• A Windows XP Installation CD & Key
• Internet Connection (+- 100 Megabyte file download)

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

apt-get install gcc-3.4

• Go to http://www.vmware.com/products/server/
• On the menu on the right click: Download VMWare Server
• Click on the appropriate Download Now button.
• Register as new user, do give a valid email address, since you will be receiving the registration key by email.
• Select the VMWare Server (for Linux)
• Accept the EULA
• Download VMware Server for Linux. (first mentioned, binary (.tar.gz) )

• Open the downloaded file with the archive manager.
• Extract it to somewhere, I will use /tmp here.
• Startup the terminal and go to the extracted files
  
  Code:

  cd /tmp  replace with your download directory
  cd vmware-server-distrib

  • • Breezy users only. Execute
      Code:

      export CC=/usr/bin/gcc-3.4

• Execute the installation script
  
  Code:

  sudo ./vmware-install.pl

• You can accept all defaults, only thing you might want to alter is the directory where the Virtual Machines are stored. I have mine set to /home/username/vmware . But offcourse, just accept the settings you want to.
• You will be prompted for your key during the installation. You will find the key in your email inbox
• If everything went allright, the installation will finish without any problems

• Via the menu Applications => System Tools => Vmware Server Console
• If everything is allright, the server console program will show up.
• If it didn't, start the terminal and execute
  Code:

  vmware

  This will display the errors, post them here and hopefully we can solve them.

• Insert your Windows (XP) CD into your CDROM drive
• Open the VMware Server Console
• select 'Create a new virtual machine'
• => Next => Next => Select Windows Xp (or whatever Windows versions you want to install )
• => Next => Enter a name and select a location for the Virtual Machine File (It contains the virtual harddisk, so it needs quite some space, min 2 GB, but I would recommend 8+ GB )
• => Next => Select Network type. I am using NAT, but choose whatever fits you ( or your mood )
• => Next => Choose the size for the Virtual Disk and set other preferences
• => Next => Finish

• Start the virtual machine
• Hopefully it detects your Windows install CD and will start the installation! If it won't boot from the CD, stop the virtual machine and check/change the preferences for the virtual machine regarding the CD drive
• Enjoy the installation and the freedom to use Ubuntu while installing

• Make sure your Windows Virtual Machine is Running and visable/selected. (Not in FullScreen)
• Go to the VM menu (on the top in the VM Server Console)
• Select Install VMWare Tools.
  This will start a installation wizard in your WIndows Environment. Just install the stuff and you will have better mouse and system responsiveness.

• No Serial Number Received

You can view your serial numbers at: http://www.vmware.com/vmwarestore/ne...mber_login.jsp

• After a kernel upgrade VMWare won't start because it has not been (correctly) configured for the running kernel

execute

Code:

sudo /usr/bin/vmware-config.pl

• vmware-config.pl fails to find the right kernel headers. It cannot find /usr/src/kernel/include and won't proceed to install.

You have a updated kernel, but not the updated kernel headers.
You can install them by executing

Code:

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

Now you can succesfully run

Code:

sudo /usr/bin/vmware-config.pl

• You don't want to install the kernel headers manually each time there is an update.

There is a package called linux-headers-*** that automatically installs the latest kernelheaders, so you don't need to install them manually each time.

There are 4 flavours of this package: 386, 686, k7, server.

If you don't know wich one you need, execute

Code:

uname -r

It will give you something like 2.6.15-26-k7 or 2.6.15-26-686

Now you know the right flavour, install it by

Code:

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-***

Replace the *** with 386, 686, k7 or server.

• Uninstallation failed and reinstall won't work
  ====
  A previous installation of VMware software has been detected.
  The previous installation was made by the tar installer (version 3).
  Keeping the tar3 installer database format.
  Error: Unable to execute "/usr/bin/vmware/vmware-uninstall.pl.
  Failure
  Execution aborted.
  ====

Look for the /etc/vmware directory and either move it to a different location or remove it altogether.

Code:

sudo rm -R /etc/vmware

Go in to VMWare Server Console and edit your guest OS.  On the Options
tab select Startup/Shutdown and set it to not power up the guest
machine on startup.

This way the VMWare service will start when you boot the host machine
and you can start the guest when you want to use it.

Command for desktop icon to open my WinXP image:-
vmware -x -q -l /home/robert/vmware/virtualmachines/Windows\ XP\ Professional/Windows\ XP\ Professional.vmx
see.....
http://pubs.vmware.com/server1/vm/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=vm&file=running_commands_lin_gsx.html
and for the complete on-line library....
http://pubs.vmware.com/server1/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/html/wwhelp.htm