VMware Server 1.0.2 on Ubuntu 6.10

Previously I documented installing VMware Workstation 6 Beta on my Thinkpad x60s. I decided to uninstall Workstation and install VMware Server 1.0.2. I should have used the vmware-uninstall.pl script but even without using it directly I managed to remove the old Workstation installation without real trouble.

Running Server on Ubuntu 6.10 (desktop) required me to add a few packages. I found Martti Kuparinen's installation guide very helpful. I had to add the following packages to ensure a smooth Server installation.

sudo apt-get install xinetd
sudo apt-get install libX11-dev
sudo apt-get install xlibs-dev

I did not have to install linux-kernel-headers.

I was really impressed that Martti provided a patch for two scripts that did not work correctly out of the box. When I applied the patch I was able to start VMware's Web server and access it via my browser.

richard@neely:/tmp$ wget http://users.piuha.net/martti/comp/ubuntu/httpd.vmware.diff
--13:52:24-- http://users.piuha.net/martti/comp/ubuntu/httpd.vmware.diff
=> `httpd.vmware.diff'
Resolving users.piuha.net... 193.234.218.130
Connecting to users.piuha.net|193.234.218.130|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 2,973 (2.9K) [text/plain]

100%[====================================>] 2,973 --.--K/s

13:52:25 (1.81 MB/s) - `httpd.vmware.diff' saved [2973/2973]

richard@neely:/tmp$ cd /
richard@neely:/$ sudo patch -b -p0 < /tmp/httpd.vmware.diff
Password:
patching file /etc/init.d/httpd.vmware
patching file /usr/lib/vmware-mui/src/lib/httpd.vmware
richard@neely:/$ sudo netstat -natup | grep vm
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:8333 0.0.0.0:*
LISTEN 5205/httpd.vmware
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:8222 0.0.0.0:*
LISTEN 5205/httpd.vmware

Thanks to this guide I made this addition to /etc/xinetd.d/vmware-authd so the vmware console on port 902 TCP didn't listen on all interfaces:

bind = 127.0.0.1

To prevent the Web server from starting at boot and potentially listening on a hostile network, I removed the x bit from the script in /etc/init.d so it would not be started at boot. I can start it manually.

richard@neely:~$ sudo chmod -x /etc/init.d/httpd.vmware
richard@neely:~$ sudo sh /etc/init.d/httpd.vmware start
Starting httpd.vmware: done

I noticed while installing the packages the suggestion to run apt-get autoremove, so I did once everything was installed.

richard@neely:~$ sudo apt-get autoremove
Password:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
libnl1-pre6 network-manager libnm-util0 dhcdbd
The following packages will be REMOVED:
dhcdbd libnl1-pre6 libnm-util0 network-manager
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 4 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B of archives.
After unpacking 1217kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
(Reading database ... 115360 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing network-manager ...
* Stopping NetworkManager daemon [ ok ]
* Stopping NetworkManager dispatcher [ ok ]
Removing dhcdbd ...
Removing libnl1-pre6 ...
Removing libnm-util0 ...

I have VMware Server running well on Ubuntu now.

Comments

Robb Kidd said…
Uninstalled NetworkManager? You might want to verify that your wireless is still working. NetworkManager is the goodness that handles all the wireless contortions for you. It is not installed by default in Ubuntu 6.10.
Yeah, I tried installing it but didn't like it trying to get DHCP addresses on any interface that was active. I uninstalled it.
Robb Kidd said…
Fair 'nuff.
Anonymous said…
why server and not workstation?
I didn't really need Workstation's features, and Server is free.
cbentle2 said…
Hi Richard, have you had any experience of using the Open Source VirtualBox.

I have just started playing around with it and i must say i am very impressed when comparing the product to Vmware and VirtualPc.
Chris -- sorry, no.
Niklas Eriksson said…
Richard, I replicated your setup on my T43p. But instead of VMware Server web console I used VMware Server Console client program.
If you like CLI, you should test "/usr/bin/vmware-cmd" to control vm's ;)
Carlos R. said…
Hi Richard.-
Wich is the best Linux-supported filesystem to place the Virtual Machines?
No idea -- I run ext3 on Ubuntu by default.

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