernel.
> In your example you probably used original kernel shiped with Ubuntu that
> is out od date now.

The Ubuntu in the howto is up to date.

You never have to build your own kernel for vmware. If you use another kernel, then the VMWare installer compiles a loadable kernel module, you only have to install the correct kernel headers for your kernel.

> 2) What about "serial number?" I thought that VMware server is free and no
> serial number is needed. Your howto has notice "enter seral number".
> Where to get one?? Is it needed?

Please read the howto, it is described in step 3. 

> 3) do you know about "sudo -i"? It is recomanded by Ubuntu user guide
> to switch to root account. Is something wrong witth this command?
> Why do you use something else?

Seem syou didnt install or use vmware yet, otherwise you would know that you need
the root login to be enabled to login with the vmware console.
 

The howto uses the default ubuntu kernel on a completely updated ubuntu system.

I installed 6.06 desktop and then did an update two days ago (26-Jul-2006) and I am now running 2.16.15-26-386.  I had to install the kernel headers as the grandparent post mentioned.

Other than that, this howto saved me lots of time.  THANKS!

This is a very good demo, however it lacks in the fact that most, if not all, ubuntu users are now using the 686 2.6.15-26 kernel.

 Since the VMWare installation doesn't have a module for  kernels above 2.6.15.23 i386, you need to install the C headers, if you haven't already, and allow the installation to build a module for your kernel. 

To do this run this command:

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` build-essential xinetd

 it installs the headers for your current kernel along with compilers. 

Then just let the installation build a module for your kernel, if you need more info go to this link

http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=183209

-Jeb 

1) In the case you use updated Ubuntu, you have to build your own kernel. In your example you probably used original kernel shiped with Ubuntu that is out od date now

2) What about "serial number?" I thought that VMware server is free and no serial number is needed. Your howto has notice "enter seral number". Where to get one?? Is it needed?

3) do you know about "sudo -i"? It is recomanded by Ubuntu user guide to switch to root account. Is something wrong witth this command? Why do you use something else?

I've been having problems getting VMware server to work, it just won't start the virtual machine. With no error message as well - so I was left with no clue.

Thanks to this guide, now I've got VMware server running happily in my little Ubuntu 6 box :)

 btw; if you have installed VMware server and failed, then succeeded in installing it after reading this guide (like me), the virtual machine which already made may still won't work.
Not a problem, just delete it, and create a new one - voila, virtual machines on your Ubuntu.

 Thanks again, this is very appreciated.

    I also wanted to install latest vmware server. This is the few steps i did to get a binary install in ubuntu, that works perfect (as far as i know). This setup has been tested with 2 different hardware setups so far, one kubuntu 6.06 and one ubuntu 6.06.

1. Head over to http://www.vmware.com/download/server/ and grab the latest binary rpm (yes you read right, get the rpm archive) 

2. install "alien" (able to convert .rpm to .deb)

sudo apt-get install alien

3. Go to the directory where you downloaded the rpm file and convert it to a .deb-package.

sudo alien --scripts <filename.rpm> 

4. install the newly created deb-package

sudo dpkg -i <filename.deb> 

5. Configure vmware as usual by running vmware-config.pl

sudo vmware-config.pl 

(if you have troubles with the script e.g the kernel header files try one of the following steps)

6.1 If you have a precompiled default kernel (like most people)

just install the linux-header for the current kernel, and run the script again.

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r`

-> run vmware-config.pl again

6.2 If you have compiled your own kernel (like i had), you could get it working by editing version.h, as described in the forums...

become root and fix vmware-config.pl errors

sudo su 

echo "#define UTS_RELEASE \"`uname -r`\"" >> /usr/src/linux/include/linux/version.h 

(if you prefer to do this manually instead, just take the string that

echo "#define UTS_RELEASE \"`uname -r`\""

and paste it in /usr/src/linux/include/linux/version.h

7. Finished. enjoy a good install with start stop scripts. Vmware server console shortcuts is installed in gnome/kde application menu.

Any errors or problems please report! 

a problem i had was that the mui would not start after a reboot of the host.

The httpd deamon has difficulties to write to /var/run/vmware/ and could not create the httpd directory.

 solution from the forums of vmware:

add this at the end of /etc/init.d/rc

 # vmware httpd fix <<start>>

mkdir /var/run/vmware/httpd/
chown www-data /var/run/vmware/httpd
chgrp nogroup /var/run/vmware/httpd
chmod 700 /var/run/vmware/httpd
/etc/init.d/httpd.vmware start

This guide has been very helpfull.

Thanx a lot 

First off thanks to all!!

I was having issues with a blank console screen after winscp'ing premade images up to my server. After some searching here was my solution.

Make sure the permissions on the *.vmx are set to 0755

That worked for and all my premade VM Workstation 5 virtual machines.

Ryan 

You might need to also to:

  apt-get install ia32-libs

yeah, you definitly need lib32-libs if using a 64bit system

one useful extra trick is to know that the latest VMWare can crawl when talking to an SMB localhost server, due to quirks in the intel gigabit ethernet card.

If SMB network access from a windows VM image is really slow going to the filestore in the hosting OS, see  http://forums.fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?t=105185 to see what options to fix. For ubuntu 6.0.6, I added the following to /etc/modprobe.d/options

options eth0 hwmode=2
options eth0 mtu=1492
options eth0 seg_offload=0

Things are better now.