Installing VMware Workstation 5 on a Linux Host

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http://www.vmware.com/support/ws5/doc/install_linux_ws.html

Getting started with VMware Workstation is simple. The key steps are

Install the VMware Workstation software as described in Installing Workstation on a Linux Host.
Start VMware Workstation
Enter your serial number.
You need to do this only once. If you don't already have a serial number configured from a previous installation, you are prompted for the serial number when you start Workstation. To enter the serial number choose Help > Enter Serial Number. Note: You can install Workstation without a serial number. However you cannot power on a virtual machine without entering a serial number.
Create a virtual machine using the New Virtual Machine Wizard. See Creating a New Virtual Machine.
Install a guest operating system in the new virtual machine. You need the installation media (CD-ROM or floppy disks) for your guest operating system. See Installing a Guest Operating System and VMware Tools.
Install the VMware Tools package in your virtual machine for enhanced performance. See Installing VMware Tools.
Start using your virtual machine.

Installing Workstation on a Linux Host

Copy the tar archive to a temporary directory on your hard drive - for example, /tmp.
```
cp VMware-<xxxx>.tar.gz /tmp
```
Change to the directory to which you copied the file.
```
cd /tmp
```
Unpack the archive.
```
tar zxf VMware-<xxxx>.tar.gz
```
Change to the installation directory.
```
cd vmware-distrib
```
Run the installation program.
```
./vmware-install.pl
```

Accept the default directories for the binary files, library files, manual files, documentation files and init script.

% vmware-install.pl
Creating a new installer database using the tar3 format.

Installing the content of the package.

In which directory do you want to install the binary files?
[/usr/bin]

What is the directory that contains the init directories (rc0.d/ to rc6.d/)?
[/etc]

What is the directory that contains the init scripts?
[/etc/init.d]

In which directory do you want to install the library files?
[/usr/lib/vmware]

The path "/usr/lib/vmware" does not exist currently. This program is going to
create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want? [yes]

In which directory do you want to install the manual files?
[/usr/share/man]

In which directory do you want to install the documentation files?
[/usr/share/doc/vmware]

The path "/usr/share/doc/vmware" does not exist currently. This program is going
to create it, including needed parent directories. Is this what you want?
[yes]

The installation of VMware Workstation 5.0.0 build-13124 for Linux completed
successfully. You can decide to remove this software from your system at any
time by invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-uninstall.pl".

Before running VMware Workstation for the first time, you need to configure it
by invoking the following command: "/usr/bin/vmware-config.pl". Do you want this
program to invoke the command for you now? [yes]

Answer Yes when prompted to run vmware-config.pl.

This completes the tar archive installation instructions.

Simple Steps to a New Virtual Machine

Start VMware Workstation.
If this is the first time you have launched VMware Workstation, enter the serial number. Use Help -> Enter Serial Number. The serial number you enter is saved and VMware Workstation does not ask you for it again.
Start the New Virtual Machine Wizard.
The New Virtual Machine Wizard presents you with a series of screens that you navigate using the Next and Prev buttons at the bottom of each screen. At each screen, follow the instructions, then click Next to proceed to the next screen.
Select the method you want to use for configuring your virtual machine.

If you select Typical, the wizard prompts you to specify or accept defaults for

The guest operating system
The virtual machine name and the location of the virtual machine's files
The network connection type
Allocate all the space for a virtual disk at the time you create it
Choose whether to split a virtual disk into 2GB files

If you select Custom, you also can specify how to set up your dis - create a new virtual disk, use an existing virtual disk or use a physical disk - and specify the settings needed for the type of disk you select. There is also an option to create a legacy virtual disk for use in environments with other VMware products.

Select Custom if you want to

Make a legacy virtual machine that is compatible with Workstation 4.x, GSX Server 3.x, ESX Server 2.x and ACE 1.x.
Make a virtual disk larger or smaller than 4GB
Store your virtual disk's files in a particular location
Use an IDE virtual disk for a guest operating system that would otherwise have a SCSI virtual disk created by default
Use a physical disk rather than a virtual disk (for expert users)
Set memory options that are different from the defaults