Running Windows under Ubuntu Edgy using VMWare
I have installed and using Windows from my Ubuntu Edgy machine now using VMWare server. I tried different options like Virtual Box, QEmu, Crossover Linux etc and nothing worked. QEMu worked, but it was slow and I couldn’t access Volume Control under Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Entertainment -> Volume control. I installed Windows using VMWare Server and it’s working perfectly for the past 2 weeks. Most of the stuff works fine. I’m trying to get my webcam to work, which was connected through a USB hub.
Here is the HowTo guide to install Windows using VMWare server (Thanks to Ubuntu Forums for the help).
Go to this link and download VMWare Server for free. Register as a new user (if you haven’t registered already) and give a valid email address. They will send the registration key to that email address. Download the file after registering.
Open a terminal (Application -> Accessories -> Terminal). Type the following commands
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` build-essential xinetd
Now, open the downloaded VMWare server file and extract it. It should extract the files to vmware-server-distrib (if you have the options right while extracting). Change to vmware-server-distrib by entering the following command in the terminal.
cd vmware-server-distrib
Install the VMWare server now by issuing the command below. Enter your password when prompted. You can go with the default options. It installs to /var/lib/Virtual Machines….
sudo ./vmware-install.pl
Enter the registration key sent to your email, when prompted. The installation should go without any hiccups. Once installed, you’ll see a menu option under Applications -> System Tools -> VMWare Server Console.
Start the VMWare Server Console by selecting it from the menu. Once started, it’ll show you a box with the host you want to connect to (as shown below). Select Local host and click Connect.
Once connected, you’ll get an option as shown below. Since this is the first time we have started the VMWare server, you have to select Create a new Virtual Machine option. Once we created the virtual machine, you have to select Open a Virtual Machine option, each time you want to start the virtual OS.
Once you clicked on the Create a new Virtual Machine, go with the default options. When you come to the screen of selecting the Guest Operating System, select the OS you want to install. In my case, I selected Windows XP Professional as shown below.
When you come to the part where it asks for the Name of the Virtual Machine and the Location, select the default if you have enough space in the root folder (8 GB). 8 GB is default, but you can adjust the size. I created with 8 GB and with Windows update and minimal programs I needed, I filled up 6 GB, so my advice is to go with default or with more space. I didn’t have enough space under the root directory, so I had to change the installation path to my home folder. I created it under /home/myusername/VMWare.
You have to have the Windows installation CD ready in the drive by the time you complete this step. Once it installs Windows, you are ready to go. Shutting down Windows will shut down the virtual OS and it’ll get you back to the VMWare Server. The next time you want to start the virtual OS, Start the VMWare server, select Local Host, and then click on Open a Virtual Machine. Select the virtual OS you just installed and click OK (as shown below).
The next step is to click Edit Virtual Machine Settings to add or remove devices (as shown below).
Once you select the edit option, it’ll pop up a screen as shown below with the list of hardware. I removed Floppy drive from that list since I didn’t have a floppy drive in my PC and I was getting an error each time I started the virtual machine. VMWare server won’t add the sound device by default, so click on the Add button at the bottom.
Click on the Sound Adapter and Click Next. Continue till you finish adding it. Similarly add USB controller, if you have one and other options if you need. Once you add what you want, click OK and close the virtual machine settings.
Now, Click on Power On this virtual machine. This will start Windows as shown below. You are all set and ready to go.
You have options to run the virtual OS as a console or full screen or quick switch mode. If you are running the OS under full screen (and also under console mode), you have to press CTRL and ALT key at the same time to come out of it (and back to Ubuntu). Quick Switch mode will give you a menu bar that hides at the top and when you move your cursor to the top of the screen, you’ll get the VMWare server menu.
I couldn’t get my webcam to work. It was earlier attached to USB hub. I then attached it to USB port on my desktop, but it wasn’t recognized still. I would appreciate if you anyone can help me to get it work.
Technorati tags: VMWare, Server, Windows, Ubuntu, VirtualBox, QEmu, Crossover Linux, Virtual, OS
April 12th, 2007 at 6:59 am
Thanks for documenting the steps. Well done.
April 12th, 2007 at 8:41 am
You are welcome.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
I followed your instructions to the T and it worked on the first try. Thanks for the great tutorial.
April 20th, 2007 at 5:32 am
You are welcome.
April 20th, 2007 at 10:41 am
I’m having the same problem with USB devices. :^(
Have you found a solution to that yet?
April 20th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Not yet. I’ll update as soon as I find one.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:34 am
I’m struggling to get my Ubuntu (Fiesty Fawn) working with USB devices in VMware Server, and wonder if it’s related in some form to this:
http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=617688
April 23rd, 2007 at 4:53 pm
The thread says WS6, which is in Beta right now, has support for distros that use sysfs. When I checked the VMWare site, there’s no beta currently for VMWare server. The thread says VMWare Work Station 6 beta works. Do you know what’s the difference between server and work station?
April 23rd, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Another thread here http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?threadID=81447&tstart=30
says that the only products which support USB 2.0 are the Workstation 6 / Player 2 betas and the Fusion beta. If you use Player, then it will not be able to take advantage of USB 2.0 if the virtual machine has not been upgraded to virtual hardware version 6 by using the VMware Workstation 6 product and VMWare workstations is not free.
April 24th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
I have to admit, I gave up on VMWare Server and installed VirtualBox.
It’s running fine right now, and only had a problem while setting up the bridged networking.
I don’t understand the technical difference between VMware Server and Workstation, but I do know that Workstation costs close to $200.
I’m not going to spend that much money for something that might work in a beta.
In any case, VirtualBox is opensource, and working perfectly so far.
The only thing I wish it had was a converter from VMWare Images to it’s image format, but that is in the works apparently.
April 25th, 2007 at 6:04 am
I didn’t have success with Virtualbox. Check
http://www.blog.arun-prabha.com/2007/02/14/virtualbox-x86-virtualization/
Does Virtualbox detects webcam, external USB hard drive etc?
April 25th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
My cd-rom worked correctly the first time.
All of my USB devices (printer, skype-phone, thumbdrive, external hard drive) work correctly.
I have a scanner that works half of the time, but it kinda sucks anyway. The printer is a canon which doesn’t have Linux drivers, so I shared it through my Hosted Windows OS to print to, and there haven’t been any problems yet.
April 25th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
oh! ok. I’ll give it a try one more time.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:55 am
The Virtualbox for Feisty worked. I didn’t complete the installation of Windows yet. I’ll write about it once I’m done. I uninstalled VMWare to try Virtualbox.
April 26th, 2007 at 7:38 am
Great, glad to hear it. Getting bridged networking was kinda tricky,
I had to pick and choose out of the documentation to get it working, but it’s still chugging along for me.
It could just be wishful thinking, but VirtualBox seems to be a bit quicker than VMWare Server was as well.
Who knows. Now to get Beryl working correctly…..
April 26th, 2007 at 11:17 am
I’ll try it and see if I see any performance difference.
I couldn’t get Beryl to work with Kubuntu and ATI X1600 card in my laptop. I made it to work with Ubuntu before and then when I moved to Kubuntu, it stayed that way, but it didn’t work with fresh Kubuntu Feisty installation.
April 29th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
Hi !
I really got excited when i learnt that i can use only linux to run all applications.thanks for the guise.But i have a question, can install warcraft 3 under virtual windows?if yes can i play it online?
I want to learn that i can or can not run games that requires internet connection under virtual windows machine.does it provides internet connection actually the physical does?
April 30th, 2007 at 5:51 am
Virtual machine provides internet connection. I’m not sure how well it’ll run Warcraft 3. Virtual machine won’t run at the same speed as native installation unless you have a faster dual core machine with good amount of RAM. I think there are lot of discussion on running Warcraft using Wine in Ubuntu Forums. Check that. I didn’t run any game under virtual machine.
May 1st, 2007 at 3:30 pm
It’s pretty slow running games under the Virtual Machine, as the Display Adapter is a plain-vanilla adapter, there’s no acceleration or fancy 3d stuff going on.
Warcraft 3 runs under Cedega/Wine very well though.
May 12th, 2007 at 1:11 am
I got my webcam to work…to see it in the VM -> Removable Devices menu. I previously made a virtual machine at http://www.easyvmx.com and I found in the vmx file the following:
# USB settings
# This config activates USB
usb.present = “TRUE”
usb.generic.autoconnect = “FALSE”
I just copied those in the vmx created with VMWare Server and it worked
Hope it helps.
May 12th, 2007 at 5:40 am
Thanks Mihai. I uninstalled VMWare and I’m using Virtualbox now.
December 26th, 2007 at 8:07 am
mount -t usbfs none /proc/bus/usb
or append
usbfs /proc/bus/usb usbfs auto 0 0
to /etc/fstab
then restart the linux host
then to make win xp guest recognise the usb device
click on VM>Removable Devices>USB Devices>[your device] and install the drivers.
ubuntix
December 26th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Thanks for the tip Ubuntix.
December 29th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
You guys are the best! I spent hours trying to figure out why my WinXP VM in VMWare server on Ubuntu wouldn’t recognize USB devices. mount -t usbfs none /proc/bus/usb did the trick.
January 10th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
mount -t usbfs none /proc/bus/usb
fixed my usb issues, thank you!!!!!!!
January 11th, 2008 at 6:54 am
You are welcome. Virtualbox too had this USB issue with Ubuntu Gutsy. Editing /etc/init.d/mountdevsubfs.sh fixed it.
February 5th, 2008 at 11:44 am
thnx for da blog arun
i just wanna know is intel xtreme graphics working successfully under vmware
September 16th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
i am using xp and ubuntu in dual boot, i have a fat32 partition where i store my virtual machines, i have installed vmware server in both xp and ubuntu , this way i can use my virtual machines regardless of which os is booted, when i boot xp and run the virtual machines with xp as host then i can run 4-5 guest machines with good speed
but when i use ubuntu as host then the guest machines are very slow even when only 2 guest machines are running
my machine config is core2duo 1.86 ghz, 4gb ram, intel dg965ry motherboard, 160 gb sata hdd
i dont know why my guest run slow when i am using ubuntu as host
September 17th, 2008 at 5:52 am
I’m not sure either. I don’t use VMWare anymore. I use Virtualbox, so I’m not sure if the issue is with the recent versions.